Scott Votes for Defense Bill for FY25

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after voting for the final passage of H.R. 5009, the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025:

“The FY25 NDAA provides support to servicemembers, guarantees the defense of the American people, and invests in our national security. This bill includes a 14.5% pay raise for junior enlisted service members and 4.5% pay raises for all other service members along with provisions focused on health care, housing, childcare, military spousal support, and civilian workforce benefits. As the representative of Hampton Roads, home to significant military installations, I am proud that the final bill supports our region’s shipbuilding industrial base with provisions that include full funding of the Columbia class ballistic missile submarine program and one Virginia-class submarine to help ensure we meet our commitments through the Australia-U.K.-U.S. (AUKUS) agreement. The bill also authorizes funding for military construction projects across Hampton Roads including funding for a dormitory at Joint Base Langley-Eustis and Dry Dock 3 Modernization at Norfolk Naval Shipyard.”

“As the Ranking Member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, I am pleased this final bill also includes historic investments to strengthen research at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Serving Institutions.”

“I am thankful that many culture war provisions included in the original House-passed version of this year’s NDAA were ultimately rejected such as provisions attacking reproductive health care, demeaning LGBTQ servicemembers and undermining efforts to have a diverse fighting force.However, I am disappointed that Speaker Mike Johnson and extreme MAGA Republicans included a reprehensible provision that would prohibit medical intervention for military dependents under the age of 18 who are diagnosed with gender dysphoria. As we move forward, it is incumbent on Congressional Republicans and the incoming Trump Administration to ensure future NDAAs prioritize national security and servicemembers, not culture wars.” 

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