Washington– Rep. Don Bacon (NE-02), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee’s (HASC) Cyber, Information Technology, and Innovation Subcommittee, voted late Wednesday evening in favor of advancing H.R. 8070, the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025. The bill was reported out of committee by a vote of 57 – 1. This annual legislation, which contains multiple amendments and provisions authored by Bacon, authorizes defense spending and sets the policy and priorities for our military. Overall, the bill authorizes a total of $884 billion for national defense consistent with the terms of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023. 

“The first and most critical job of Congress is to provide for the common defense,” said Bacon. “In advancing this legislation to protect our national security and improve the quality of life for our servicemembers and military families, once again the House Armed Services Committee has proved that it remains one of the last true bastions of bipartisan policymaking in the United States government.” 

The title and base text of this year’s House NDAA is based on the legislative recommendations of the HASC Military Quality of Life Panel which was chaired by Rep. Bacon over the last year.  

“Rep. Bacon has fought tirelessly to improve the quality of life for our service members and their families,” Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL) said. “Thanks to Rep. Bacon’s leadership as Chairman of the Quality of Life Panel, the FY25 NDAA will boost servicemember compensation, improve housing, expand access to medical care, increase access to childcare, and provide support for military spouses.”

Highlights from the committee’s FY 2025 bill include:

• Over 30 recommendations totaling more than $4 billion to improve military quality of life championed by Rep. Bacon who chaired a year-long effort to understand challenges faced by military servicemembers and families 
• A targeted 15 percent pay increase for junior enlisted personnel and other pay and benefit improvements
• Various authorizations to fully fund the modernization of America’s aging nuclear deterrent forces 
• Language directing the Secretary of Defense to establish the first subordinate unified command under U. S. Cyber Command to conduct defensive cyber operations

In addition, the committee’s bill contains numerous legislative proposals sponsored by Rep. Bacon, including: 

• Additional funding for USSTRATCOM’s Nuclear Command, Control and Communications (NC3) Rapid Engineering Architecture Collaboration Hub (REACH) initiative
• Additional funding for USSTRATCOM’s affiliated research center at the University of Nebraska
• A requirement for the Secretary of Defense to provide a force posture assessment of U.S Army and Air Force units in Europe
• A requirement for the Secretary of Defense to provide an assessment of space and satellite security concerns for allies and partners in the Middle East, including the State of Israel 
• A requirement for the Secretary of Defense to provide information on supplemental health insurance for service members and families 
• A requirement for the Secretary of Defense to maintain current contact information for next of kin of fallen service members 
• Language directing the establishment of the Department of Defense Hackathon Program
• Language authorizing the Secretary of the Air Force to designate former Airmen who previously supported the space mission as Legacy Guardians

“With Memorial Day coming up this weekend, I can’t think of a better way to honor those who gave their lives to this country, than to ensure we improve the quality of life for those currently serving,” added Bacon. “H.R. 8070, the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and FY 25 NDAA does this and so much more. I am pleased to join Chairman Rogers and my colleagues in reporting this out of committee and urge all Members to support it when it comes to the House floor next month.”

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