Hinds Today
Hyde-Smith supports advancement of FY2026 Defense Appropriations Bill with focus on Mississippi
By Hinds Today
U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) voted in favor of advancing the fiscal year 2026 Defense Appropriations Bill during a Senate Appropriations Committee meeting on Thursday. The committee approved the bill with a 26-3 vote, moving it to the Senate floor for further consideration.
The legislation aims to increase funding for Department of Defense activities, support service members and their families, and strengthen the defense industrial base. The bill aligns with President Trump’s stated goal of rebuilding national defense capabilities to address evolving security threats.
“Our national defense is our primary responsibility and this legislation represents a refocusing of our national security on new threats and military tactics that could put us and our interests in peril. Adjusting to these new realities will require a sustained, years-long investment,” Hyde-Smith said.
She also highlighted Mississippi’s role in supporting national security efforts: “A lot of dynamic and exciting work is being conducted in Mississippi to support our national security interests, from drone and AI technologies to composite systems. I appreciate the committee’s support by approving funding for this work by industries and our universities, and remain proud to support funding that bolsters this defense ecosystem and ensures Mississippi remains a leader in meeting our national security needs.”
Key provisions in the FY2026 Defense Appropriations Bill include $29.3 billion for shipbuilding—an $8.7 billion increase over previous levels—with allocations for additional DDG-51 destroyers, infrastructure investments, Virginia-class submarines, Columbia-class submarines, and funding for Special Operations vessels built on the Gulf Coast.
The bill also provides resources for research and development activities at several Mississippi institutions including the University of Mississippi, Mississippi State University, the University of Southern Mississippi, and Jackson State University.
For service members and their families, $193.1 billion is allocated for pay and benefits. This amount covers a 3.8 percent pay raise for all service members as well as an additional 10 percent raise for junior enlisted personnel. There is also $24 million set aside for the United Service Organization.
Funding measures targeting National Guard operations include $350 million for modernization efforts addressing equipment shortfalls, $27.5 million for state partnership programs, increased funds for trauma training, Multi-Domain Operation training initiatives, and $10 million dedicated to National Guard Counter-Drug School activities—a program with one of its five schoolhouses located in Mississippi.
With this action by the Senate Appropriations Committee, eight out of twelve annual spending bills have now been approved ahead of the start of fiscal year 2026 on October 1.