East Central Texas News

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On June 14, the House passed H.R. 8070, the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025. This legislation underscores House Republicans' commitment to bolstering national security, enhancing military readiness, and eliminating divisive ideologies from the armed forces.

“The primary responsibility of any government, whether local, state, or federal, is to protect its citizens," said Ellzey. "With the passing of the National Defense Authorization Act, we are ensuring that our military prioritizes the well-being and combat readiness of our troops, free from ideological teachings that hinder our defense capabilities. This bill demonstrates the effectiveness of responsible spending. The NDAA was designed for mission success. We have provided a pay raise for our service members and clearly signaled to our adversaries that our military remains robust, all while staying in line with our commitment made in the Fiscal Responsibility Act.”

Key provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act include:

- Fully funding national defense while cutting costs and improving efficiency.

- Authorizing a 19.5% pay raise for junior enlisted servicemembers and supporting a 4.5% pay raise for all other servicemembers.

- Prohibiting the Department of Defense (DoD) from establishing or maintaining any office or committee that recommends or implements DEI policies at DoD schools.

- Preventing a military Green New Deal.

- Ensuring the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter meets performance requirements.

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

- Fully funding modernization of the nuclear triad and investing in nuclear sea-launched cruise missiles.

- Preventing Chinese espionage by prohibiting contracting with subsidiaries of any Chinese civil-military companies and restricting sharing sensitive missile defense information with China.

- Increasing funding for innovative new technologies needed to deter China’s Communist Party (CCP), including hypersonics and AI.

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