Florida Rep. Michael Waltz (R) has shared his support for the FY25 defense bill. As the chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness, Rep. Waltz announced his support for the bill, which includes many of his national security priorities.
Included in the bill are Rep. Waltz's priorities like investing in U.S.-flag shipping, shipbuilding, and the maritime workforce needed to reassert the United State's maritime power against the Chinese Communist Part. The bill also includes language regarding the support of Gold Star families, bolstering military assets in space, and improving the quality of life for service members and their families.
In a statement, Rep. Waltz shared his enthusiasm for supporting the FY25 Defense Bill that "will ensure the U.S. military remains the strongest fighting force in the world and modernize our armed forces to compete with current and emerging threats."
“It’s critical we continue to support our service members, and their families, who have answered the call of duty and provide our warfighters with training, equipment, and support they need to protect our great nation.”
The Committee included the following language from Rep. Waltz:
- Prohibiting retirement accounts of service members from being invested in Chinese military companies;
- Establishing a grant program between American universities and non-profit institutions working with Israeli schools researching, diagnosing, and treating post-traumatic stress disorder;
- Reforming the Board of Visitors for the Service Academies to be more accountable to Congress;
- Allowing the children of our fallen soldiers to continue to have commissary access beyond the age of 21;
- Calling for 4,000 JROTC programs by 2031;
- Calling on the Department to honor its pension commitment to older specialized recruits;
- Require an assessment of Joint Multi-Domain Electronic Warfare Platforms;
- Expanding resiliency planning to include Coast Guard stations;
- Ensuring battery-electric ground vehicle systems integrate additive nanotechnology to mitigate lithium battery fires and improve soldier survivability;
- Require a strategy of “de-risking,” aimed at mitigating reliance and vulnerability to Chinese shipbuilding, shipping, and maritime infrastructure;
- Update the 1989 National Security Directive 28, articulating a policy and vision for Strategic Sealift readiness and the requirement for an independent and competitive maritime sector as national power vital to America’s national security
- Establish a national recruiting campaign contracted by the Maritime Administration, and several workforce initiatives to draw attention to the nation’s maritime workforce as national security workers;
- Requiring a market survey of domestic suppliers of sand and gravel for marine concrete;
- A briefing on the Air Force’s efforts to develop the Combat Simulator of the Future;
- Clarifying that the funding increases for facilities sustainment must be used to ensure quality of life initiatives;
- Developing space assets for rapid delivery of equipment and supplies in battle-zones;
- Ensuring American taxpayers get the best value for spare parts;
- Setting new contracting goals for veteran-owned small businesses and authorizing the use of restricted competition in awarding contracts to veterans.
