The House Committee on Rules met yesterday to determine which of the nearly 1,400 amendments submitted to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027 (NDAA), H.R. 8800, will receive a vote on the House floor. Of the 1,396 amendments filed, only 312 were found to have been “made in order,” including several priorities of the U.S. shrimp industry.
“Thanks to the leadership of Congresswoman Nancy Mace, the NDAA already eliminates existing exceptions to the ‘Buy American’ requirements for seafood purchases within the Department of Defense,” said Blake Price, Executive Director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance. “Now, the House will consider three amendments that further support procurement of domestic over imported seafood by the military. The Southern Shrimp Alliance asks all members of Congress to recognize the dire circumstances confronting American seafood producers and vote in support of these amendments.”
Shrimp Industry Amendment Moves Forward
Among the amendments made in order is Amendment 98 (originally filed as Amendment 580), jointly submitted by Congressman Troy Carter (D-LA) and Congressman Mike Ezell (R-MS) and co-sponsored by another eight House members, including Rep. Julia Letlow (R-LA), Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX), Rep. Randy Weber (R-TX), Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX), Rep. Michael Guest (R-MS), Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Rep. Greg Murphy, M.D. (R-NC), and Rep. Don Davis (D-NC). Amendment 98 prohibits the Department of Defense from procuring seafood originating from or processed in the People’s Republic of China and amends 10 U.S.C. § 2484 to prohibit the sale of Chinese-origin seafood in military commissary stores, similar to the existing prohibition on Chinese-origin garlic added by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025, Public Law 118-159 (10 U.S.C. § 2484(l)).
Identical language was included in the Senate’s version of last year’s NDAA but had not previously been part of the House bill, making this a meaningful step toward aligning the two chambers.
Other Amendments Supporting U.S. Seafood Producers Made in Order
In addition to Amendment 580, another amendment strongly supported by the Southern Shrimp Alliance was also cleared by the Rules Committee to move to the House floor:
Amendment 246 (originally Amendment 33) – Quarterly Audit of Berry Amendment Requirements for Military Procurement of Food. Introduced by Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. (D-CA) and co-sponsored by Congressman Mike Ezell (R-MS), this amendment would require the Department of Defense Inspector General to conduct quarterly audits of the Department’s compliance with the Berry Amendment in food procurement, with results reported to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees.
Although several of the other amendments supported by the U.S. shrimp industry were not authorized for further consideration by the House Rules Committee, another amendment was found to have been made in order that further encourages military purchases of domestic seafood:
Amendment 53 (originally Amendment 666) – Reports on DoD and Commissary Purchases of Foreign and Domestic Seafood. Introduced by Congressman Nick Begich (R-AK), this amendment would require reporting on the Department of Defense’s and military commissaries’ purchases of foreign versus domestic seafood, adding another layer of transparency to military seafood procurement.
The other amendments previously flagged by the Southern Shrimp Alliance will not receive a floor vote as part of this NDAA process. Provisions like the SHIPS Act and the FISH Act may still find their way into future legislative vehicles or Senate negotiations.
Next Steps
With the Rules Committee’s vote complete, the NDAA is now positioned for floor debate, where members will consider the amendments that were made in order. If the bill passes the House, it will move to conference with the Senate’s version, where additional provisions may still be incorporated.
The Southern Shrimp Alliance will continue to track and support the bill’s progress through the House and into any subsequent conference with the Senate.