Today Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) voted in favor of H.R. 8070, the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025, which passed on the House floor.
“I am pleased to see legislation that provides our brave service men and women with a pay increase, improved housing, and greater access to health care pass today in the House. Importantly, as our country faces the most dangerous security environment we have had in decades, this bill strengthens our nuclear deterrence, sea power, and technological capabilities. China has challenged U.S. technological capabilities in several key areas, including hypersonics and AI; this legislation increases funding for innovative technologies to ensure our military has the tools, equipment, and resources needed to defend our nation and deter Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific and around the world,” said Rep. Wenstrup. “As a veteran of the Iraq War, I will always prioritize the needs of our servicemembers and strengthening the lethality and effectiveness of our fighting force.”
Background
Among other priorities, provisions within the bill:
- Support our servicemembers by providing a 19.5% pay raise for junior enlisted and a 4.5% pay raise for all others
- Boost the servicemember housing allowance to cover 100% of the average rent in the local area
- Authorize additional funding for servicemember housing maintenance and to build new family housing units
- Strengthen and support health care services and options for servicemembers, including establishing a 3-day access to behavioral healthcare standard for them and their dependents
- Expand programs to help Ohio’s 3,700 military spouses attain and retain employment
- Expand access to childcare for the 6,700 children of military families in Ohio
- Fully fund deployment of National Guard troops in support of Border Patrol activities at the southwest border, increase funding for DOD counternarcotic activities, and require DOD to brief Congress on threats posed by Mexican cartels
- Increase funding for innovative new technologies needed to deter the Chinese Communist Party, including hypersonics, AI, autonomous systems, cyber, mobile micronuclear threats, and high energy lasers
- Require the Department of Defense to brief Congress on the growing military cooperation between China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran
- Reaffirm U.S. support to the defense of Taiwan
- Enhance Congressional oversight of DOD programs and cuts contractor waste, including over $4.3 billion in weapons programs that have not met development milestones or had excessive cost growth
- Require a quadrennial review of DOD biodefense policies, programs, and strategies
- Declare that it is the policy of the United States to ensure Israel has adequate capability to defend itself against Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah
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