Congressman August Pfluger of Texas’s 11th District voted in favor of the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which passed the House. The NDAA is an annual bill that sets policies, programs, and spending for the Department of War.
Rep. Pfluger, a U.S. Air Force Academy graduate and current Colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, has played a significant role in shaping this year’s legislation. He emphasized its alignment with President Trump’s “Peace Through Strength” agenda.
In a statement following the bill’s passage, Rep. Pfluger said: “Today’s battlefield is evolving fast, and the United States must act with bold, decisive action to outpace our adversaries at every turn. The FY2026 NDAA delivers on that mission. It implements President Trump’s Peace Through Strength agenda, restores America’s military dominance, and ensures we are prepared to deter and, if necessary, win any potential future conflict with our adversaries.
“This bill codifies 45 of President Trump’s key Executive Orders and legislative proposals and fully funds next-generation autonomous weapons, new battle force ships, and cutting-edge aircraft and machinery. It also refocuses the Pentagon on lethality and warfighting by eliminating DEI programs, banning Critical Race Theory, and ending the misguided notion that promotions should be based on anything other than merit. It secures America’s borders, builds a more ready and capable fighting force, and supports our service members with a 3.8% pay raise, better housing and education, and expanded access to health care and child care.
“And importantly, this bill recognizes the indispensable role of hardworking Texans in our national defense by funding major dormitory upgrades at Goodfellow Air Force Base and supporting Fort Hood’s Smart Water Grid and Central Energy Plant. I applaud the House passage of this critical legislation and look forward to seeing it signed into law.”
The final version of the NDAA includes several priorities championed by Rep. Pfluger:
– A modified COUNTER Act (Sec. 1707) expands counter-unmanned aircraft system authorities across more Department of Defense installations.
– The Restoring Air Dominance Report (Sec. 344) mandates a comprehensive report from the Secretary of the Air Force on declining readiness rates.
– Link-16 Section 228 Changes (Sec. 216) further modernize military communication systems.
– The Reserve Forces Mobilization Study (Sec. 383) directs an assessment of reserve forces’ readiness for possible Indo-Pacific conflicts.
– An update to the Civilian Marksmanship Program (Sec. 1062) authorizes more surplus firearms for training purposes.
For Texas’s 11th District specifically:
– $112 million will go toward improving housing at Goodfellow Air Force Base.
– $34.5 million is allocated for resilience projects at Fort Hood.
– The Fort Hood A&M Land Conveyance allows Texas A&M Central Texas to upgrade facilities near Fort Hood.
Rep. Pfluger has represented Texas’s 11th District since replacing Mike Conaway in Congress in 2021 (source). In his first election in 2020 he won decisively against Jon Mark Hogg (source).
Further details about the FY26 NDAA can be found through official resources provided by Rep. Pfluger’s office.
