National Defense Authorization Act

FY 2025

The Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (FY25 NDAA) was anchored by the yearlong work and final report of the bipartisan Quality of Life panel, which focused on pay and compensation, housing, health care, childcare, and spousal support. The result is a 14.5% pay raise for junior enlisted service members and 4.5% pay raise for all other service members along with provisions focused on health care, housing, childcare, military spousal support, and civilian workforce benefits. Additionally, the FY25 NDAA supports reproductive healthcare by eliminating copays for contraceptives and establishes a demonstration program for cryopreservation and storage.
 

While adhering to budget levels set by the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA), the NDAA prioritizes innovation, technology, and modernization along with our domestic industrial base and military readiness. The FY25 NDAA authorizes $143.8 billion in research, development, test, and evaluation to meet immediate and projected force protection challenges, $17.5 billion for science and technology programs, $33.5 billion in shipbuilding funding and for the procurement of seven battle force ships. Further, the bill authorizes over $100 million for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Serving Institutions.

The FY25 NDAA maintains oversight and, where appropriate, authorizes divestment of aging and costly legacy programs to boost investment in modern systems. It also requires the development and implementation of a strategy for the Department of Defense (DoD) to resolve a series of deficiencies across the F-35 Joint Program. The bill further affirms our commitments to allies and partners by resourcing both the European Deterrence Initiative and the Pacific Deterrence Initiative and improving security cooperation.

House Armed Services Democrats were successful in blocking provisions that attacked DEI programs, the LGBTQ community, and women’s access to reproductive health care. Also blocked were provisions that would have restricted support to Ukraine, prohibited DoD from supporting Palestinian refugees or the people of Gaza, further militarized our southern border, and lifted all restrictions on the controversial 1033 program, which provides excess military equipment to law enforcement agencies. However, the final text includes a provision that would prohibit medical intervention—which could result in sterilization—for military dependents under the age of 18 who are diagnosed with gender dysphoria.

To read the Congressional Research Service report, click here. 

Joint (House & Senate) explanatory statement to accompany the "Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and NDAA for FY2025