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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Rob Wittman (R-VA), vice chairman of the House Armed Services Committee and chairman of the Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee, delivered the following remarks on the House floor in support of the final passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026.

Congressman Wittman’s remarks as prepared for delivery:

“Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise today in strong support of S. 1071, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026.

This year, the NDAA placed an extraordinary emphasis on overhauling the acquisition process, shifting focus from compliance to quickly fielding new capabilities at speed and scale.

It slashes red tape by creating a new requirements process to enable the Pentagon to actively seek existing technology solutions from industry, rather than prescribing overly exquisite, gold-plated systems with burdensome requirements.

This year’s bill also fully funds the President’s request for counter-drone systems, improves force protection from drones at home and abroad, and codifies the Joint Interagency Task Force 401—responsible for coordinating all Department efforts to counter drones now and in the future.

Among the NDAA’s most important achievements this year is the authorization of $38 billion for the development, procurement, or modification of aircraft.

This includes full funding for the Air Force’s F-47 and the Navy’s F/A-XX 6th Generation Aircraft programs, as well as an additional 47 F-35 fighter aircraft.

These investments will guarantee America’s air superiority around the globe.

This NDAA also supports our immense shipbuilding efforts, many of which are based in Virginia.

This legislation supports the construction of a third Columbia-class Ballistic Missile Submarine, an additional Virginia-class Submarine, and advanced procurement for future submarines.

Additionally, the bill contains block-buy authorization that allows the Navy to purchase two Ford-class aircraft carriers under the same contract.

This bill is the product of a long, thoughtful, and deliberative process aimed to rapidly arm American warfighters with the most innovative equipment and technology available; it delivers on this in astounding fashion.

I’d like to thank Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Smith for their thoughtful leadership on this essential piece of legislation.

I’d also like to thank my subcommittee staff – Michael Kirlin, Heath Bope, Caroline Kehrli, Brooke Alred, and Andrew Smith – for their tireless work and service.

I urge my colleagues to support this year’s NDAA, and I yield back the balance of my time."

Watch Congressman Wittman’s speech here.