Today, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL) spoke on the House Floor in support of H.R. 3838, the Streamlining Procurement for Effective Execution and Delivery and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26 SPEED and NDAA).
Chairman Rogers' Remarks as Prepared for Delivery:
The bill before you today carries a different short title than the typical NDAA.
It is the Streamlining Procurement for Effective Execution and Delivery Act, or the SPEED Act.
We did that to underscore the very significant reforms this bill makes to the Department’s acquisition process.
The Pentagon’s current acquisition process is failing our warfighters.
It can take 10 years between identifying a need and delivering the capability to the warfighter.
By that time, the threat has changed, the costs have ballooned, and the solution is outdated.
The SPEED Act will cut through layers of red tape and deliver for the warfighter at speed and scale.
It accelerates the requirements process from nearly three years to as few as 90 days.
It streamlines bureaucracy.
It prioritizes commercial solutions and fosters an environment where innovation can flourish by removing barriers to entry and bridging the Valley of Death.
It modernizes outdated and overly burdensome regulations that slow delivery and inflate costs.
And, most importantly, it drives much-needed cultural change.
No more rewarding paper-pushing over problem-solving.
The SPEED Act fosters a culture of agility and responsible risk-taking.
We worked closely with the administration on this effort, and I’m pleased they support it.
Fixing acquisitions will go a long way toward ensuring our warfighters are the most capable fighting force on the planet.
Properly equipping our warfighters is critical, but so is ensuring we recruit and retain the best and brightest.
Toward that end, the FY26 NDAA continues to make improvements in the quality of life for our servicemembers.
This bill:
Supports the Trump Administration’s 3.8% pay raise for all servicemembers;
Authorizes nearly $3 billion for the construction of barracks, family housing, dining facilities, medical facilities, childcare centers, and schools;
Prevents the Department from reducing healthcare billets to avoid shortages at medical facilities; and
Improves servicemember access to mental health services.
Our committee will continue to make improving the quality of life for our servicemembers a top priority.
We need a ready, capable, and lethal fighting force because the threats our nation faces, especially those from China, are more complex and challenging than at any point in the last 40 years.
The FY26 NDAA counters the threat from China and ensures mission success in the Indo-Pacific.
This bill:
Extends the Pacific Deterrence Initiative to enhance U.S. posture in the region;
Funds the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative at $1 billion;
Fully funds military exercises with allies and partners in the region; and
Authorizes more than $1.5 billion in critical military construction projects we need to carry out operations in the Pacific.
Furthermore, this bill increases the lethality of our forces to prepare for and deter global threats.
The bill authorizes over:
$22 billion in shipbuilding for additional submarines and surface vessels;
$38 billion to ensure air dominance with a new generation of fighters;
$15 billion to restore America’s arsenal of munitions; and
$142 billion to research and develop innovative new technologies our warfighters need to win on future battlefields.
This is a strong bipartisan bill that delivers for our warfighters and deters our adversaries.
It will fundamentally reform the defense acquisition enterprise.
It will continue historic improvements in the quality of life for our servicemembers and their families.
It will build the ready, capable, and lethal fighting force we need to deter China and our other adversaries.
And it will deliver on President Trump’s Peace Through Strength Agenda.
