Defense Funding Bill Hurts Our Servicemembers, Undermines Military Readiness and Our Allies in Ukraine

WASHINGTON — House Appropriations Committee Republicans today released their 2026 Defense funding bill, which will be considered by the Defense subcommittee tomorrow. Instead of working with House Democrats to strengthen our national security and prioritize the quality of life for our servicemembers and their families, the bill undermines democracy at home and abroad and includes harmful and divisive policy riders that would hurt military readiness.

For fiscal year 2026, the bill provides $831.5 billion, which is equal to current funding levels and $1.3 billion above the Administration’s fiscal year 2026 request.

Republicans have included language directing the Department of Defense to determine $7.75 billion in cuts to amounts listed in the bill. This jeopardizes every program other than intelligence activities. If made uniformly, it would reduce everything by approximately 1 percent, which would mean cuts of almost $2 billion for troop pay, over $2 billion for troop readiness, $409 million for health programs, $5 million each for Israel and Jordan, and over $2 billion for the procurement and modernization of weapons systems. At a time when the Trump Administration is already illegally stealing from American communities by refusing to spend funds, it is unfathomable that the Appropriations Committee would allow the administration to unilaterally make nearly $8 billion in cuts to defense investments.

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.

“It disappoints me that I’m unable to support this bill as written, and we find ourselves in this position because the Trump administration has failed to get us the information we need in time to produce a complete budget request. The nation’s defense programs require a detailed annual review. But without the President’s budget request, this committee is unable to complete its work in a thoughtful and timely manner,” Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Betty McCollum (D-MN-04) said. “The president proposes, Congress disposes – that’s the way our system works. There are consequences to the taxpayer and to our military’s readiness when this process is not adhered to. It is deeply unfortunate that the Trump administration has put the Committee in this position. I look forward to working with the committee to improve the bill as it goes through the process in the subcommittee, in full committee, on the floor, and in conference. Our national security and strategic defense priorities are too important to risk getting it wrong.”

“Our allies and our adversaries are watching as House Republicans propose a Defense funding bill that will empower Russia, impair our own military readiness and national security, and put politics above our own servicemembers,” Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) said. “This is not a bill meant to responsibly fund our nation’s defense and promote and protect democracy. Instead, this bill advances and acquiesces to Elon Musk’s and President Trump’s reckless purging of critical civilian personnel, their equivocation on support for Ukraine, and their relentless politicizing of our troops. It is deeply regrettable that the conflicts our military must confront abroad, the issues we must confront within the Department of Defense, and the quality of life for our servicemembers and military families are not priorities of President Trump and House Republicans.”

A summary of House Republicans’ 2026 Defense bill is here. A fact sheet of the bill is here. The full text of the bill is here.

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