WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) today voted against the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026, and released the following statement:
“This defense funding bill perpetuates the status quo. Congress is, once again, sinking taxpayer dollars into the Pentagon’s bloated budget, and neglecting to modernize and adapt to 21st century warfare. This bill does little to rein in the Trump Administration’s reckless efforts to politicize the military here in America or restrict his use of force abroad. I offered amendments to the Senate’s bill and worked with my colleagues to improve it, but ultimately Congressional Republicans advanced a bill I cannot support.
“Despite the bill’s shortcomings, this annual defense spending package does contain policies and priorities I championed and support—including a pay raise for our troops and my bipartisan legislation that takes a significant step forward in banning the use of burn pits that have caused severe illnesses for so many of our soldiers. This bill requires the Department of Defense to be more transparent about accountability and actions surrounding war crime allegations, and ensures the military is trained annually in standards of conduct and government ethics.
“I remain committed to working with the President and my Republican colleagues on a military budget that defends American interests for another century—but they must show a willingness to invest American taxpayer dollars in smarter, more forward-leaning ways.”
The FY 2026 NDAA includes Senator Welch’s bipartisan Waste and Illegal Property Eradication (WIPE) Act, legislation to support servicemember health and strengthen national security by improving how the U.S. military eliminates certain materials both at home and overseas.
The FY 2026 NDAA also includes the following policies led and championed by Sen. Welch:
- War Crimes Accountability: Senator Welch’s provision would push DOD to comply with its legal commitments to retain records of alleged war crimes.
- Agent Orange Cleanup: Senator Welch’s provision would push the Defense Department to ensure America follows through on its responsibility to continue cleaning up Agent Orange around former U.S. bases in Vietnam, where children are still born with preventable disabilities and diseases.
- ICE Detentions by the Military: The bill’s language exercises congressional oversight to ensure the Defense Department is accountable toward the use of DOD facilities for immigration detentions and that U.S. troops can focus on keeping Americans safe instead of President Trump’s mass deportation agenda.
- Support for Ukraine: The bill sustains and bolsters U.S. military and intelligence support for Ukraine’s resilient defense against Russia’s invasion.
Senator Welch supported several other provisions included in the NDAA including: a pay increase for servicemembers; repealing laws that authorize military action in the Middle East, including the 2002 and 1991 AUMFs; authorizing the Baltic Security Initiative and the Western Balkans Democracy and Prosperity Act, repealing the 2019 Ceasar Act sanctions to help Syria rebuild; and forcing Defense Secretary Hegseth to release the video of the Caribbean strikes.
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