The House of Representatives passed the Servicemember Quality of Life Investment Act and National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025 (H.R. 8070) on June 14. The bill passed by a vote of 217-199, despite passing out of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) by a resounding bipartisan vote of 57-1 weeks earlier.

“There is no investment more important than the one we make in the men and women who serve in our All-Volunteer Force,” HASC Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL) said in a statement upon final passage. “We cannot kick the can down the road when it comes to providing for our servicemembers. Today, the House voted to increase pay for junior enlisted servicemembers by 19.5%, improve unaccompanied housing, expand servicemember access to childcare and healthcare, and support military spouses. Our servicemembers are the bedrock of our national security, strengthening our military starts by ensuring our servicemembers are taken care of.”

Rogers noted complex and challenging threats around the world and mentioned the FY25 NDAA “invests in our undersea capabilities, boosts innovation, and supports the capabilities our warfighters need to succeed on any future battlefield.”

However, HASC Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-WA) outlined concerns with the bill as amended prior to the final vote. “The adoption of poison pill amendments attacking reproductive health care, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people of color undermines the purpose of the defense bill by demeaning service members and degrading our national defense,” Smith said. “That is why we oppose the final passage of the NDAA, as amended, on the House floor.”

Passage in the House is a major step in the process, but not the last step. The U.S. Senate will consider and pass its own version of the bill, and the two bills will need to be reconciled before being sent to the White House.

The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) marked up the Senate version of the bill on June 12 and it is cleared for consideration by the full Senate. You can view the executive summary of its bill here. Of note, the Senate bill increases the maximum amount of voluntary separation incentive pay for DOD civilian employees from $25,000 to $40,000.