Rep. Gabe Vasquez Opposes Republican Push for Nearly $8B in Cuts to Military Spending

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On July 18, 2025, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) voted against the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Department of Defense funding bill. The bill appropriates $831.5 billion for military activities, flat funding from FY25, while also directing the military to make $7.75 billion in across-the-board cuts to amounts listed in the bill.   

“Republicans want to force our military to make nearly $8 billion in DOGE-style cuts on things like troop readiness, troop pay, and weapons procurement and modernization,” said Vasquez. “I can’t vote for a bill that kneecaps U.S. national security interests in Ukraine, underfunds critical operations and maintenance programs by billions of dollars, underinvests in our service members and their families, and prevents service members from traveling to seek reproductive health care. None of those things make our country safer or stronger against our adversaries.”

Key provisions in the FY Department of Defense funding bill include:

• Underfunding of Operations & Maintenance by $10.7 billion
• Prohibits funding for travel expenses related to reproductive care, such as abortion, even in states where abortion is unavailable
• Direction for the Department of Defense to determine $7.75 billion in cuts. If made uniformly, these cuts would mean:
  • $2 billion from troop pay
  • $2 billion from troop readiness
  • $409 million from health programs
  • $2 billion in cuts for procurement and modernization of weapons systems
• Elimination of $300 million in support for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative

As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, Congressman Vasquez is a strong defender of our national security. Earlier this week, he voted to pass the bipartisan FY26 National Defense Authorization Act, which included a pay increase for our troops, investments to ensure our service members and their families have the resources they need, support for our allies, and critical wins for New Mexico’s Second Congressional District. 

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