{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.moran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=62455915-583B-46CC-9C3B-9FAB2D00AE8F", "Sen. Moran Applauds Passage of FY26 National Defense Authorization Act", "2025-10-10", "2025", "2025-10", "Republican", "Senate", "KS", "Jerry Moran", "M000934", "www.moran.senate.gov", "moran", "https://www.moran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) \u2013 a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense \u2013 today released the following statement, applauding the Senate passage of the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA): \u201cEach year, Congress has the responsibility to pass an annual defense bill to make certain our servicemembers have the technology, resources and support to keep our nation safe and combat threats from our adversaries. The bipartisan bill passed by the Senate makes important strategic investments to bolster our military capabilities, provide a well-deserved pay raise for our troops and support increased quality of life for our Armed Forces. I worked to secure provisions to invest in Kansas\u2019 military bases, expand access to medical care for our servicemembers and their families, and improve the safety and efficiency of military operations. We owe a debt of thanks to the men and women who serve our nation, and it is my priority to make certain they have the resources needed to fulfil their mission.\n\n\u201cWhile this legislation is important for bolstering our military\u2019s capabilities, it is critical that we fund the government through the non-partisan, continuing resolution and the regular appropriations process to reopen the government and pay our troops.\u201d\n\nSen. Moran introduced an amendment to improve collaboration between the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in using Military Medical Treatment Facilities like Irwin Army Community Hospital at Fort Riley. This amendment passed and will support greater utilization of military hospitals and expand access to care for veterans.\n\nClick HERE to Watch Sen. Moran\u2019s Full Remarks on His Amendment\n\nSen. Moran\u2019s priorities included in the FY2026 NDAA:\n\nSupports access to medical care at Fort Riley \u2013 Creates additional requirements before a military medical treatment facility like Irwin can be downgraded and encourages greater collaboration between the DoD and VA to better utilize military hospitals.\n\nAdds Fort Riley Air Traffic Control tower \u2013 Authorizes $26 million in funding for the construction of a new Air Traffic Control tower on base at Fort Riley.\n\nCreates Automated Infantry Platoon Battle Course \u2013 Authorizes $13 million in funding to create a new training course for Fort Riley servicemembers.\n\nNew barracks at Fort Riley \u2013 Authorizes $16 million in design funding for additional barracks at Fort Riley.\n\nImproves safety for military aircraft operating in commercial airspace \u2013 Requires the use of position broadcast technology around commercial airports, directs policy to maximize the use of these systems and mandates the DoD to develop a process for sharing near miss and mishap data with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).\n\nGives troops a pay raise \u2013 Provides a 3.8 percent pay raise for servicemembers.\n\nBolsters military recruitment \u2013 Improves military recruiter access to secondary schools and timely directory information sharing and establishes a National Week of Military Recruitment.\n\nIncreases military capabilities \u2013 Advances readiness and maintenance funding for all military services.\n\nHelps combat fires on board Navy ships during maintenance \u2013 Directs the Secretary of the Navy to evaluate alternative technologies for ship maintenance, including press connect fittings in order to combat a growing problem of Navy ships catching fire during repairs.\n\nTRICARE hearing aids for dependents of retired servicemembers \u2013 Allows the dependents of retired servicemembers to maintain hearing aid coverage through TRICARE Select. This provision builds on Sen. Moran\u2019s previous legislation included in the FY24 NDAA that expanded hearing aid coverage to TRICARE Prime dependents of retired servicemembers, meaning all dependents of retired servicemembers on TRICARE will now maintain this coverage.\n\nStreamlines process of receiving Public Service Loan Forgiveness for servicemembers \u2013 Requires the Department of Defense to issue a report on the status of a data match to make certain servicemembers can automatically receive Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).\n\nExpands VA Services for Veterans in the Freely Associated States (FAS) \u2013 Sen. Moran\u2019s amendment makes certain veterans from Micronesia, Palau and the Marshall Islands who reside in those countries after serving in the United States military will receive access telehealth, mail-order pharmacy and beneficiary travel reimbursement through the VA.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:32:54Z"]], "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.moran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ID=62455915-583B-46CC-9C3B-9FAB2D00AE8F"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.4842149578034878, "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"}