National Defense Authorization Act

Last week, the House of Representatives passed the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, sending it to the Senate, enroute to the President's desk for his signature.

The NDAA sets Department of Defense (DoD) policies and authorizes funding levels for defense programs. The state of Georgia plays a key role in instituting President Trump's strategy of peace through strength, and this NDAA helps push us closer to that goal.

Included in this year's NDAA is reform for our antiquated acquisition process, a well-deserved pay raise for our troops, support for our southern border, and deterrence for our adversaries. This annual legislation is mission critical and I am very proud of this year's product.

Boosting the Economy

House Republicans advanced legislation last week that works hand-in-hand with the Working Families Tax Cuts to put more money in the pockets of Americans and boost our overall economy.

H.R. 3383, the INVEST Act reforms U.S. securities and investment laws to expand access to capital and broaden investment opportunities. It raises thresholds and updates exemptions so that small businesses, startups, and entrepreneurs can more easily raise funds.

The INVEST Act also reduces regulatory burdens for companies seeking to raise capital or go public, lowering costs and complexity for smaller or emerging firms. Finally, it increases retail investors’ access to private markets, allowing everyday Americans greater opportunity to invest in startups, private funds, and other nontraditional investments historically limited to wealthy or institutional investors.

Discussing Farm Assistance with President Trump

I joined President Trump, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, and Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent at a roundtable in the White House Cabinet room last week to discuss the latest $11 billion farm assistance announcement from USDA, with an additional $1 billion being held back for specialty crop assistance.

Watch the full video here.

Asking Questions at House Agriculture Committee Hearing

In the House Agriculture Committee, last week, we discussed reauthorizing the Commodities Future Trade Commission (CFTC). I was able to speak about legislation that I introduced last week, H.R. 6598 - the CFTC Research and Development Modernization Act.

This legislation would modernize and future-proof the Commission’s research and development mandate and provide an opportunity for the Commission to create a research and development plan.

Watch the full video here.

Rep. Austin Scott on Final House Passage of FY26 NDAA

WASHINGTON, D.C.-- U.S. Representative Austin Scott (GA-08), a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), released the below statement regarding S. 1071, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 312-112 with his support, sending it to the floor of the U.S. Senate, enroute to the President's desk for his signature. The NDAA sets Department of Defense (DoD) policies and authorizes funding levels for defense programs.

"The entire state of Georgia plays a key role in implementing President Donald Trump’s strategy of Peace Through Strength," Rep. Scott said. "The FY26 NDAA strengthens the U.S. military, provides a pay raise to our service members, saves taxpayer dollars, and enhances the quality of life for our warfighters and their families. I am proud of my work on this important piece of legislation to support our armed forces in their mission of defending the United States."

Rep. Scott authored (13) different initiatives that will now become law following Senate passage and the President's signature:

• Extended the authority for an additional three years that would allow for retired members of the Armed Forces to be appointed to competitive or excepted service positions in the Department of Defense without a waiver. This will allow more retired military personnel to continue to serve our country as civilians at Robins Air Force Base.
• Extended the authority for depot working capital funds, like Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex (WR-ALC), to be used for unspecified minor military construction from September 30, 2025 to September 30, 2027. This will enable WR-ALC to continue to modernize their facilities.
• Delayed the full retirement of the A-10C “Warthog” aircraft, several dozen of which are based at Moody Air Force Base in Valdosta, GA. The Scott amendment requires the Air Force to maintain a minimum of 93 A-10 aircraft in FY 26. The A-10C provides close air support and combat search-and-rescue capabilities unmatched by any other aircraft in the Air Force’s inventory.
• Extended the intergovernmental support agreements (IGSA) pilot program until September 30, 2030. Moody AFB has benefitted greatly from partnership tools, particularly the IGSA. The agreements provide additional flexibility in some areas for the base and keeps funds local. Moreover, Moody enjoys tremendous support from the Lowndes County community and government to include three IGSAs signed between Moody and Lowndes County.
• Established a pilot program to provide service personnel with a voluntary option to enroll in a low-premium supplemental insurance plan to help protect against uncovered out-of-pocket expenses resulting from a cancer diagnosis in the family.
• Modified and extended annual reporting on military and security developments involving the Russian Federation to include Russia's strategic goals, force posture, and military spending.
• Authorized the Baltic Security Initiative to strengthen the armed forces of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania to deter Russian aggression, increase interoperability, and support modernization;
• Directed the Secretary of Defense to develop and implement a strategy by January 1, 2030, to eliminate the acquisition of computer displays by the Department of Defense from nations such as Russia or China;
• Established the United States Navy, Air Force, and Space Force Museum systems;
• Enhanced congressional oversight of the U.S. Africa Command to prohibit the use of funds to modify or combine the responsibilities or lower the rank of the Commander of any geographic combatant command until the Secretary of Defense submits a report to the congressional defense committees.

Other provisions inserted by Rep. Scott included establishing minimum facility requirements for military working dogs and authorizing the Secretary of Defense to evacuate family pets of American citizens during emergency evacuations on a space available basis.

Read the full release here.