Hawkeye Reporter

The U.S. Senate has passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2026 with a vote of 77-20. The legislation includes a 3.8 percent pay increase for military service members and several provisions supported by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa). The bill will now move to a conference committee, where the House and Senate will reconcile differences before sending it to the president.

Sen. Grassley commented on the passage, stating, "The federal government’s number one responsibility is to look after the safety and security of this country. I’m glad this legislation passed the Senate with broad, bipartisan support, and I was proud to secure multiple provisions to support Iowa and invest in our state’s military installations." He also addressed the ongoing government shutdown, saying, "While this legislation sets the Defense Department up for success next year, our military service members are sadly working without pay today because Democrats have shut down the government and are holding government funding hostage for unrelated policy demands. I’m once again calling on more of my Democrat colleagues to join the three conscientious members of their party and end their partisan obstruction and join with Republicans to support a continuation of government. Our brave men and women in uniform shouldn’t have to suffer as a result of Democrats’ senseless political tactics."

Grassley highlighted several priorities he secured in the NDAA, including $148 million for projects at the 185th Air Refueling Wing/Sioux Gateway Airport, $13.8 million for a vehicle maintenance shop at Waterloo Armory, $8.5 million for corrosion control research at the University of Northern Iowa under the STAR4D program, and measures supporting Rock Island Arsenal through public-private partnerships.

Other provisions Grassley backed include efforts to prevent price gouging by defense contractors by increasing pricing transparency within the Department of Defense, building on previous oversight related to C-17 spare parts procurement.

He also led an initiative allowing Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania to share High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers and ammunition purchased from the United States without bureaucratic obstacles. Additional international security measures in the bill include co-sponsoring legislation with Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) supporting Ukraine's investigation into nearly 20,000 abducted children during Russia's invasion and assisting with their rehabilitation upon return. Another provision with Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), known as the Baltic Security Initiative Act, aims to strengthen U.S.-Baltic security cooperation in response to Russian actions in Eastern Europe.

To address foreign influence in U.S. policy-making, Grassley included language clarifying what constitutes “informational materials” under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), requiring such materials intended to influence public opinion or policy be clearly labeled and filed with the Department of Justice.

As Senate Judiciary Chairman, Grassley also advanced six bipartisan law enforcement bills that had previously been blocked but were included in this NDAA package. These bills focus on protecting first responders from secondary exposure risks, addressing law enforcement staffing shortages among retirees, expanding mental health resources for officers, boosting recruitment and retention efforts in law enforcement agencies, aiding efforts against child sexual exploitation online, and expanding federal support for families of firefighters or first responders affected by service-related cancers.