Cole Remarks at FY26 Defense Bill Full Committee Markup

Chairman Calvert, thank you for all the work you have done to ensure leadership in America’s defense, and thank you to Ranking Member McCollum for her partnership in that endeavor. 

We hope for peace, while always being prepared to sustain it. 

That has always been the burden and the honor of a free nation – and generation after generation, our military has stood as the greatest force for liberty the world has ever seen.

We must never allow that posture to change, and the complex threat environment before us demands serious focus. 

Ample evidence of this fact can be found in each hemisphere.

Aggressive and malevolent regimes—such as those in China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea—are not standing still. 

They’re pouring resources into their militaries, expanding their reach, and testing the resolve of our leadership. Their goal is clear: to outpace us, outmatch us, and outmaneuver us—militarily, economically, and strategically.

This bill meets that challenge head-on. It takes key steps to give our troops every advantage and build our superiority now, and into the future. This means focusing resources where they make the most impact. 

Each investment in today’s legislation modernizes our military, revitalizes our industrial base, and supports the most fundamental part of our defense: the heroes who wear America’s uniform. 

Today’s bill ensures our defense resources are invested as effectively as possible to help equip our armed forces with the weapons and tools they need to confront any foe anywhere in the world.

It invests in enhancing our production capacity and hypersonic programs. 

It supports the modernization of our nuclear deterrence and submarine arsenal. 

It strengthens air superiority through investing in 5th and 6th generation aircraft, including acquiring the lethal F-47. 

And, it focuses on the battlefields of the future through prioritizing innovation and the use of autonomous and unmanned systems.

We also provide our defenders a pay raise and reinforce important quality-of-life provisions for military families. 

All in all, the legislation reminds me of the key elements Secretary Hegseth and General Caine just this week reiterated when discussing the objectives of our commander in chief: restoring the warrior ethos, rebuilding our military, and reestablishing deterrence.

I will always work to ensure our service members are the best manned, equipped, and trained. 

I again thank Chairman Calvert and Ranking Member McCollum for their hard work on this bill, and I look forward to supporting it and our warfighters today.

I yield back the balance of my time.