{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-secures-critical-provisions-for-texas-in-fy26-ndaa", "Sen. Cruz Secures Critical Provisions for Texas in FY26 NDAA", "2025-12-18", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "Senate", "TX", "Ted Cruz", "C001098", "www.cruz.senate.gov", "cruz", "https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chairman of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement after the Senate passed the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The bill advanced key national security priorities for Texans, including Texas bases and military communities.\n\nSen. Cruz said, \u201cI was honored to author several provisions in this bill that enhance Texas\u2019s position as the critical state in protecting America\u2019s national security, and that more broadly enhance the national security and prosperity of Americans.\n\n\u201cI am particularly proud to have authored language maintaining B-1 bomber operations at Dyess Air Force Base through 2030, strengthening Coast Guard programs, and modernizing Red River Depot into a premier hub for drone systems. The NDAA provides our military bases and servicemembers with modernized technology, advanced equipment, essential resources, and a 3.8 percent pay raise for military members. These investments strengthen our national security and support Texas communities and military families.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m proud of the priorities for Texas included in this year\u2019s NDAA, and I will continue to fight for our servicemembers and ensure America continues to show peace through strength.\u201d\n\nThis year\u2019s NDAA included language to bolster America\u2019s national defense and support servicemembers around the world, including at military bases across Texas. It included 10 provisions by Sen. Cruz:\n\nThe B-1 Protection Act extends the existing prohibition on reductions to the B-1B bomber fleet through September 30, 2030, ensuring that the mission of Dyess Air Force Base\u2014home to one of the largest concentrations of B-1 assets in the United States Air Force\u2014is preserved.\n\nSmall-UAS Industrial Base Working Group and SkyFoundry Authorization intends to modernize and transform Red River Army Depot (RRAD) into the nation\u2019s premier organic industrial base hub for small, unmanned aircraft systems (s-UAS), allowing the Department of War to rapidly develop, produce, and field s-UAS at scale.\n\nThe Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025 authorizes programs and activities to strengthen the Coast Guard\u2019s critical mission of protecting America\u2019s borders, facilitating maritime commerce, enhancing deterrence, and improving support for Coast Guard personnel and their families. Chairman Cruz previously championed the largest investment in Coast Guard history through the Commerce Committee\u2019s title in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.\n\nThe Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act ensures that drug traffickers who utilize remote-controlled or autonomous vessels to smuggle illegal narcotics can be prosecuted for drug trafficking.\n\nMILCON: Dyess B-21 Low Observable Corrosion Facility & Mission Planning Facility prepares Dyess Air Force Base to receive the B-21 Bomber. The Low Observable Corrosion facility is a specialized maintenance facility designed to preserve the stealth capabilities of the aircraft. The Mission Planning Facility will provide secure operations planning space in support of B-21 operations.\n\nMILCON: The Mission Planning Facility provides secure operations planning space in support of B-21 operations.\n\nMILCON: Dyess Gate Repairs improves perimeter gates, which pose significant security and operational risks. These critical infrastructure upgrades are essential to host nuclear-capable B-21 aircraft and support Dyess AFB\u2019s nuclear mission.\n\nFLRAA Product Acceleration Act authorizes the Secretary of the Army to accelerate the procurement of the future long-range assault aircraft by initiating early production of not more than 24 such aircraft, and for other purposes.\n\nClarification of Land Conveyance provision removes restrictive language in the FY 2005 National Defense Authorization Act, allowing the Texas A&M University System to establish a university on the conveyed property without unnecessary constraints.\n\nLimitation on use of funds for deactivation of Expeditionary Combat prohibits funds from being used towards deactivating Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigades (ECABs) until the Department of War (DoW) submits a plan to address any operational capability gaps that could result from their deactivation.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-cruz-secures-critical-provisions-for-texas-in-fy26-ndaa"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.2764632012695074, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}