WASHINGTON, DC – Liz Schrayer, President and CEO of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC), released the following statement on the inclusion of bipartisan foreign affairs priorities in the final Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act:

Today’s passage of the annual defense authorization bill reflects a longstanding, bipartisan recognition that America’s security is not dependent on military strength alone but on the strategic deployment of all our tools of national power – including diplomacy and U.S. international assistance.

Particularly important this year, the final package includes a long-term reauthorization of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) – ensuring this impactful agency remains a cornerstone of U.S. economic and foreign policy in the years ahead.

Through key reforms – including increasing the cap on its portfolio size and establishing a revolving fund for equity investments – the DFC will be better positioned for impact and to compete on the global stage, especially taking on our rivals like China. While the reauthorization reaffirms the DFC’s development mandate, with the new authority for the DFC to invest in higher-income countries, Congressional engagement, oversight and transparency will be critical to ensure implementation aligns with the original intent to focus work primarily in developing countries and in support of lasting development outcomes.

USGLC looks forward to partnering with the Administration and Congress on DFC’s next chapter so America can continue to compete and win on the world stage.

Additionally, the final NDAA includes several other bipartisan measures that strengthen U.S. diplomatic and international assistance capabilities, support strategic U.S. allies and partners, and address transnational threats, including:

• • Authorizations for core State Department and U.S. foreign affairs functions
  • Supports critical assistance for Ukraine and support for the return of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia
  • Expanded tools to address the import of fentanyl from China to Mexico
  • Enhanced cooperation, trade, and investments between the U.S. and the Western Balkans

These provisions build on decades of important bipartisan legislation to strengthen America’s civilian tools of national and economic security.

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