Congressman Blake Moore’s Statement on Final House Passage of the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025

Congressman Blake Moore's Statement on Final House Passage of the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025

WASHINGTON ­- Today, Congressman Blake Moore issued the following statement following final House passage of the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025:

"As the House Representative of Hill Air Force Base (HAFB), ensuring the needs of Utah's defense community are represented in Washington is one of my top priorities. I was honored to vote in support of the FY25 NDAA today to secure wins that will bolster our national security capabilities and support our servicemembers, including those in northern Utah. This bill takes meaningful steps to support HAFB's mission, improve the lives of our military personnel and their families, and strengthen deterrence against adversaries like China, Russia, and Iran.

The FY25 NDAA maintains America's global power and ensures our military is equipped to support our national security. This package supports the deployment of the National Guard to our Southern Border, deters China, combats antisemitism, supports Israel, cuts inefficient programs and bureaucracy, and guts woke policies at the Department of Defense (DOD), including the use of TRICARE funds to pay for transgender surgeries for minors.

This package also addresses several quality-of-life issues for our servicemembers. The FY25 NDAA provides servicemembers with resources for critical housing upgrades, a 14.5% pay raise for junior enlisted troops, lower health care wait times, enhanced access to childcare, job support for military spouses, and more.

Through my roles as Co-Chair of the House Depot Caucus and Air Force Caucus, I was able to negotiate and secure provisions that will directly benefit the men and women at HAFB and bolster the organic industrial base. I led efforts in the House to deliver major military construction improvements for HAFB, such as $28 million in authorized 'cost to complete funds' for an F-35/T-7A East Campus Infrastructure project and $50 million in authorized funds for a future T-7A Maintenance Complex. I was also pleased that the bill rejected the Biden Administration's efforts to retire certain aircraft critical to Utah's leadership role in national security such as the KC-135 tanker.

Additionally, I led language requiring the Executive Branch to reveal its locality pay methodology and calculation methods for federal employees. My language directing the Department of the Air Force to transfer all supply chain management and maintenance responsibilities for F-15EX, F-22, F-35, and T-7A landing gear systems to the Air Force Sustainment Center was also included in this year's NDAA. This provision will eliminate waste by ensuring that the U.S. Air Force has ultimate control over key landing gear repairs rather than relying on outside private contractors to manage it for them. It will provide a positive jolt to the organic industrial base and ensure fifth generation aircraft like the F-22 and F-35 are cost-effectively maintained. This year's NDAA also authorizes full funding for the Sentinel program at HAFB and will bring 4,000 jobs to northern Utah to ensure the U.S. keeps pace with its nuclear modernization needs and renews the ground-based leg of the nuclear triad.

However, I was greatly disappointed that my bill, the Retain Skilled Veterans Act, which was included in the House-passed version of the NDAA this summer, was pulled out in the final conference negotiation. This bill would have repealed the 180-day waiting period for retired military personnel to take civilian DOD jobs, which is critical for military depots like the Ogden Air Logistics Complex to hire qualified engineers and technicians. Congress's continued failure to address this issue remains my number one complaint with the NDAA process, and I believe that military readiness will suffer until the DOD can properly compete with private industry for workforce talent.

Overall, I'm grateful that the provisions in the FY25 NDAA will enhance the lives of our nation's military members and their families while strengthening our national security. I was glad to support this bill's passage and will continue to work with HAFB leadership and members of Utah's defense community to advocate for their priorities."

Other Key Provisions in the FY25 NDAA:

• Authorizes over $1.2 billion to improve and build new barracks on military installations.
• Authorizes over $176 million for new childcare development centers on military installations
• Prohibits funding for the teaching, training, or promotion of Critical Race Theory in the military, including at service academies and DOD schools.
• Counters antisemitism by prohibiting the sale of goods at DOD commissaries and exchanges from any entities that have or are engaged in a boycott of Israel.
• Includes new investments in critical Army Ammunition Plants and depots that will strengthen our capacity to produce domestic munitions.
• Includes strong provisions to improve U.S. missile defense and prevent the Biden Administration from discontinuing legacy Block IB interceptor projects critical to maintaining deterrence in the Middle East and protecting our ally Israel.
• Continues support for the Baltic Security Initiative that will strengthen NATO's Eastern flank, deter Russian aggression, and enhance joint interoperability with our Baltic state allies.
• Authorizes over $15 billion for the Pacific Deterrence Initiative to improve U.S. defensive posture in the Indo-Pacific and to address unfunded efforts in the budget for the INDOPACOM area of responsibility.

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