On Friday,  Representative Mike Garcia (CA-27) voted in favor of the FY25 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). 

“This NDAA rightly focuses our military on its core mission: Deter and win wars,” said Garcia. “And it does so by including my proposal to give nearly one million of our junior enlisted troops the highest pay raise in history. These brave men and women are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our freedom, and it’s unacceptable that tens of thousands of them are struggling to stay above the poverty line and off food stamps. I’m proud that we’re providing this much-deserved, overdue pay raise to better support our servicemembers and their families.”

This bill includes Rep. Garcia’s historic pay raise for our junior enlisted troops, and it ensures our military has the tools needed to defend America and our interests around the world.

“This bill also expedites innovation and reduces the acquisition timeline for new weaponry; funds the deployment of National Guard to help secure our southwest border; strengthens our nuclear posture and missile defense programs; supports our allies; invests in our undersea capabilities; and more. In short, this critical national defense bill ensures our warfighters are better-taken care of and capable of winning on any battlefield.”

The Defense Appropriations Bill fully funds our military and refocuses the Pentagon on its core mission: deter and win wars. 

This comprehensive funding package ensures that servicemembers and their families receive the support they need, and it underscores our commitment to maintaining and enhancing our national defense capabilities.

Some key provisions secured by Rep. Garcia in the Defense Appropriations bill include:

• Junior Enlisted Pay Raise: $2.5 billion increase to facilitate a 19.5% pay raise for junior enlisted troops (E1-E4)
•  B-21 Raider Procurement: Full funding for the Air Force’s B-21 Raider procurement, securing the future of this critical program
• Critical Classified Programs that Reside in CA-27 and Throughout LA County
• U-2S Retirement Prohibition Language: Prohibits the divestment of U-2 aircraft, ensuring continued operational capabilities
• US-Israel Anti-Tunnel Cooperation: $80 million increase to enhance anti-tunneling cooperation between the U.S. and Israel
• US-Israel Emerging Technology Cooperation: $47.5 million increase to support joint emerging technology initiatives with Israel
• US-Israel Counter UAS and Directed Energy Cooperation: $55 million increase to bolster counter UAS and directed energy cooperation efforts with Israel
• Therapeutic Dog Training Program: $16 million increase and accompanying report language to support the therapeutic service dog training program by America’s VetDog

Ed. Note: The above information was provided to KHTS Radio by Garcia’s office.

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