Congressman Bean Votes to Ensure American Strength and Security

WASHINGTON—U.S. Congressman Aaron Bean (FL-04) released the following statement after voting in support of H.R. 5009, the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025. 

Upon passage, Congressman Bean said: “I was proud to support this year’s NDAA which refocuses the military on its core mission of defending our nation, supports operations along our southern border, and puts an end to divisive ideological policies that have undermined recruitment, retention, and the morale of our military. 

This legislation also provides a much-needed 14.5% pay raise for junior enlisted service members and a 4.5% pay raise for all other service members. Additional quality-of-life provisions in the bill include allowing service members to seek some specialty health care without Tricare referrals, requiring pay for on-base childcare workers to be competitive with the private sector, and making it easier for military spouses to transfer professional licenses between states.

The bill requires all DoD components to undertake an annual independent audit and saves taxpayers $31 billion by cutting inefficient programs, obsolete weapons systems, and unnecessary Pentagon bureaucracy. 

I will always defend our national interests because the American people deserve a military that doesn’t cater to any credo other than America First.”

BACKGROUND: 

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is legislation that Congress passes each year to make changes to the policies and organization of United States defense agencies and provide guidance on how military funding may be spent. Though funding for the U.S. military must be approved through appropriation bills, Congress uses the NDAA to establish defense priorities, make organizational changes to military agencies, and guide the Department of Defense.

This year’s NDAA will:

• Provide junior enlisted servicemembers with a 14.5% pay raise.
• Fully support the deployment of the National Guard at the southwest border to intercept illegal aliens and drugs.
• Prevent Chinese espionage in our military, supply chains, and research institutions.
• Expand U.S.-Israel military exercises and fully fund cooperative missile defense programs. 
• Increase funding for U.S. defense initiatives in the Indo-Pacific to bolster Taiwan’s defense and support Indo-Pacific allies. 
• Save $31 billion by cutting inefficient programs, obsolete weapons, and bloated Pentagon bureaucracy. 
• Cut $4 billion in programs that do not meet requirements.
• Require promotions to be based on merit.
• Prohibit contracting with advertising firms that blacklist conservative news sources. 
• Abolish the DEI bureaucracy.  
• Permanently ban transgender medical treatment for minors. 
• Counter 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. 

###