WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper released the following statement after the Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) with a 75-22 vote:
“Illegally deploying troops to cities. Deporting service members. Conducting illegal military operations. Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth continue to carry out their disastrous agenda domestically and abroad.” Hickenlooper said. “For the first time, we successfully forced Republicans to agree to hold this administration accountable — all while supporting Colorado defense priorities like NORTHCOM, NORAD, and more.”
The NDAA includes several bipartisan guardrails on the Trump administration’s reckless actions including:
- Pressures Hegseth to release unedited videos of strikes in the South Caribbean: Reduces Secretary Pete Hegseth’s travel budget until the Department of Defense provides Congress with the unedited video of the illegal and unauthorized strikes against boats in the South Caribbean
- Repeals Authorizations of Use of Military Force (AUMFs): Repeals past AUMFs that administrations can use to overstep Congressional authority for military action
- Supports the headquarters of United States Northern Command in Colorado Springs: Prevents unauthorized funds from being used to modify or combine missions, responsibilities, or force structure of combatant commands
- Reaffirms U.S. commitment to NATO: Places new restrictions on reducing troop levels in Europe without express certification to Congress, in a clear rebuke of the Trump administration’s decision to scale back U.S. military presence in Europe and pull back from our international alliances.
- Ukraine Military Assistance: Provides $400 million in military assistance to Ukraine in the face of the Trump administration pulling back support for Ukraine’s battle for democracy
- Reaffirms U.S. commitment to historic allies: Upholds U.S.-South Korea defense cooperation and requires that Secretary Hegseth maintain troop levels in South Korea after Trump has threatened to turn away from our historic partner
The legislation also includes numerous funding and policy priorities that are important to our Colorado communities, military installations, and service members including:
- Hickenlooper-led amendment to continue operation of the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP): After the Department of Defense abruptly cancelled the DMSP, which collects global weather data, Hickenlooper led a bipartisan push to restore the critical program. The NDAA includes Hickenlooper’s amendment that requires Hegseth to continue transmitting DMSP data to scientific researchers nationwide for the duration of the satellite’s lifespan.
- Larger Paychecks for Military Personnel: Increases all service members’ pay by 3.8%.
- $12 Million for Buckley Space Force Base: Authorizes $12 million to improve 351 of Buckley’s family housing units to update living spaces for service members and their families
- More than $22 Million for Cheyenne Mountain: Authorizes $22 million to invest in updated electronics systems at the Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station
- $226 Million for NORAD / NORTHCOM: Authorizes more than $226 million for increased missile testing by NORAD and NORTHCOM.
- Better Food Quality for Service Members: Modifies the calculation of the basic allowance for food for enlisted servicemembers to improve access to quality food. The legislation also authorizes the Secretary of Defense to conduct a pilot program to provide coupons to junior enlisted members to purchase food at commissaries. Earlier this year, Hickenlooper called on Hegseth to address the DoD’s underinvestment in quality food options for service members, including at Colorado’s Fort Carson.
- Grants U.S. Air Force Cadets a Chance to Compete as Olympic and Professional Athletes: Permits USAFA cadets to seek employment as a professional or Olympic athlete upon graduation while maintaining the requirement that they complete their five year service obligation as an officer or pay back their education.
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