Senate Passes Shaheen-Shaped Annual Defense Bill with Significant National Security and New Hampshire Priorities
**A top member of the Armed Services Committee, Shaheen built on her years-long legacy of securing key New Hampshire priorities, as well as measures that address America's top security challenges and place important guardrails on the Trump Administration**
(Washington, DC) – The Senate today voted to advance the annual bipartisan defense legislation shaped by U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee and Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)—which now heads to the President’s desk to be signed into law—includes multiple Shaheen-led priorities to address America's top national security objectives while enhancing New Hampshire’s role in support of our national defense.
Notably, the Senate-passed NDAA includes Shaheen’s provisions to exempt public shipyards from reductions in force (RIFs) and hiring freezes, require consultation with Congress before withdrawing troops from NATO, repeal outdated Caesar sanctions on Syria, better address the spread of PFAS contamination and more.
“The annual defense bill asserts Congress’s oversight authority and advances policies that make us stronger and safer while improving the lives of our service members. This is especially important at a time when Secretary Hegseth and the Trump Administration are pursuing a national security strategy that leaves America weaker on the global stage,” said Senator Shaheen. “I’m proud that the legislation will support Granite Staters and America’s national defense and readiness, including by exempting the public shipyards from hiring disruptions, limiting the spread of PFAS in military communities, repealing outdated Caesar sanctions on Syria and placing checks on the Administration's posture at NATO. I hope that this bipartisan bill is swiftly signed into law by the President.”
As the second-ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Shaheen is instrumental in constructing the annual bipartisan bill that authorizes Pentagon priorities and programs for the next fiscal year. Below is a summary of top New Hampshire and national security priorities secured by Shaheen in the FY 2026 NDAA.
Protecting Public Shipyards:
Senator Shaheen’s bipartisan legislation, the Protecting Public Naval Shipyards Act, was included in the final compromise text. This provision will exempt all four public shipyards from future hiring disruptions, ensure the chaos and confusion that ensued from Secretary Hegseth’s Department of Defense (DoD) civilian hiring freeze does not happen again—protecting thousands of jobs integral to America’s national security at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.
The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is a key economic driver in the region, supporting thousands of jobs integral to America’s national security. The Shipyard needs to hire almost 700 workers a year to keep up with maintenance on our Navy’s fast-attack submarine fleet. After calls from Shaheen and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), DoD claimed to have exempted the shipyard workforce from the civilian hiring freeze, but issues persist in implementation by the White House. Shaheen’s provision will make this exemption final, take new political litmus tests out of the hiring process for our public shipyards and addresses hiring delays.
Supporting NATO Allies and Enhancing Global Partnerships:
Senator Shaheen also secured provisions that send a strong message of commitment to North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Allies and other U.S. partners abroad. Her legislation requires the executive branch to consult with Congress and our NATO Allies before any attempt to relinquish the Commander of U.S. European Command’s dual role of Supreme Allied Commander Europe. This comes after Senator Shaheen pressed senior U.S. military officials on the importance of this U.S. responsibility at NATO. An American general has also served as Supreme Allied Commander of NATO Forces in Europe since General Dwight Eisenhower assumed the role following the establishment of the NATO alliance.
The bill includes legislation led by Senator Shaheen requiring the Pentagon to consult with Congress before making changes to U.S. military force posture in Europe and on the Korean Peninsula. U.S. presence in Europe and the Indo Pacific deters adversaries and strengthens our alliances. This legislation will require the Secretary of Defense to certify to Congress that he has consulted the Secretary of State, Director of National Intelligence, senior U.S. military officers in the theaters and officials from regional governments—including NATO Allies, South Korea, Japan and others—before reducing our force presence in Europe or South Korea.
Standing with Ukraine:
Senator Shaheen has consistently worked to ensure the delivery of military, humanitarian and economic assistance to Ukraine as they fight for their freedom and democracy amid Putin’s war of aggression.
The Senate-passed NDAA includes a reauthorization of the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, the Department of Defense’s authority to equip the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Senator Shaheen also secured language prohibiting the diversion of military equipment obligated for Ukraine after the Pentagon’s misguided decision, since overruled by President Trump.
The Senate-passed bill also includes Shaheen-authored amendments that allow the continued sharing of U.S. information, intelligence and imagery to support the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the battlefield and prevent cuts to security cooperation funding for U.S. forces in Europe.
Confronting the Challenges Posed by PFAS Contamination:
The legislation also includes a provision supported by Shaheen requiring a strategy from the Department of Defense to respond more quickly to the spread of PFAS contamination at military installations and surrounding communities. The policy also requires the Department of Defense to provide safe drinking water to communities. Shaheen also secured adoption of an amendment to clarify that DoD can use innovative technologies for destroying PFAS to provide more tools to address contamination.
Shaheen has worked for more than a decade to hold the Department of Defense responsible for remediation of PFAS contamination at military bases and ensure transparency for affected communities. Shaheen spearheaded the first nationwide PFAS health impact study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) that is in its final stages. Shaheen leads efforts in Congress to uncover the potential health effects related to PFAS contamination. Because of her efforts, Pease served as a model site for the nationwide study.
Bolstering the Defense Workforce:
Meeting our national security requirements requires a strong science and technology workforce. To bolster the civilian defense and national security workforce, Senator Shaheen's bipartisan legislation with Senator Rounds, the Defense Workforce Integration Act, was included in the compromise legislation. This bipartisan, bicameral bill would leverage existing programs and best practices within the Department of Defense to address civilian workforce shortages by retaining the talent and motivation of those who desire to serve in uniform but are found to be medically disqualified.
The compromise legislation also includes a bipartisan provision from Senator Shaheen and Senator Sullivan to give direct hire authority to graduates of the Defense Civilian Training Corps, a program at universities to help recruit science, technology, engineering and mathematics students into the acquisition workforce.
Supporting the New Hampshire National Guard:
To strengthen the National Guard’s ability to protect and aid New Hampshire in times of crisis, Shaheen secured a provision in this year’s NDAA to help the National Guard retain quality commissioned and warrant officers and maintain increased levels of personnel readiness. Specifically, the amendment allows officers and warrant officers to transfer from active status in the Reserves to the Inactive National Guard. Additionally, the bill authorizes $26 million for the construction of a new, state-of-the-art Readiness Center to support the New Hampshire National Guard in Plymouth, New Hampshire, and $16 million for a new small arms training range at Pease Air National Guard Base in Newington, New Hampshire.
Senator Shaheen also secured a provision to increase accountability and transparency for investigations into military sexual assault cases. The legislation includes Shaheen’s amendment requiring the National Guard Bureau to provide an annual report on the number of Guardsmen who participate in Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) training each year.
Investing in Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and New England’s Shipbuilding Workforce:
Senator Shaheen built on her long legacy of support for New England’s shipbuilding industry and workforce, including through authorizing funding and workforce development for the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. The Senate-passed FY26 NDAA includes full authorization for the Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program (SIOP) investments at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, which will expand the Shipyard’s capacity to maintain America’s fast-attack submarine fleet. As a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations and Armed Services Committees, Senator Shaheen helped secure this funding beginning in the fiscal year 2019 funding legislation, which she has continued in ensuing years.
Shaheen also helped to authorize funding for increased reliability, resiliency and capacity to the existing electric and water utility systems primarily responsible for the nuclear support facilities at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.
Similarly, the legislation includes a Shaheen provision aimed at improving the quality of life and bolstering recruitment and retention of employees at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and the country's three other public shipyards. The Shaheen amendment requires DoD to assess the feasibility, costs and benefits of providing civilian employees with apartment-style or dormitory housing options.
Repealing Syria Sanctions to Support Stability and Recovery:
Senator Shaheen authored a repeal of Caesar sanctions on Syria. Senate passage of this repeal follows intensive diplomatic efforts and bipartisan coordination to lift sanctions designed to hobble the Assad regime and give Syria a fighting chance at economic and political stability. This builds on Senator Shaheen’s recent meetings with Syrian President al-Sharaa in Damascus and New York City. It also marks a historic milestone for U.S.-Syria relations and clears a pathway for Syrians to recover from decades of brutal dictatorship and conflict. The sanctions repeal also promotes the chance of ridding Syria of malign Iranian and Russian influence and building a more peaceful and prosperous future for the Syrian people and the region.
Strengthening Relations Between the United States and the Countries in the Western Balkans:
The NDAA also includes Senator Shaheen’s Western Balkans Democracy and Prosperity Act, bipartisan legislation that would require sanctions against those who threaten peace and stability in the Western Balkans. The legislation authorizes a regional prosperity initiative to support economic development in the region. It expands university partnerships, invests in youth initiatives, endorses the BOLD Leadership program to invest in young leaders in the region and encourages the U.S. Development Finance Corporation to consider opening a previously announced office in the Western Balkans. The measure also recognizes the key role of cyber security in protecting critical infrastructure and countering malign activities by adversaries including Russia and Iran.
Bolstering Congressional Oversight and Reining in Wasteful Spending:
In this year’s NDAA, Senator Shaheen secured several provisions to assert Congress’s oversight authority over the Trump Administration and prohibit wasteful spending, including the use of Department of Defense resources for immigration enforcement activities. The bill requires DoD to notify Congress before using military airlift for immigration enforcement purposes and expands existing notifications to include requests for assistance in support of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) at Guantanamo Bay. DoD has spent over a billion dollars in non-reimbursable support to DHS for immigration enforcement since the beginning of this Administration.
Additionally, Shaheen included language in the NDAA urging DoD not to downgrade the U.S. Naval Hospital at Guantanamo Bay to a clinic. The hospital is the only source of health care for the over 6,000 active duty personnel, DoD civilians, family members, contract personnel and local and foreign national employees stationed at U.S. Naval Base Guantanamo Bay (NSGB).
The provisions come after Shaheen joined a Congressional delegation to Guantanamo Bay in March of this year after the Pentagon refused to answer Congressional oversight questions on its support to DHS’s new migrant operations there.
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