SALAZAR PROVISIONS PASS IN NATIONAL DEFENSE BILL (NDAA)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — This week, Rep. María Elvira Salazar’s (FL-27) Western Hemisphere and State Department Political Affairs Authorization Act passed the House of Representatives as part of S.1071, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026.

Earlier this year, Rep. Salazar introduced H.R. 5246, a bill to codify, for the first time ever, the authorities of State Department’s Political Affairs Bureaus in the Western Hemisphere and other regions, including European and Eurasian Affairs, African Affairs, and East Asian and Pacific Affairs.

The bill also: 

• Creates an Office of Haitian Affairs, 

• Appoints new Ambassadors-at-Large for the strategically important Indian Ocean and Arctic regions, and

• Establishes a new unit to counter the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)

Authorizing these capabilities will ensure our State Department has the full mandate to achieve America’s foreign policy goals.

“I’m thankful that these critical State Department authorities to strengthen the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, combat Chinese and Russian influence, and appoint new Ambassadors to strategic regions, such as the Arctic, were included in our National Defense Policy,” said Chairwoman Salazar. “We are finally prioritizing our Hemisphere, and security in other strategic regions across the globe, which will help us fight tyranny across the world.”

In September 2025, Chairwoman Salazar led the effort to pass an amended version of H.R. 5246 out of the House Foreign Affairs Committee with unanimous support and ensure it was included in the broader State Department Reauthorization bill, H.R. 5300. Recognizing the importance of these provisions, House Leadership and the Armed Services Committee included them directly in Division E (Sections 5141-5162) of S.1071, the National Defense Authorization Act of 2026.

The National Defense Authorization Act authorizes $900 billion for U.S. national defense, includes a 3.8% pay raise for Miami’s service members, and improves housing, education, and access to childcare for military families.

With Rep. Salazar’s provisions included, S.1071 passed the House with strong bipartisan support on December 10, 2025, and was sent to the Senate for consideration. 

Additional information about State Department provisions included in the FY26 NDAA can be found here.