Ranking Member McCollum: Republican Defense Appropriations Act Undermines Military Readiness and Weakens National Security
Defense Appropriations Ranking Member calls the bill ‘incomplete,’ says it attacks service members and their families
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Friday morning, the House of Representatives passed the Defense Appropriations Act by a vote of 221-209. Congresswoman Betty McCollum, Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, voted no on the bill.
For fiscal year 2026, the Defense Appropriations Act provides $831.5 billion, which is equal to current funding levels and $1.3 billion above the Administration’s fiscal year 2026 request.
The legislation:
- Weakens Ukraine and empowers Russia by eliminating support for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative.
- Undermines democracy at home and abroad by allowing disinformation and extremist views to flourish.
- Limits women’s access to abortion by preventing service personnel from traveling to seek reproductive health care.
- Harms our military readiness with divisive provisions that undermine morale and fail to support our service personnel, by continuing DOGE and the Administration’s cuts to vital civilian positions, attacking the LGBTQ+ community with hateful policies, and banning funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
“For the first time in modern history, the Defense Appropriations Act was written without the submission of the President’s budget request – that makes this bill an incomplete product” said Congresswoman McCollum. “The Subcommittee had little insight into significant Administration priorities, such as Golden Dome, when this bill was written. Golden Dome is a concept of a plan – a vague idea that Congress must better understand if it is to become a realized strategic capability.”
“The bill also contains several poison pill provisions that undermine our military’s readiness, including a policy rider that would make it difficult for service women and families to receive reproductive healthcare,” added Congresswoman McCollum. “It contains provisions that disenfranchise lesbian, gay, and transgender service members. These provisions will not go unnoticed by our service members, and I fear they will harm recruitment and retention should they become law.”
Congresswoman McCollum’s floor remarks are here.
A summary of House Republicans’ 2026 Defense bill is here. A fact sheet on the bill is here. The text and accompanying report of the legislation, before action on the House Floor, is available here.
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