As Fort Liberty/Fort Bragg’s congressman, I know there is no investment more important than the one we make in the men and women stationed there, their families, and our veterans. They sacrifice so much to protect our nation and preserve the freedoms we hold so dear, and I am working to ensure they have the support and resources they deserve.
Many service members and their families are away from their communities for extended periods throughout the year and should have the best quality of life possible while they serve our country. This year’s Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for FY25 (NDAA), which the House recently passed, ensures just that.
It provides a 19.5% pay increase for junior enlisted servicemembers and a 4.5% increase for all other servicemembers. It also supports new military family housing and commits resources to housing maintenance so that sewage overflows, mold and bedbugs are quickly treated and prevented from reoccurring, an issue I have pushed for years now after hearing awful stories from our soldiers at Fort Liberty/Fort Bragg. The NDAA further expands access to child care for military families and ensures our troops and their families receive the high-quality health care they deserve.
I am especially proud that the bill includes big wins for our troops and their families at Fort Liberty/Fort Bragg, including over $87 million for needed infrastructure and quality-of-life projects on the base, ranging from funding for the Child Development Center and the SOF arms room addition all the way to housekeeping items like generators and water systems to keep the base clean and running. The bill also includes my provisions to strengthen oversight of military housing and prevent President Biden’s proposal to cut funding for our Special Forces unit at Fort Liberty/Fort Bragg.
Funding important programs that help take care of those who have taken care of us — our nation’s veterans — is one of my top priorities. These heroes sacrificed so much to give us the freedoms that we have today, and we made a promise to ensure Washington works for them.
House Republicans delivered on that promise through recently passing this year’s Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act — a plan that honors our commitment to our veterans. This legislation in fact provides $30 billion more than last year’s enacted level for veterans. It fully funds veterans’ health care, benefits and all other VA programs, including toxic exposure-related needs, while protecting their constitutional rights from Big Bureaucracy’s assault. In addition to these measures, I also worked to include funding for VA mental health programs like suicide prevention.
This year’s NDAA and MilConVA Appropriations package represent our unwavering commitment to the brave men and women who have answered the call to serve our nation. Rest assured, I am going to continue to fight for these heroes and make clear that they will always have my support.
Richard Hudson represents North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District in Congress.
