[firstname],
Caring for our brave military personnel and their families is essential to preserving a strong military and ensuring our national security. This week, I voted for the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY 2025. This bill addresses important challenges to our national defense, including improving our servicemembers' quality of life, restoring the focus on our military lethality, deterring aggression from China, defending our ally Israel, securing our border, and enhancing our military capabilities. By addressing these challenges, FY25 NDAA will save taxpayers $30 billion by cutting out inefficient defense programs, obsolete weapons systems, and unnecessary Pentagon bureaucracy. The House passed this year’s NDAA with a vote of 217 to 199.
Currently, compensation for junior enlisted servicemembers is insufficient to compete with the private sector and keep up with ever-rising Bidenflation. Because of this, many military families have been forced to rely on food banks, SNAP, and WIC to put food on the table. This bill authorizes a 19.5% pay raise for junior enlisted servicemembers and a 4.5% pay raise for all other servicemembers. The bill also expands allowances for housing and food, and it improves the cost-of-living calculation.
Many servicemembers living in military housing are forced to endure unsafe living conditions, such as mold, gas leaks, and sewage overflows. This year’s NDAA boosts funding for housing maintenance accounts, strengthens oversight of military housing programs, and pursues public-private partnerships to upgrade unaccompanied housing.
Servicemembers’ spouses currently face a 22% unemployment rate while struggling to find adequate childcare. Childcare facilities on military installations are suffering from staffing shortages, expensive fees, and long waitlists for families seeking off-base childcare. The FY25 NDAA improves access to childcare for military families by mitigating childcare staffing shortages at Department of Defense facilities and fully funding childcare fee assistance programs.
This year’s NDAA would also immediately increase our warfighters’ capabilities to deter foreign adversaries such as China and Russia. Furthermore, it would kickstart construction projects to modernize our military, support our allies, and make critical investments in our naval fleet. House Republicans rejected the woke initiatives within the Department of Defense that would have authorized pro-abortion policies, DEI initiatives, and Green New Deal-style climate efforts. It is critical that our resources are focused on strong military readiness and that the NDAA not serve as a vehicle for a liberal wish list.
The U.S. is the leader of the free world, and passing this year’s NDAA is a vital step to ensure our military forces are ready and capable of handling any situation around the world. By purging woke initiatives, boosting compensation, improving housing and childcare, supporting military spouses, and restoring our military lethality, we are ensuring our military and its servicemembers are well-equipped and ready to face tomorrow’s challenges.
To read more about this year’s NDAA, click HERE.
