Rep. Sara Jacobs Votes Against FY26 NDAA
After voting against the FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Rep. Sara Jacobs released the following statement:
“It’s actually disgusting that Congress is authorizing a $901 billion budget for the Pentagon when American families are working double shifts and saving every last penny to afford their basic needs. Frankly, this bill fails to meet this unprecedented moment. It does not adequately rein in President Trump’s multiple deployments of U.S. troops domestically, when stronger oversight and tighter limits on these authorities are needed and justified. It does next to nothing to stop President Trump and Secretary Hegseth from murdering people by illegally blowing boats out of the ocean without any public evidence, due process, or legal justification. It rolls back congressional oversight and gives a blank check to big corporations to acquire and test equipment. It implements an unnecessary and bigoted transgender sports ban at our service academies, even though President Trump has already kicked the trans community out of the military. And it’s unacceptable that Speaker Johnson removed TRICARE coverage of IVF for our military families from the final package, despite its bipartisan and bicameral support.
“If we wanted to, Congress could leverage the NDAA to create meaningful change by supporting our military families and utilizing our military to advance our values in the world. But instead, this bill betrays the democratic norms and rule of law that should guide our military policy here at home and abroad. I cannot support this bill in its current form.”
Rep. Sara Jacobs secured the following provisions in the FY26 NDAA:
Improving Military Child Care
- Extends the “Child Care in Your Home” (CCYH) pilot program that provides financial assistance to eligible military families, especially those with non-traditional work hours, large families, or children with special needs, for in-home child care
- Encourages a pilot program to raise the military fee assistance provider cap for children 24 months or younger by 30% near installations that face high child care costs
Helping Military Families Make Ends Meet
- Increases the Family Separation Allowance to a mandatory $300 to reflect the rising cost of living and burdens on military families
Improving Access to Affordable Military Housing
- Studies how the Basic Allowance for Housing can properly represent densely populated, expensive cities and rural communities
- Requires Privatized Military Housing landlords to report on their insurance policies, including their costs, and the amounts received from remedial payments to landlords
Upholding Human Rights, Enforcing Domestic and International Laws, and Preventing Conflict
- Withholds a quarter of the Secretary of Defense’s travel until the Secretary provides unredacted videos of all strikes that have occurred in Latin America, as well as copies of all classified Execute Orders (EXORDS) issued by the Department of Defense
- Requires JAGs to be stationed at all combatant commands to ensure military operations follow domestic and international laws
- Secures $400 million for security assistance for Ukraine in its defense
- Requires notification to Congress anytime the Department of Defense enters into a basing agreement with a foreign military
- Repeals the outdated 2002 Iraq and 1991 Gulf War AUMFs
Strengthening Oversight and Accountability
- Successfully blocks efforts to diminish the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E), ensuring that a neutral arbiter continues to verify that military technology works as promised before it is deployed
- Requires the Secretary of Defense to notify Congress within 30 days of issuing any waiver under DoD Directive 3000.09 on autonomous weapons systems. The notice must include the rationale, description of the system, and expected duration
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