Northwest PA News

On June 14, 2024, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025. U.S. Representative Glenn “GT” Thompson voted in favor of the bill and released a statement highlighting its significance.

“The National Defense Authorization Act is one of the most important bills Congress takes up. This year’s bill improves service members’ quality of life, while equipping our military with the tools and resources to counter the rapidly growing threats from foreign adversaries and restore American deterrence,” stated Congressman Thompson.

Thompson also noted that his initiative, the Military Housing Transparency and Accountability Act, was included in the NDAA package. “I am pleased one of my efforts, the Military Housing Transparency and Accountability Act, was included in the overall package to ensure our military families have access to safe, affordable, and functional housing,” he said.

The Military Housing Transparency and Accountability Act aims to provide Armed Forces members and their families with a centralized assessment tool to identify, rate, and compare housing options. It also enhances reporting requirements to ensure effectiveness and address concerns raised by service members.

Key provisions of the NDAA include:

- A 19.5% pay raise for junior enlisted personnel.

- A 4.5% pay raise for all service members, including 28,900 based in Pennsylvania.

- Authorization of $129 million for three military construction projects in Pennsylvania.

- Support for employment retention for Pennsylvania’s 1,500 military spouses.

- Expanded access to childcare for 2,800 children of military families in Pennsylvania.