Dear Neighbor,

This week, the U.S. House of Representatives made major progress on key policies supporting our military and our brave service members. I proudly voted YES on this year's National Defense Authorization Act. Below, I have outlined more details about the bill and what it means for Pennsylvanians.

In this week's newsletter:

• My legislation to improve Medicare Advantage prior authorization passes the Ways & Means Committee
• How the "Shipbuilding Investment and Workforce Act" promotes Erie shipbuilding
• The 2027 NDAA passes the House
• House Republicans vote to keep government open

My legislation to improve Medicare Advantage prior authorization passes the Ways & Means Committee

Last week, my legislation -- H.R. 3514, the "Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act" -- passed the Ways & Means Committee. The legislation passed unanimously by a vote of 42-0.

The legislation, which has a bipartisan supermajority of nearly 300 House co-sponsors, now advances to the full U.S. House of Representatives for consideration.

More than 35 million American seniors, including more than 1.5 million Pennsylvanians, are enrolled in Medicare Advantage. This legislation puts patient care and patient outcomes first, and it will greatly modernize and streamline the prior authorization process. The vote moves this critical legislation one step closer to becoming law.

Watch my remarks during the markup in the YouTube link above.

Read my latest op-ed on this topic, which out is out today in RealClearPennsylvania.

How the "Shipbuilding Investment and Workforce Act" promotes Erie shipbuilding

This week, I introduced the Shipbuilding Investment and Workforce Act, legislation which aims to strengthen U.S. shipbuilding and maritime manufacturing by encouraging long-term private investment through the creation of Maritime Prosperity Zones (MPZs).

The legislation follows recent plans to build a modern, large-scale shipbuilding project along Erie's bayfront to support the U.S. Navy. A new shipyard in Erie is projected to create 1,000 jobs, plus an additional 2.67 jobs in other parts of the local economy for every shipyard job.

This legislation also supports the Trump administration's goals to expand commercial shipbuilding capacity in the United States. Currently, the U.S. accounts for less than 1% of global commercial shipbuilding market share while China accounts for more than 53%, according to the 2025 report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

VIDEO: On Thursday, I spoke with WJET-TV, Erie News Now, and TalkErie Radio to discuss the legislation and what it means for our region.

The 2027 NDAA passes the House

Above: Rep. Kelly meets with U.S. Army National Guard members in Conneaut Lake.

On Wednesday, I voted in favor of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a comprehensive package of legislation to support the U.S. military and its service members.

This year's legislation supports pay raises for our service members, reinforces the President's commitment to peace through strength, and ensures our service members will have the tools needed to defend our great nation.

The legislation now advances to the U.S. Senate for consideration.

Learn more about the FY27 NDAA here.

P.S.: Stay tuned for more information about our upcoming Veteran Resource Fair, together with Crawford County Veterans Services, in Meadville next month.

House Republicans vote to keep government open

On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to keep the federal government open through December 4, 2026. The bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives and now heads to the Senate for consideration.

In 2025, Senate Democrats stonewalled the House Republicans' clean, short-term continuing resolution 14 times. This led to the longest government shutdown in American history. That's why this week, House Republicans took responsible action to keep the government open, protect essential services while we finalize our annual budget process.

Learn more about the legislation and the budget timeline here.

As always, my team and I are here to serve you. If you need assistance with a federal agency, please contact us -- we are just one call or email away.

See you in the community, and God Bless America!

Sincerely,

Mike Kelly
Member of Congress

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