Illinois Congressman Eric Sorensen and a bipartisan group of lawmakers have called on Congressional Armed Services Committee leaders to secure support for Rock Island Arsenal in the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act. The lawmakers are urging protection for local jobs and community stability by backing provisions such as the Arsenal Workload Sustainment Act, which incentivizes private partnerships and ensures predictable work. The proposed measures also restrict Army restructuring without transparency and support union worker rights by opposing funding for collective bargaining bans. Advocates say these actions are vital for national security and the economic well-being of the region surrounding the Arsenal.
“I was proud to advocate for the men and women of the Rock Island Arsenal who keep our country safe and our local economy strong as I negotiated and helped pass this year’s NDAA through the U.S. House of Representatives,” said Congressman Sorensen. “The provisions I secured will protect good-paying jobs, strengthen the Arsenal for years to come, and create new opportunities for working families across our region. The Arsenal is critical to our nation’s national security, and I’m continuing to fight to pass these provisions into law.”
Among the provisions the bipartisan group advocated for in the final text of the NDAA were major wins for the Rock Island Arsenal. Congressman Sorensen secured in the House-passed version of the NDAA:
- Congressman Sorensen’s Arsenal Workload Sustainment Act incentivizes private industry to partner with arsenals by giving preference to public-private partnerships in Army contracting, creating a more predictable, sustained workload to protect and create jobs.
- The bill bans the Army’s funding to restructure the Rock Island Arsenal’s Army Sustainment Command (ASC) and Joint Munitions Command (JMC) until they provide a plan that includes a timeline and information about any job cuts and the impact on our readiness.
- The Army will be required to provide more information about upcoming changes tied to its Army Transformation Initiative—ensuring communities like those around the Rock Island Arsenal are informed and prepared.
- The bill authorizes funding for ongoing projects at Rock Island Arsenal and Bradley University, modernizing this vital defense facility and supporting research opportunities.
- It blocks funding from being used to enforce President Trump’s ban on collective bargaining for DOD workers, directly supporting the rights of our union workers at the Rock Island Arsenal.
- The Department of Defense is directed to explore public-private partnerships at arsenals and other key military industrial sites, opening the door to local innovation and economic growth.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Senators Dick Durbin, Chuck Grassley, Tammy Duckworth, Joni Ernst, and Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks, has sent a letter to key leaders of the armed services committees in both chambers of Congress. The message, addressed to Senators Roger Wicker and Jack Reed as well as Congressmen Mike Rogers and Adam Smith, urges continued support for the Arsenal and its workforce. The legislators emphasized the Arsenal’s critical role in national defense and regional employment, pressing for policies that maintain its operations and protect local jobs tied to this vital military facility.
