WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee’s Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee and Member of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, Congressman Donald Norcross (D-NJ), advanced the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) out of committee and secured priorities that invest in South Jersey and increase national defense innovation. This is the 65^th year that the NDAA, the largest authorization bill in Congress with a budget of $882.6 billion, passed out of committee, continuing the tradition of bipartisan cooperation on this bill.   

“The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that was passed out of committee is a commitment to our nation’s security and a steadfast investment in the courageous men and women in our armed forces. It ensures that we have what every commander wants for their troops: that they are manned, trained, and equipped with the best to carry out our nation’s mission and return home safely. It provides a $3.8% pay raise to all servicemembers and it cuts down on red tape to make certain that our men and women in uniform have the resources they need to keep our country safe,” said Congressman Donald Norcross. “This bipartisan legislation strengthens our industrial base, reinforces Buy American principles, supports our allies, and includes the Streamlining Procurement for Effective Execution and Delivery (SPEED) Act to streamline procurement and decision-making. As ranking member of the Tactical Air and Land Subcommittee, I will continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to strengthen our national defense, continue investing in our industrial base, and deliver for South Jersey.”

The FY26 NDAA improves military readiness and strengthens American industry by cutting red tape, fixing outdated systems, and supporting defense innovation. The FY26 NDAA also includes a 3.8% pay raise for all servicemembers and a 60 percent increase in the Family Separation Allowance which increases the monthly allowance to military families separated due to mission requirements.  

Rep. Norcross authored an amendment that was adopted in a bipartisan vote to protect Department of Defense employees by restoring their collective bargaining rights after President Trump illegally issued an executive order that stripped these rights away.  

Fiscal Year 2026 NDAA Priorities Secured by Rep. Norcross: 

• Over $618 million for CH-47 helicopters, which will be manufactured by South Jersey workers. 

• Over $2.5 billion for the KC-46 refueler aircraft, which flies out of Joint Base McGuire-Dix Lakehurst.  

• $5 million to Rowan University for research, development, and engineering to enable rapid entry and sustainment in the Arctic and other cold regions being conducted. 

• Protected Buy American principles, American jobs, and manufacturing by making sure defense programs continue using U.S.-made parts and materials, keeping our industrial base strong 

• Required a detailed Pentagon briefing on how it will spend reconciliation funds to strengthen and modernize the munitions industrial base, holding the Pentagon accountable for how it will use the funds. 

• Required a DoD study on the state of the skilled trade workforce essential to Navy shipbuilding to strengthen the training and workforce pipeline and increase our shipbuilding capacity. 

• Protected the E-7 Wedgetail program from cancellation, ensuring $800 million in continued investment in this critical airborne warning and control capability. 

• $9.9 million investment to enhance Army command and control for unmanned systems and their defense which will be developed by South Jersey workers.  

• $10 million for research and development of man-portable doppler radars for Army Network Command, Control, Communication, and Intelligence (C3I) Technology. 

• $50 million to support U.S.-Israel anti-tunneling cooperation. 

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