Thompson Supports Passage of the FY 2027 National Defense Authorization

July 22, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Glenn “GT” Thompson (PA-15) voted in favor of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027 (NDAA). The bill passed the House by a vote of 216-212.

The FY27 NDAA authorizes $1.15 trillion in national defense discretionary spending to revitalize our defense industrial base, strengthen American deterrence, and support our service members. This legislation expands employment opportunities, increases wages, ensures small businesses can remain competitive, and helps servicemembers transition to civilian life.

Rep. Thompson secured $42.4 million for Penn State’s defense research initiatives, including their University Affiliated Research Center (UARC), which is a long-standing partnership between the Department of War and the University to meet the needs of our armed forces and its industries.

The NDAA authorizes:

$6.4 million for University Research Initiatives to support the Department of War’s priorities for microelectronics, advanced manufacturing, supply chain security, and next-generation capabilities.
$5 million for the University's Center for Innovative Materials Processing to develop and advance 3-D printing systems to accelerate production and repair of critical defense components, strengthen supply chains, and train a workforce to tackle these challenges.
$16 million for research and development of technologies to repair and maintain the Navy’s surface ship and submarine fleets.
$15 million for research to enhance the Navy’s aircraft readiness and lethality through manufacturing to produce and repair supply chain gaps for critical aviation components.
A directive for the Department of War to assist and detect cybersecurity threats against UARC, to protect Penn State’s critical defense research in the age of AI-assisted cyber-attacks.

The legislation also includes Rep. Thompson’s amendment that directs the Secretary of War to continue the Department of War's historic relationship with Scouting America.

“Our service members and their families put their lives on the line defending our country and its important they have the resources to assist them while on active duty, and when they move to civilian life. They are the single most important factor in America having the strongest military in the world,” said Rep. Thompson. “I am pleased we were able to secure $42.4 million to conduct defense research at Penn State. These are real results that will positively impact our military operations, and expand opportunities for hardworking Pennsylvanians.”

"We are grateful to Congressman Thompson for championing these important amendments, which provide vital support for the research that advances our national security and drives innovation, while creating economic opportunity in communities across the Commonwealth,” said Andrew Read, senior vice president for research at Penn State. “Penn State’s leadership in national defense research and innovation reflects our continued commitment to our land-grant mission as we work to solve some of our nation’s most pressing challenges."

Specifically, the FY27 NDAA:

Creates thousands of skilled technical jobs and expands training pipelines and partnerships to meet defense industry production demands;
Requires the Department of War to focus on skills and experience when hiring civilians for industrial base positions, ensuring wages remain competitive with the private sector;
Reduces barriers for small business contractors, and reduces regulations that slow operations and increase costs;
Authorizes a 5-7% pay increase for all service members and reauthorizes targeted retention bonuses and special pays;
Increases the Family Separation Allowance for deployed service members; and
Expands resources and credentialing programs to assist separating service members transferring into civilian technical careers.

The FY27 NDAA awaits further action in the Senate.