Pappas Statement on House Passage of Defense Authorization Bill

Today, Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) released the below statement following the House vote to pass the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2025:

“As America continues to confront challenges across the globe, it is essential we reauthorize our national defense. This legislation will provide our dedicated service members with the pay raise they deserve and help save lives by taking on the trafficking of deadly drugs like fentanyl. The hundreds of bipartisan provisions in this bill will strengthen our defense, boost New Hampshire’s economy, and improve our service members quality of life.”

“However, I share the frustration of many, including the Republican Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, that this process was politicized by House leadership in unprecedented ways. It’s regrettable that Speaker Johnson forced the inclusion of unnecessary riders in this bill that would put LGBTQ+ youth at risk by taking away their ability to seek health care and make decisions with their families and doctors. I urge the Speaker to shift his attention to the issues the American people have asked us to focus on: strengthening our economy, lowering costs, and keeping our nation safe."

New Hampshire priorities in the bill include:

• Provisions enacting Pappas’s Securing our Northern Border Act, bipartisan legislation that will fortify the northern border and improve interagency coordination to stem the flow of fentanyl and other narcotics coming across the border.
• Provisions enacting the DISPOSE Act, bipartisan legislation Pappas helped introduce to improve counter narcotics coordination between the United States, Mexico, Colombia, and Peru by establishing new multilateral efforts to identify and securely dispose of precursor chemicals used to make fentanyl and fentanyl-related-substances.
• A pay raise for New Hampshire servicemembers, including the largest pay raise for junior servicemembers in more than 25 years, specifically authorizing a 14.5% pay raise for junior enlisted servicemembers and a 4.5% pay raise for all other servicemembers.
• Support for our national security and New Hampshire’s economy by authorizing $33.5 billion in shipbuilding funding and the procurement of seven battle force ships, including a Virginia-class submarine. 
• Supporting our servicemembers and their families by authorizing $377 million for new housing and child development centers and making pay for child care staff at DoD childcare centers competitive with private industry. These provisions will help the child care development center at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard improve its infrastructure as well as staff recruitment and retention.
• Help for servicemembers transitioning to civilian life by improving the Skill Bridge program specifically through increasing the number of private sector apprenticeships available to retiring servicemembers, helping more New Hampshire businesses participate in the program.

Requiring the Department of Defense to take steps toward filling health care staffing shortages at Military Treatment Facilities in rural areas, improving care for New Hampshire’s rural veterans who may not be able to access care at existing outpatient clinics.