With Honor Action Sends Letter to Senate Detailing FY27 NDAA Priorities

On March 27, 2026, With Honor Action sent a letter to Senate Allies and Members of the Senate Armed Services Committee detailing our initial priorities for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027. These priorities include the Warrior Right to Repair Act, co-led by For Country Caucus members Reps. Maggie Goodlander (D-NH) and Jen Kiggans (R-VA), provisions of the SHIPS for America Act, co-led by With Honor Action allies Senators Todd Young (R-IN) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ), and the expansion of youth service programs.


To With Honor Senate Allies and Members of the Senate Armed Services Committee,  

Each year, With Honor Action endorses several pieces of bipartisan national security legislation. For the FY27 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), we ask that you consider including the following 20 provisions in your submissions. As we enter an election year that will undoubtedly raise the partisan temperature, this critical, consensus-driven legislation is more important than ever, and the principled leadership demonstrated by the veteran and public service leaders that make up With Honor’s Senate Allies is the path toward a more prosperous and secure nation. 

Modernizing the Department of Defense and Revitalizing the Defense Industrial Base:

  1. H.R. 5155 / S. 2209Warrior Right to Repair Act of 2025  
  2. Special consideration of key national security pieces of the Shipbuilding and Harbor Infrastructure for Prosperity and Security (SHIPS) for America Act (H.R.3151/S.1541):
    1. Sec. 403 Assessment of Undersea Cable Repair Contingencies
    2. Sec. 512Plan of action for use of Defense Production Act of 1950 authorities
    3. Sec. 521United States Center for Maritime Innovation
    4. Sec. 616Military to maritime transition

Expanding Pathways and Opportunities to Service:

  1. Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC)
    1. With Honor Action supports the authorization of funding for the JROTC program at or above the FY26 congressionally-authorized level of $353.9 million.
  2. United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps (USNSCC)
    1. With Honor Action supports the authorization of funding for the USNSCC program at or above the FY26 congressionally-authorized level of $4.3 million.
  3. Civil Air Patrol (CAP)
    1. With Honor Action supports the authorization of funding for the CAP program at or above the FY26 congressionally-authorized level of $50.3 million for aircraft and maintenance.
  4. National Guard STARBASE Program
    1. With Honor Action supports the authorization of funding for the DoD STARBASE program at or above the FY26 congressionally-authorized level of $50 million.

Supporting Our Global Allies & Partners:

  1. The establishment of a preservation process for the service records of recognized “Afghan allies” in the Department of Defense.
  2. The establishment of a United States – Ukraine Working Group on Unmanned Systems
  3. Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative (TSCI
    1. With Honor Action supports the authorization of funding for TSCI at or above the FY26 authorized level of $1 billion for FY27.

Addressing Military Quality & Ease of Life:

  1. H.R. 6383Brandon Act Training and Protocol Act 
  2. H.R. 7188 / S. 3654 – Military Occupancy Living Defense (MOLD) Act 
  3. H.R. 6976Duty Status Reform Act  
  4. The designation of a senior official responsible for the management and oversight of all programs and activities of the Department of Defense related to the transition of members of the Armed Forces to civilian status. 
  5. The expansion of resources to address childcare shortages on Department of Defense installations.

Countering Foreign Malign Influence:

  1.  H.R. 6469 – Feasibility Review of Emerging Equipment for Digital Open Media (FREEDOM) Act
  2. H.R. 7969Combatting Chinese Communist Party Influence Act 
  3. Authorization for the Secretaries of Defense and State to support the national security forces of partner countries and actors to counter Russian influence and destabilizing activities

Other National Security Matters:

  1. The establishment of an Advisory Council on Fiscal Capacity to Meet National Security Requirements.  
  2. The modification of the annual report on the military and security developments involving the People’s Republic of China to include an assessment of progress toward artificial general intelligence. 
  3. Amending the responsibilities of the Chief Digital Artificial Intelligence Officer within the Department of Defense, to include addressing threats posed by artificial general intelligence.

Detailed descriptions of these measures can be found in Appendix I, and specific legislative text may be found in Appendix II attached to this letter.

Vice President of Government Affairs, Kaylan Swartz, is available to assist your staff with any follow-up information you may need (swartz@withhonor.org).

Rye Barcott

Co-Founder & CEO

With Honor

You can read the full text of the letter here.

You can read our letter to the 18 members of the For Country Caucus on the House Armed Services Committee on the FY27 NDAA that we sent earlier this year here.

With Honor Action Sends Letter on VALID Act Inclusion in the ROAD to Housing Act

On March 27, 2026, With Honor Action, along with Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals, The American Legion, Blue Star Families, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, and National Association of Mortgage Brokers, sent a letter to Senator Tim Scott, Chair, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and Representative French Hill, Chair, and Representative Maxine Waters, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Financial Services on giving special consideration to the VA Loan Informed Disclosure (VALID) Act, H.R. 3694 / S.1932, which was included as Sec. 602 of the ROAD to Housing Act, and ensure it remains – in its entirety – in any final housing bill negotiations.


Dear Chairman Scott, Ranking Member Warren, Chairman Hill, and Ranking Member Waters,

We thank you for your thoughtful consideration as you’ve worked on your respective housing bills. We believe that the American people are best served by bipartisan, common-sense solutions, and we appreciate the way you have crossed the aisle to craft these bills to ensure Americans’ access to affordable housing.

As each Chamber works to resolve the differences between your respective bills, we ask that you give special consideration to the VA Loan Informed Disclosure (VALID) Act, H.R. 3694 / S.1932, which was included as Sec. 602 of the ROAD to Housing Act, and ensure it remains – in its entirety – in any final housing bill negotiations.

The Informed Consumer Choice Disclosure, which applies to FHA mortgages and conventional loans, does not require mortgage lenders to disclose the VA loan rate to eligible borrowers. The VALID Act solves this problem by requiring a side-by-side comparison of conventional, FHA, and VA home loans, enabling borrowers to fully understand their options and the resources available to them. It also ensures that the military service question on the Uniform Residential Loan Application form is required, so borrowers understand their available benefits from the start.

In 2024, more than 58,000 eligible VA borrowers did not utilize the VA home loan benefit, representing billions of dollars in potential homeownership opportunities that went unrealized. Today, only 10-15% of eligible veterans are using this benefit. Many service members and veterans are unaware of VA home loan options, and are often steered towards conventional mortgages due to incomplete information on their options. Billions of dollars are being left on the table, and veterans and service members remain unaware of this critical benefit that they have rightfully earned through their service.

For veterans and service members, the ability to purchase a home is more than just securing a roof over their heads; it is the cornerstone of the American Dream they swore an oath to protect. Homeownership provides a stable foundation that allows military families to build equity and achieve long-term financial security after years of transient service. By lowering barriers to entry and streamlining the VA loan process, Congress isn’t just facilitating a transaction—they are empowering veterans to establish generational wealth that will support their children and grandchildren for decades to come.

We appreciate the Committees’ bipartisan leadership and encourage you to include the VALID Act language in its entirety in any conferenced final bill text. Thank you for your time and consideration.

With Honor Action Sends Letter Detailing FY27 NDAA Priorities

On Tuesday, February 24, 2026, With Honor Action sent a letter to the 18 members of the For Country Caucus on the House Armed Services Committee detailing our initial priorities for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027. These priorities include the Warrior Right to Repair Act, co-led by For Country Caucus members Reps. Maggie Goodlander (D-NH) and Jen Kiggans (R-VA), provisions of the SHIPS for America Act, co-led by With Honor Action allies Senators Todd Young (R-IN) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ), and the expansion of youth service programs.


To the Members of the House Armed Services Committee and the For Country Caucus,  

Each year, With Honor Action endorses several pieces of bipartisan national security legislation. For the FY27 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), we ask that you consider including the following 16 provisions in your initial submissions to HASC. As we enter an election year that will undoubtedly raise the partisan temperature, this critical, consensus-driven legislation is more important than ever, and the principled veteran leadership demonstrated by the members of the For Country Caucus (4CC) is the path toward a more prosperous and secure nation. 

Modernizing the Department of Defense and Revitalizing the Defense Industrial Base:

  1. H.R. 5155 / S. 2209Warrior Right to Repair Act of 2025  
  2. Special consideration of key national security pieces of the Shipbuilding and Harbor Infrastructure for Prosperity and Security (SHIPS) for America Act (H.R.3151/S.1541):
    1. Sec. 403 Assessment of Undersea Cable Repair Contingencies
    2. Sec. 512Plan of action for use of Defense Production Act of 1950 authorities
    3. Sec. 521United States Center for Maritime Innovation
    4. Sec. 616Military to maritime transition

Expanding Pathways and Opportunities to Service:

  1. Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC)
    1. With Honor Action supports the authorization of funding for the JROTC program at or above the FY26 congressionally-authorized level of $353.9 million.
  2. United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps (USNSCC)
    1. With Honor Action supports the authorization of funding for the USNSCC program at or above the FY26 congressionally-authorized level of $4.3 million.
  3. Civil Air Patrol (CAP)
    1. With Honor Action supports the authorization of funding for the CAP program at or above the FY26 congressionally-authorized level of $50.3 million for aircraft and maintenance.
  4. National Guard STARBASE Program
    1. With Honor Action supports the authorization of funding for the DoD STARBASE program at or above the FY26 congressionally-authorized level of $50 million.

Supporting Our Global Allies & Partners:

  1. The establishment of a preservation process for the service records of recognized “Afghan allies” in the Department of Defense.
  2. Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI)
    1. With Honor Action supports the authorization of funding for USAI at or above the FY26 authorized level of $400 million for FY27.
  3. Baltic Security Initiative (BSI)
    1. With Honor Action supports the authorization of funding for BSI at or above the FY26 authorized level of $175 million for FY27.
  4. Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative (TSCI
    1. With Honor Action supports the authorization of funding for TSCI at or above the FY26 authorized level of $1 billion for FY27.

Addressing Military Quality & Ease of Life:

  1. H.R. 6383Brandon Act Training and Protocol Act 
  2. H.R. 7188 / S. 3654 – Military Occupancy Living Defense (MOLD) Act 
  3. H.R. 6976Duty Status Reform Act  
  4. The designation of a senior official responsible for the management and oversight of all programs and activities of the Department of Defense related to the transition of members of the Armed Forces to civilian status.  

Other National Security Matters:

  1. H.R. 6469 – Special consideration of the Feasibility Review of Emerging Equipment for Digital Open Media (FREEDOM) Act
  2. The requirement of an intelligence community assessment on the foreign malign influence operations of the Chinese Communist Party in key regions at the expense of the United States and its allies.

Detailed descriptions of these measures can be found in Appendix I, and specific legislative text may be found in Appendix II attached to this letter.

Vice President of Government Affairs, Kaylan Swartz, is available to assist your staff with any follow-up information you may need (swartz@withhonor.org).

Rye Barcott

Co-Founder & CEO

With Honor

You can read the full text of the letter here.

With Honor Action Urges Inclusion of Key Reforms in Final FY26 Defense Bill

On November 3, 2025, With Honor Action sent the following letter to the leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees as they negotiate over the final version of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026.

Dear Chairman Wicker, Ranking Member Reed, Chairman Rogers, and Ranking Member Smith,

We at With Honor Action thank you for your leadership on the FY26 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). As an organization that promotes principled veteran leadership, your bipartisan collaboration on this critical legislation is a model for leading with integrity and civility.

With Honor works with the 37 members of the For Country Caucus and our 11 Senate Allies to help enact impactful, commonsense policies that promote our national security, expand pathways for national service, and support our veterans. As you enter the conference process and negotiations, we would like to advocate for a few of our bipartisan priorities for inclusion in the final version of the bill. We understand that the priorities below may face challenges, but we are committed to supporting you with our coalition, advocacy, and communications resources.

  • Ensuring Operational Readiness: The Department of Defense spends roughly 70% of its budget every year on sustainment. Sections 863 and 836 of the House and Senate bills, respectively, would decrease unnecessary military spending by avoiding high repair and maintenance fees charged by contractors and increase preparedness by reducing obstacles to servicemembers’ ability to repair equipment in theater. It would also enhance servicemembers’ skills by providing them with the necessary tools and information to repair equipment. These provisions are aligned with the With Honor-endorsed Warrior Right to Repair Act of 2025, H.R. 5155 / S. 2209, led in the House by Reps. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and For Country Caucus members Jen Kiggans and Maggie Goodlander, and in the Senate by Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Tim Sheehy. With Honor supports the inclusion of the right-to-repair language in the final FY26 NDAA.
  • Bolstering Biosecurity: Biotechnology innovation and utilization are a critical component of U.S. national security and the next frontier of great power competition between the U.S. and adversaries like China. In 2021, Congress established the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB) to assess the impact of biotechnology advancements on the future of U.S. defense capabilities. In April of this year, the Commission released its final report, which includes 49 recommendations to the Executive Branch and Congress to ensure America’s continued and future dominance in this sector. With Honor supports the inclusion of all of the NSCEB recommendations that were incorporated in whole or in part in both the House (Sections 216, 220, 221, 222, 241, 242, 868 & 877, 893, 1521) and Senate (Sections 231, 232, 233, & 881) bills.
  • Expanding Veteran Home Ownership: In 2024, there were $28 billion of unused VA Loan funds meant to help secure housing for service members and veterans. The VA Loan Informed Disclosure (VALID) Act, included as Section 5602 in the Senate’s FY26 NDAA, would combat the veteran homelessness epidemic by requiring a side-by-side comparison of conventional, FHA, and VA home loans, allowing borrowers to fully understand their options and the resources at their disposal. It also ensures that the military service question on the Uniform Residential Loan Application form is required to be filled out, so borrowers understand from the start what benefits they are entitled to. These provisions are included in the standalone VALID Act, H.R. 3694 / S.1932, sponsored by Reps. Brittany Petterson and Harriet Hageman in the House and Sens. Chris Van Hollen and John Boozeman in the Senate. With Honor supports the inclusion of the VALID Act in the final FY26 NDAA.
  • Strengthening Global Alliances: Ukraine’s success against Russia’s illegal war of aggression will only be achieved through our continued support. The Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) is extended until 2028 via Sections 1302 and 1223 in the House and Senate NDAAs, respectively. The Senate provision not only underscores our resolve in supporting Ukraine by extending the program, but it also demonstrates our commitment to the cause by increasing our contributions by $200 million, compared to the House authorization. With Honor supports the increased authorization and extension of the USAI for inclusion in the final FY26 NDAA.
  • Promoting National Service: Instilling civic-mindedness and nurturing the patriotic desire to serve starts with youth national service programs. The Senate FY26 NDAA authorizes funding for several youth national service programs, including the Civil Air Patrol and the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps at or above the requested level. However, specific line-item authorizations for the National Guard STARBASE program, which provides STEM education and mentorship to elementary school children, and the United States Naval Sea Cadets, which were included in the House bill, were not provided for in the Senate version. With Honor supports the inclusion of these authorizations for each program at the requested level in the final FY26 NDAA.
  • Modernizing Defense Acquisition: Streamlining the defense procurement and acquisition process is paramount to creating an innovative, cutting-edge military. The Senate FY26 NDAA includes key provisions that transition the Program Executive Officer (PEO) role to that of the portfolio acquisition executive and update determinations regarding commercial products and services, as Sections 801 and 825, respectively. With Honor supports the inclusion of the above provisions, as well as the more than 100 provisions that aim to streamline the defense acquisition process, reduce administrative complexity, and eliminate outdated requirements, limitations, and other matters in the final FY26 NDAA.

Please feel free to contact me directly or Sean McClintock, Vice President of Government Affairs, at mcclintock@withhonor.org, if you have any questions. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Very Respectfully,

Rye Barcott

Co-Founder & CEO, With Honor

Join Us Now

    * Required Field(s)