Congressman Hudson Delivers Summer of Wins for Fort Bragg: Fiscal Year 2026 Defense Department and Military Construction Budgets Secure New Investments and Support for Troops & Veterans
July 18, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Richard Hudson (NC-09) released the following statement on the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 funding bill for the Department of Defense that was passed today in the U.S. House of Representatives with bipartisan support.
"As Fort Bragg's Congressman, I represent the best our nation has to offer. Supporting our troops, their families, and our veterans is my top priority" said Rep. Hudson. "This bill is a major step toward restoring President Trump’s Peace through Strength agenda and puts America's safety and security first. It delivers a hard-earned pay raise for our troops, strengthens our border, and provides cutting-edge technology to ensure our military remains the most lethal and capable force in the world. It also invests in health care, training, and the well-being of military families."
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Tech, Tools, and a Tactical Edge for Today’s Warfighters
The House passed the FY26 Department of Defense Budget with every single one of Rep. Hudson’s amendments included, detailed below. These provisions ensure our warfighters at Fort Bragg and all U.S. troops stay equipped, connected, and mission ready.
Rep Hudson wins for Fort Bragg:
- $8M for a Radios-as-a-Service initiative providing modern and flexible communications solutions.
- More than $10M for enhancing SOCOM, border security, and allied interoperability.
- $11.9M for advancing drone technology for special operations.
- $8M for Pathfinder Airborne Program partnership with UNC at Fort Bragg focused on rapid innovation driven by soldier feedback.
- $5M for tactical throwable camera systems for SOCOM to enhance situational awareness and safety for our soldiers.
- $4.8M for large-scale 3D printing of military infrastructure, including at Fort Bragg.
- $7M for cybersecurity software to enable real-time communications for next generation use including for USSOCOM.
- $5M for wearable ballistic batteries for soldiers in the field.
- $5M for modular, networked command post kits for on-the-move leadership in disconnected environments integrated and fielded at Fort Bragg.
FY26 DoD Topline Wins:
- 3.8% pay raise for all troops, building on last year’s historic raise for the junior enlisted.
- $40.9 billion for DOD medical care.
- $9.6 billion for SOCOM operations.
- $1.15 to counter cartel drug operations, plus increased National Guard counterdrug funding.
- Prohibitions on DEI, abortion travel, drag shows, COVID mandates, and foreign censorship programs in the military.
MILCON-VA: Construction, Housing, and Veterans Care at Fort Bragg
The FY26 MILCON-VA bill, which passed in June, provides critical infrastructure investments and full funding for veteran programs across the country. For Fort Bragg, Rep. Hudson secured:
Fort Bragg and our military community includes:
- $44.7 million to construct training facilities at Forward Operating Base Freedom (Freedom Village) at Fort Bragg.
- $5.3 million for SOF Joint Intelligence Center (JIC) at Fort Bragg.
- Language supporting per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) research and testing to ensure the health and well-being of veterans.
- Language to prohibit the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from submitting a veteran or beneficiary’s name to the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) without an order from a court of law.
Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026
Champions our veterans by:
- Fully funding veterans’ health care programs.
- Fully funding veterans’ benefits and VA programs.
- Supporting President Trump’s efforts to combat veteran homelessness by investing in the new Bridging Rental Assistance for Veteran Empowerment program.
- Maintaining funding levels for research, mental health programs, and other programs relied upon by veterans.
Supports the Trump Administration and the mandate of the American people by:
- Protecting the 2nd Amendment rights of veterans, preventing the VA from sending information to the FBI about veterans without a judge’s consent.
- Syncing up with President Trump’s Executive Orders on no funds for DEI, gender affirming care, and protecting Hyde-like language at the VA.
- Prohibiting the VA from processing medical care claims for illegal aliens.
Bolsters U.S. national security and border protections by:
- Providing robust funding for military construction, enabling continued investment in the Indo-Pacific region and infrastructure necessary to support United States advanced weapons systems.
- Maintaining the prohibitions on the closure of Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and the use of military construction funds to build facilities for detainees on U.S. soil.
- Prohibiting the VA from purchasing resources directly or indirectly from the People’s Republic of China.
Read a summary of the bill here.