Supporting the Troops and Strengthening Our National Security

July 22, 2026
Blog

Every day, men and women in our military are on duty, ready to defend our country. Building a strong military to deter threats and keep our nation at peace means investing in these heroes who put their lives on the line to defend our freedom.

That’s why this week I voted to bolster our national security and to give our troops a well-deserved pay raise as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that passed with bipartisan support.

This annual legislation authorizes funding and sets policy for the armed forces, keeping our military up and running to defend our shores and deter our enemies.

Joining the military is a family commitment, and this year’s NDAA delivers meaningful support for our military families. Specifically, the bill:

  • Gives all our service members a 5% to 7% increase in pay.
  • Improves resources for housing, child care, and other services for their spouses and children.
  • Includes my provision to identify how many veterans were forced to retire early by the Biden-era COVID-19 vaccine mandate, so we can begin restoring their ability to transfer their unused education benefits to their children.

The NDAA also makes historic investments to bolster our national security and promote peace through strength, including:

  • Investing in the weapons, equipment, vehicles, and facilities our military needs to defend our nation.
  • Preparing Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Michigan for the new fighter jet mission President Trump announced last year.
  • Making air travel safer by requiring the Defense Department to develop an action plan for implementing the next generation of anti-crash technology in military aircraft — a policy I proposed in light of the tragic crash over the Potomac River last year.
  • Removing waste and fraud in the military to improve combat readiness and protect tax dollars by setting up a fraud task force and auditing the entire Department of Defense.

Strategic military strength promotes peace, and that’s exactly what this year’s NDAA will do.