US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer
U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and chair of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee, secured key provisions aimed at improving service member quality of life, strengthening America’s nuclear deterrent, and protecting defense spectrum in the Senate’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The legislation passed out of the committee on Wednesday and now awaits consideration on the Senate floor.
“During this time of global unrest – where we see Iran edging closer to obtaining a nuclear weapon, China accelerating its military buildup in the Indo-Pacific, and Russia continuing its war against Ukraine – it is more important than ever that we invest in our service members, protect defense spectrum, drive innovation, and strengthen our missile defense systems. I’m proud the FY 2026 NDAA meets this moment with key provisions I pushed for to modernize our nuclear deterrent and strengthen our national defense,” Fischer said.
Key Provisions Secured by Fischer in the FY 2026 NDAA:
Taking Care of Our Service Members:
- Authorizing $19 million above the president’s budget request for the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), which has the sacred mission of recovering and identifying the remains of fallen servicemembers from past conflicts.
- Exploring Public-Private Healthcare Construction: Directs DoD to assess the feasibility of a program modeled after Fischer’s CHIP IN For Veterans Act, enabling local communities to contribute to DoD healthcare facility development.
- Expanding DPAA Overseas Recovery Tools: Authorizes the DPAA to procure foreign goods and services to support recovery missions abroad.
- Reforming Facilities Sustainment, Restoration, and Modernization (FSRM): Authorizes FSRM funding for three years instead of one, supporting more responsible and cost-effective execution of complex maintenance and modernization projects.
Modernizing Our Nuclear Deterrent:
- Upgrading NNSA Infrastructure: Establishes an annual independent assessment of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)’s progress toward infrastructure modernization goals outlined in the Enterprise Blueprint.
- Expanding Combatant Command Innovation Authority: Extends experimentation and prototyping authority to all combatant commands, including U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM).
- Requiring Sentinel Program Progress: Requires the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) program to begin being fielded by Sept. 30, 2033.
- Preserving ICBM Force Structure: Makes permanent the requirement to deploy at least 400 ICBMs across no fewer than 450 launch facilities.
- Accelerating SLCM Capability: Accelerates the Nuclear Sea-Launch Cruise Missile (SLCM-N) program by two years.
- Improving Safety of Launch Facilities: Codifies a requirement for deep cleaning of ICBM launch control centers every five years.
- Accounting for Air and Missile Defense Needs: Includes air and missile defense interceptors in the Department of Defense’s (DoD) unconstrained total munitions requirements list.
- Sustaining MMIII Operations: Directs a briefing on Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) plans to sustain Minuteman III (MMIII) until Sentinel is emplaced.
- Creating NNSA Rapid Capabilities Office: Establishes an Office of Rapid Capabilities Development within NNSA to accelerate innovation and deployment.
- Assessing Heavy Launch Site Viability: Directs a DoD study on the capacity and sustainability of heavy and super heavy launch sites at Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg, and on potential alternative locations.
- Authorizing over $4 billion in investments to the Sentinel program.
- Authorizing $186 million for the NNSA to develop the SLCM-N warhead.
- Authorizing $320 million for Navy to develop the SLCM.
Protecting Defense Spectrum:
- Safeguarding the Pentagon’s Spectrum: Prohibits any modifications to DoD systems in key spectrum bands without joint certification from the Secretary of Defense and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
- Designating STRATCOM as Lead for Spectrum Testing: Designates STRATCOM’s Joint Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations (JEMSO) office as the lead entity for coordinating testing and evaluation of joint employment of Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) technologies.
Enhancing Strategic Preparedness:
- Reviewing NDMS Pilot Implementation: Requires a briefing on the progress of the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) pilot program, as established in previous NDAAs.
- Modernizing 557th Weather Wing Capabilities: Directs a report on the 557th Weather Wing’s cloud migration, AI readiness, and infrastructure modernization roadmap.
- Clarifying Weather Wing Support for the Intelligence Community: Codifies the Weather Wing’s authorities to provide meteorological and environmental services to the Intelligence Community.
Divesting From Our Adversaries:
- Blocking CCP-Linked Entertainment Funding: Prohibits funding for entertainment projects with ties to the Chinese Communist Party or government of China.