WASHINGTON, D.C. — Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) announced her support for the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), emphasizing its significant provisions aimed at enhancing the quality of life for servicemembers and their families.
The NDAA, officially titled the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act, incorporates more than twenty recommendations from the Bipartisan Quality of Life Panel, a group Houlahan co-led as Ranking Member. “This bill protects the interests of our nation and improves the quality of life for the men, women, and families who dedicate themselves to it through their service,” Houlahan said.
One of the bill’s most notable provisions is a 14.5% pay raise for junior enlisted servicemembers, with a 4.5% pay raise for all other personnel. Additionally, the legislation provides cost-of-living allowances tailored to location, improved housing and barracks repair programs, expanded access to medical and mental health services, and strengthened employment support for military spouses, including streamlined license transfers between states.
Houlahan highlighted her role in securing funding for a perinatal mental health pilot program, the largest of its kind in the Department of Defense’s history. The program addresses maternal mental health conditions, such as postpartum depression, among servicemembers. She also led efforts to increase leave for federal employees serving in the National Guard, expand childcare fee assistance programs, and strengthen the military’s electrical infrastructure to bolster resilience against potential attacks.
The bill includes additional cybersecurity, biotechnology, and intelligence provisions, such as a strategy to mitigate biotechnological threats and secure critical mineral supply chains. Other measures target improved counternarcotics oversight and collaboration to address the escalating drug crisis.
While Houlahan acknowledged the bipartisan achievement and comprehensive advancements secured through the NDAA, she expressed disappointment with unresolved issues, including healthcare-related provisions that remain contentious. Regardless, she underscored the legislation’s critical role in preserving the nation’s security and the welfare of its military community.
“This is the most consequential and important piece of legislation of the entire 118th Congress, and with this bill in law, our nation will be more secure,” Houlahan affirmed.
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