Dear friend,
I am committed to improving and advancing our military as a House Armed Services Committee member. Each year, I help draft and work to secure passage of the National Defense Authorization Act, annual legislation that sets policy for the operation and oversight of the Department of Defense.
This year, I was fortunate to have two dozen separate provisions incorporated into the NDAA and the accompanying committee report that address issues ranging from cybersecurity to officer promotions. This year, I was also honored to serve as the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee's special Military Quality of Life Panel.
As an experienced commander and senior officer in the Air Force, I know firsthand the importance of supporting our men and women in uniform. My family and I made sixteen moves and endured multiple deployments around the globe during my nearly 30 years on active duty. The Panel's work revealed how many service members and military families face challenges such as low pay, substandard housing, access to healthcare and childcare, and spouse employment. Military families make unimaginable sacrifices on behalf of our nation, and it is our responsibility to ensure we provide for their basic needs. At a minimum, no one who volunteers to risk their life defending our country should have to rely on federal, state, or private food assistance to eat.
Early in the 118th Congress, I approached Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers with the idea of creating a panel focused on improving military quality of life. He agreed that this issue warranted the committee's full attention. Shortly after that, the House Armed Services Committee's bipartisan Military Quality of Life Panel was born.
I was honored to serve as chairman of the Panel alongside ranking member Rep. Chrissy Houlahan and eleven other House Armed Services Committee members. Over a year, the Panel conducted dozens of engagements with service members, military families, senior defense officials, and outside experts to understand the challenges military families face and explore solutions.
Our national security is weakened when our All-Volunteer Force cannot recruit or retain service members. With this in mind, I began work close to home at Offutt Air Force Base, meeting with 45 enlisted airmen, junior officers, and their spouses. In our candid discussions, I heard firsthand accounts of military families who struggle with putting food on the table in an economy where military pay has lagged behind inflation for many years.
An urgent problem that quickly caught the Panel's attention is the sharp decline in affordable quality housing for military families and single servicemembers who live on base. During testimony at one of our hearings, the Government Accountability Office revealed deplorable living conditions at many of our installations. Making matters worse, the Department of Defense has chosen to reduce housing reimbursements to commercial operators of on-base family housing and for those living off-base on the local economy. Over time, this has forced more and more service members into either unaffordable or substandard living conditions.
Like many Americans, sharp increases in the cost of living have forced military families to have two incomes. However, the frequent moves required by military service often make it very difficult for military spouses to find work. The Panel's work revealed that military spouse unemployment typically hovers around 20%, making it one of the highest unemployment rates in American society.
Ultimately, the Panel assembled a 48-page report containing 31 recommendations to improve the lives of military families, with a final goal of strengthening America's fighting forces. We identified five key problem areas and made policy recommendations to address pay, childcare, housing, healthcare, and spousal support. You can view the full report here.
The title and text of this year's NDAA, the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 are based on the legislative recommendations of the HASC Military Quality of Life Panel. H.R. 8070 includes all 31 recommendations totaling more than $4.5 billion to combat challenges faced by service members and their families. Among the most important of these recommendations are a targeted 19.5 percent pay increase for junior enlisted personnel, restoring housing reimbursement rates to 100 percent, requiring the Department to fully fund housing reimbursement, and making professional certifications valid across state lines.
By implementing the recommendations of the HASC Military Quality of Life Panel, we honor the sacrifices made by our service members and their families and strengthen our national security. I will continue to ensure that those who defend our freedom receive the support and resources they deserve. As always, it is an honor to represent the people of Nebraska's Second District.
If you need help with a federal agency or other assistance, please reach out here or call my office at 402-938-0300.
