U.S. Congressman Chuck Edwards (NC-11) today voted for H.R. 8070, the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025, which passed with three of his amendments included.
The bill authorizes nearly $900 billion for national defense, an increase of $9 billion from the previous year. The NDAA aims to enhance the quality of life for U.S. service members and refocus the military on warfighting and deterring global threats.
In addition to saving taxpayers $30 billion by cutting outdated weapons systems, inefficient programs, and unnecessary bureaucracy, the bill seeks to improve accountability and oversight of waste, fraud, and abuse within the Department of Defense.
The following three amendments introduced by Congressman Edwards were included in the final House bill:
1. An amendment requiring the Department of Defense (DOD) to survey the 15 counties in North Carolina’s 11th District as potential locations for future defense facilities and report its findings to Congress. Western North Carolina’s topography is considered advantageous for U.S. military training due to its similarity to that of many U.S. adversaries, including China.
2. An amendment requiring the DOD to submit an annual report to the General Services Administration (GSA) on office-space occupancy data and draft procedures for returning unused office space to the GSA.
3. An amendment revoking security clearances of retired or active members of the U.S. armed forces or DOD civilian personnel who express support for terrorist organizations or engage in demonstrations supporting such organizations.
Edwards stated, “The FY25 NDAA will improve the quality of life of our service members who make immeasurable sacrifices to serve and protect our nation while returning our military to its core mission. During a time of increasing global threats, it is critical that our military prioritize warfighting and support those on the front lines who are defending our liberties.”
Bill text is available here.
