Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025

Floor Speech

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Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Chair, I thank the chairman for yielding.

Mr. Chair, this bill comes at a really crucial time for our Nation. Along with many of my colleagues that were at the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the D-day invasion in Normandy, France, we should all be reminded of the sacrifice that we ask of each of our servicemembers as they work hard every day to protect our Nation.

This bill puts a primary and bipartisan focus on the quality of life for our servicemembers and their families. It includes a 19.5 percent pay raise for our junior enlisted.

The bill also fully funds military housing, which is critically important these days. This bill also requires that servicemembers be promoted on their abilities, not on contrived bureaucratic initiatives.

For these reasons, it is not surprising that a multitude of key military organizations, including Blue Star Families, Military Officers Association of America, and the National Military Family Association all support this bill.

This bill also provides meaningful reform on the Joint Strike Fighter program and supports necessary future capabilities like Next Generation Air Dominance aircraft and the ballistic missile submarine in the Columbia-class. Those things are all critical.

It is not surprising that this bill was reported from committee on a resounding bipartisan vote of 57-1. Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Smith should be rightly congratulated for delivering this bipartisan bill to the floor today.

Additionally, I congratulate my colleague and friend, Ranking Member Don Norcross. We worked on the most contentious issues together, and our product was an impressive bipartisan subcommittee mark.

Finally, I thank the entire subcommittee staff, including Dave Sienicki, Heath Bope, Michael Kirlin, Max Huntley, Jay Vallario, and Brooke Alred for their particular and intensive effort and support on this bill.

Mr. Chair, it is simple to vote against any bill offered here in the House. Voting no is easy, but if you vote against this bill, you are voting against the military servicemembers who provide our Nation the want and will to sacrifice their lives on behalf of this Nation, to preserve the liberties and freedoms that are the foundation of this Republic.

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