East Michigan News

Congressman John Moolenaar voted in support of H.R. 3838, the Streamlining Procurement for Effective and Delivery (SPEED) and National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026. The legislation aims to support military service members and their families, focusing on preparedness and warfighting.

"The NDAA is vital to support our brave men and women in uniform and ensure our military remains the strongest fighting force in the world. This legislation restores peace through strength, deters our adversaries, and improves the quality of life of our troops with a well-deserved pay raise," said Moolenaar. "I am grateful my amendments to compete with the Chinese Communist Party were included in the legislation. These amendments add crucial provisions that protect American taxpayer dollars from funding research that would directly benefit China’s military. I will continue my work to support our military and keep our country safe."

The NDAA is an annual bill that directs policy and authorizes funding for the Department of Defense. Five amendments led by Moolenaar were adopted by the House:

- The SAFE RESEARCH ACT OF 2025 prohibits federal research awards from going to individuals or institutions with affiliations or partnerships with hostile foreign entities, including those listed on U.S. government entity lists. It requires applicants to disclose past foreign ties, funding, and activities, imposes restrictions on sharing research results with adversaries, and mandates congressional notification for any national security waivers.

- The INITIATIVE ON STUDYING ADVANCED ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, NATIONAL SECURITY, AND STRATEGIC COMPETITION directs the Department of Defense to prepare for advanced artificial intelligence adoption and analyze its implications regarding strategic competition with China.

- The ASSESSMENT OF CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE OWNED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE DEPENDENT ON FOREIGN MATERIALS OR COMPONENTS requires a classified list of high-risk critical infrastructure dependent on materials from foreign countries of concern and biennial briefings to Congress.

- The THINK TWICE ACT OF 2025 calls for an annual report analyzing arms sales facilitated by entities in China and strategies to dissuade purchases of new Chinese weapons systems.

- FUNDING FOR SMART SUSCEPTOR TECHNOLOGY authorizes $5 million through RDTE for Smart Susceptor Technology.

The legislation also provides service members with a 3.8% raise and codifies over 30 executive orders signed earlier this year related to meritocracy, spending cuts, and border security.

John Moolenaar has represented Michigan’s 2nd district in Congress since 2015 after succeeding Dave Camp. He previously served in both chambers of Michigan's state legislature. Born in Midland, Michigan in 1961, Moolenaar now lives in Caledonia and graduated from Hope College with a Bachelor of Science degree.

The FY26 NDAA passed the House of Representatives by a bipartisan vote of 231 to 196.