The House Armed Services Committee has released the Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), including several provisions backed by Congressman Michael Cloud (R) that are aimed at strengthening military readiness and supporting operations at the Corpus Christi Army Depot (CCAD).
According to Rep. Cloud, the legislation includes multiple policy changes designed to modernize the Army's industrial base, improve workload transparency, and protect jobs at military depots such as CCAD, a major economic and defense asset for the Coastal Bend region.
"These provisions deliver some long overdue policy updates to help modernize the business models of our Organic Industrial Bases sites, while putting in place measures to ensure workload transparency and accountability," said Rep. Cloud.
Among the provisions secured in the bill are authorization for the Secretary of the Army to adjust the Working Capital Fund for covered depots, including CCAD, when government-directed mission changes create debt.
The legislation also directs the Army to accelerate modernization efforts across its Organic Industrial Base and limits the Army's ability to reduce workload at a depot by more than 10%.
The NDAA text additionally increases procurement funding for the Army's rotary-wing aircraft fleet and modifies annual reporting requirements for depot-level maintenance and repair workloads.
The changes would require assessments of both public and private sector workloads at covered depots to improve oversight and ensure compliance with the federal "50-50 rule," which governs the balance of maintenance work performed by government facilities and private contractors.
Cloud said that the provisions address longstanding concerns facing Corpus Christi Army Depot while helping maintain military readiness and protecting the skilled workforce that supports Army aviation programs.
"I am grateful to Chairman Rogers and the Armed Services Committee for including these provisions, and I am hopeful that we can finally address some of the core issues facing our Corpus Christi Army Depot, to ensure our Army's overall readiness and lethality, while protecting our depot and artisan workforce," said Cloud. "I look forward to continuing the fight for our district in this NDAA and seeing it cross the finish line in both the House and the Senate."
The NDAA serves as Congress's annual defense policy bill, establishing spending priorities and authorizations for the Department of Defense. The legislation will now move forward for full consideration by the House Armed Services Committee before advancing through the legislative process.
