{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://lalota.house.gov/media/press-releases/lalota-secures-wins-servicemembers-gabreski-air-national-guard-gold-star", "LaLota Secures Wins for Servicemembers, Gabreski Air National Guard, Gold Star Families, and Merchant Marine Academy in Defense Bill", "2024-12-11", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "House", "NY", "Nick LaLota", "L000598", "lalota.house.gov", "lalota", "https://lalota.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. - Rep. Nick LaLota (R-Suffolk County), a Navy Veteran and member of the House Armed Services Committee, released the following statement after voting to pass H.R. 5009, the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025, which included several of LaLota\u2019s priorities and amendments. This year\u2019s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) builds upon last year's efforts to strengthen our military and deter adversaries by fully funding our national defense and includes a historic pay increase for junior enlisted.\n\n\u201cI voted to ensure our military remains the strongest in the world and our servicemembers are supported by voting to pass this year\u2019s NDAA. This bill includes major wins for Long Island, including $14 million for the 106th Rescue Wing at Gabreski, $64 million for the Merchant Marine Academy, and critical investments in our defense industrial base,\u201d said LaLota. \u201cI was also proud to see two of my bills, the Plain Language in Contracting Act and the Gold Star Children\u2019s Education Act, in the NDAA, along with important provisions to increase pay for junior enlisted by over 14%, take on China, and support Israel. Today\u2019s bill is a win for our military, our allies, and our future.\u201d\n\nTo read the full text of the legislation, click HERE.\n\nBackground:\n\nThe House Armed Services Committee is instrumental in ensuring our military has the policies and resources necessary to defend America. The culmination of the committee\u2019s work is passing the NDAA, the annual bill that provides funding and policy updates to the Department of Defense. The NDAA authorizes funding levels and provides authorities for the U.S. military and other critical defense priorities, ensuring our troops have the training, equipment, and resources they need to accomplish their missions.\n\nIn this year\u2019s NDAA are several of LaLota\u2019s priorities:\n\nAuthorizes a 14.5% pay raise for junior enlisted servicemembers and supports a 4.5% pay raise for all other servicemembers\n\nAuthorizes $14 million for an Air National Guard Combat Rescue Helicopter Simulator at Francis S. Gabreski Airport\n\nAuthorizes $64 million for United States Merchant Marine Academy capital improvement projects\n\nLaLota\u2019s Plain Language in Contracting Act, requires the Department of Defense to write contract solicitations in plain language\n\nLaLota\u2019s Gold Star Children\u2019s Education Act, which would make dependents of Armed Forces members who died while serving on active duty eligible for enrollment in Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools on a tuition-free, space-available basis.\n\nRequires the Secretary of Defense to produce a report on the impact of bundled contracts on small businesses and the impact of reducing the number of bundled contracts\n\nProtects servicemembers\u2019 rights by requiring a report on the comprehensive review of the legal protections afforded to servicemembers abroad\n\nAddresses chronic underfunding of housing maintenance to address poor conditions like sewage overflows, gas leaks, and mold\n\nEnsures access to medical care, including mental health services and specialty providers.\n\nIncreases access to childcare by authorizing $176 million for the construction of new childcare centers\n\nSupports military spouses by making it easier to find and maintain employment\n\nImproves DoD schools by authorizing over $110 million to build new schools for children of servicemembers\n\nEnhances career transition assistance, including ensuring the Transition Assistance Program includes a pathway to aid retiring members of the reserve components\n\nAuthorizes $15.6 billion for the Pacific Deterrence Initiative to enhance U.S. deterrence and defense posture in the Indo-Pacific region and over $490 million in INDOPACOM Commander priorities left unfunded in the Biden budget\n\nPrevents Chinese espionage by prohibiting contracting with the subsidiaries of any Chinese civil-military companies to include any subsidiaries, the sharing of sensitive missile defense information with China, and Chinese nationals from being admitted to nuclear facilities\n\nBolsters Taiwan\u2019s defense and supports our Indo-Pacific allies and partners\n\nAuthorizes $6.2 billion for Columbia-class submarine advanced procurement\n\nProvides incremental funding authority for an additional Virginia-class submarine and wages to support the industrial base\n\nDeclares that it is the policy of the United States to ensure Israel has adequate stocks of air defense interceptors to defend itself against Iran and its proxies, including Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad\n\nAuthorizes full funding for joint U.S.-Israel cooperative missile defense programs (Iron Dome, Arrow, David\u2019s Sling)\n\nFully supports deployment of National Guard troops to augment Border Patrol activities at the southwest border\n\nIncreases funding by $10 million for DoD counternarcotics activities\n\nExpands DoD\u2019s authority to assist Law Enforcement in the interdiction of narcotics traffickers\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://lalota.house.gov/media/press-releases/lalota-secures-wins-servicemembers-gabreski-air-national-guard-gold-star"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.6146251000463963, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}