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Friends,
I wanted to reach out and let you know that this week, Congress passed the annual defense bill!
The bill is chock full of wins for Virginia servicemembers. First of all, it raises pay by 5.2%, the largest raise in the last two decades. Alongside this paycheck bump, it also makes serious investments in improving living conditions for enlisted servicemembers by replacing substandard barracks and raising standards for housing, and it supports more equitable housing reimbursement rates in areas with very high costs of living. Plus, it takes steps to address critical childcare shortages, so families can better access consistent, quality childcare.
Beyond quality of life improvements for servicemembers, the bill is a big win for Virginia’s economy, as it authorizes $570 million for 20 military construction projects across the Commonwealth, including $104 million to fund two Child Development Centers, one at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story and one at Naval Station Norfolk. It also authorizes $20 million for a replacement hanger and additional airfield infrastructure in Sandston for the Virginia National Guard, and $4 million in planning and design funding for a new Army Reserve training center in Richmond. Additionally, it authorizes the Navy to, in the coming years, procure 13 Virginia-class submarines.
I could keep going on and on about many of the other key priorities this bill accomplishes – from big wins for our Intelligence Community to efforts to secure domestic energy production – so if you want to read more about the full bill, check out my release here. I’m looking forward to the President signing this important bill into law and getting these accomplishments on the books for our brave servicemembers.
If you want to get in touch with me about the military or another issue that is important to you, I encourage you to reach out to me using the form on my Senate website. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Threads. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
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