Kaine Statement on House Passage of Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and Ranking Member of the SASC Subcommittee on Seapower, released the following statement after the House passed the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA):

“I’m glad that the House voted to pass this year’s defense bill, which includes important provisions that will support servicemembers, military families, Virginia’s defense community, and our allies. However, I’m extremely disappointed that a provision I fought for to restore a bipartisan commission’s names of our military bases was taken out at the last minute because President Trump threatened to veto the entire defense bill—just like he did in 2020, even though it included a pay raise for servicemembers—to prevent changes to bases named for Confederates. Virginians were proud to honor Tech. Sgt. Van T. Barfoot, Lt. Gen. Arthur J. Gregg, Lt. Col. Charity Adams, and Dr. Mary Walker. It’s shameful that the Virginia bases won’t continue to be named after these four amazing individuals.”

During the SASC markup of the FY26 NDAA, an amendment to restore the names of three Virginia military bases to those chosen by the bipartisan commission was passed by voice vote. The House Armed Services Committee similarly passed an amendment to restore the names of all military bases on a bipartisan basis.

###