WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Mike Turner (OH-10), a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement after voting to pass the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in the House of Representatives.
“This year’s National Defense Authorization Act authorizes over $60 million to advance critical projects at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, a testament to the vital role Ohio plays in strengthening our national security,” said Congressman Mike Turner. “The NDAA also provides a much-needed pay raise and improved benefits for our service members, underscoring our commitment to their well-being. As global threats grow more complex, investments like these ensure that our military and defense infrastructure remain prepared to address emerging challenges and protect both our nation and our allies.”
Miami Valley FY 2025 NDAA Initiatives:
- Authorizes $9.2 million for Planning and Design (P&D) toward construction of the Advanced Materials Research Laboratory of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) at Wright-Patterson AFB.
- Authorizes $1.9 million to design the Space Force Intelligence Center at WPAFB, strengthening Ohio's role in national security and space operations.
- Authorizes $53 million for the district cooling plant project at WPAFB, focusing on the construction of a facility to enhance energy efficiency.
Overall FY 2025 NDAA Highlights:
Servicemember Quality of Life:
- Supports a 14.5 percent pay raise for junior enlisted servicemembers and a 4.5 percent pay raise for all other servicemembers.
- Authorizes funding to build new housing and improve existing housing.
- Improves ability for spouses to transfer professional licenses across states and expands DoD programs that provide employment support to military spouses.
- Addresses staffing shortages at DoD facilities by enhancing pay and benefits for childcare workers, while also reducing wait times through the construction of new Child Development Centers.
Healthcare:
- Provides servicemembers with direct access to specialty medical providers by waiving the TRICARE referral requirement.
- Expands the number of doctors working for DoD by extending recruitment bonuses and providing for increased compensation.
- Increases the number of nurses working for DoD by waiving prior federal service hiring requirements.
- Enables DoD to recruit and employ additional mental health providers by excluding them from statutory caps on military end strength.
Technological Innovation and Industry:
- Increases funding for innovative new technologies including hypersonics, AI, autonomous systems, cyber, mobile micronuclear reactors, and high energy lasers.
- Continues the recapitalization of our aging sealift fleet.
- Accelerates the fielding of air defense capabilities at Air Force installations.
- Reforms DoD's acquisition process to rapidly deliver new systems by focusing on acquiring commercial solutions and ease small business contracting.
Foreign Policy and National Security:
- Authorizes $15.6 billion to enhance U.S. deterrence and defense posture in the Indo-Pacific region.
- Invests in a nuclear sea-launched cruise missile to enhance regional deterrence and keep pace with Russia and China.
- Prohibits the DoD from reducing the number of ICBMs below 400.
- Requires the establishment of a third missile defense site on the East Coast by 2030 to bolster defense of the homeland from long-range threats.
- Establishes the Commercial Augmentation Space Reserve (CASR) to allow the Space Force to contract with the private sector to rapidly acquire space capabilities on an as-needed basis.
Deterring China:
- Expands prohibitions and safeguards against Chinese influence, including banning DoD contracts with Chinese civil-military companies, securing supply chains, and countering espionage through enhanced tools, reporting, and restrictions on sensitive technologies.
- Establishes the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative, providing lethal assistance, joint trauma care programs, and funding for U.S.-led training to bolster Taiwan's self-defense and resilience against Chinese aggression.
- Fully funds military exercises and trilateral defense initiatives among the United States, Japan, and South Korea, while advancing partnerships and capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region.