Tampa Republic

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Laurel Lee (R-FL) released a statement following the House of Representatives' passage of the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 25.

“The most fundamental responsibility of the federal government is to keep our nation safe, and this bipartisan FY 25 NDAA is a critical bill to fund our military, protect our national security against adversaries, and support our servicemen and women here in Florida and around the world,” said Rep. Laurel Lee. “Not only will this bill improve the quality of life for our servicemembers and their families, but it will also crack down on waste, fraud, and abuse, saving taxpayers billions of dollars. I am proud to support this legislation to ensure military readiness, improve critical defense infrastructure, and support our military families.”

The National Defense Authorization Act is an annual bill that details funding levels and policies for the Pentagon. The FY25 NDAA will:

- Give junior enlisted servicemembers a 19.5% pay raise.

- Expand access to medical providers, especially mental health providers, and increase oversight of healthcare accessibility for servicemembers.

- Improve access to childcare for military families by mitigating childcare staffing shortages at Department of Defense facilities and fully funding childcare fee assistance programs.

- Prevent Communist China’s espionage in the U.S. military, supply chain, and research institutions.

- Expand U.S.-Israel military exercises and fully fund cooperative missile defense programs.

- Fully fund the deployment of National Guard troops at the southwest border.

- Crack down on contractor waste by cutting $4.3 billion in programs that aren’t meeting requirements.