Armed Services Committee passes House version of $850 billion defense bill with 20% pay hike on strong bipartisan vote
By
Jamie McIntyre
May 23, 2024 7:15 am
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2025 NDAA: BIG PAY RAISE, MORE F-35s, LESS WOKE: The annual National Defense Authorization Act, the must-pass legislation known colloquially as the NDAA, was approved in record time by the House Armed Services Committee last night on 57-1, with Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) as a lone dissenter.
The House version of the fiscal 2025 NDAA bill authorizes $849.8 billion for the Pentagon and provides for a historic boost in base pay for the lowest-ranking and lowest-paid members of the military, a move designed to help the services as they struggle with a challenging recruiting environment.
“By authorizing a 19.5% pay raise for junior enlisted service members and a 4.5% pay raise for all other service members as well as over $17.5 billion for military construction projects, including $1.15 billion to improve the condition of housing across the military, we are ensuring we can continue to recruit and retain the most talented and diverse military and civilian workforce,” Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), the top Democrat on the committee, said after the bill passed shortly after 10 p.m.
“The most important investment we can make is in the foundation of our military: our people,” said committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL). “No service member should have to worry about making ends meet, putting food on the table, or having safe housing. The FY25 NDAA will boost compensation, improve housing, expand access to medical care, increase access to child care, and provide support for the spouses of service members.”
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE: After the vote, the press releases began to fly on Capitol Hill, with committee members touting the provisions they championed. Committee Vice Chairman Rob Wittman (R-VA) said that despite the spending cap imposed by last year’s debt ceiling agreement, the committee made “strategic choices” to address “the Biden administration’s failed policies that have weakened our national defense.”
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https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/defense/3014453/armed-services-committee-passes-house-version-of-850-billion-defense-bill-with-20-pay-hike-on-strong-bipartisan-vote/
