House Armed Services and Quality of Life Panel leaders urge Biden to support service member quality of life in next budget

A letter dispatched to President Joe Biden this month by leaders of the House Armed Services and Quality of Life Panel urged him to back quality of life improvements for service members and their families in the White House’s FY 2025 Department of Defense (DoD) Budget request.

Signatories included U.S. Reps. Mike Rogers (R-AL) and Adam Smith (D-WA), chairman and ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, as well as Don Bacon (R-NE) and Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), chairman and ranking member of the Quality of Life Panel.

“Our service members represent the best our nation has to offer and are central to our national security,” the lawmakers wrote. “The All-Volunteer Force has been the foundation of America’s national defense for the last five decades. Yet the committee’s quality of life inquiry thus far has revealed an alarming erosion of military quality of life that, if not addressed quickly, will soon place the All-Volunteer Force at risk. Reversing this decline will require a national commitment of resources to address quality of life concerns for service members and their families.”

The representatives pointed to their own findings, which noted aging and poorly maintained living spaces for service members and their families that have manifested in mold, pests and more. They added that compensation is growing increasingly inconsistent between civilians and officers, leading to food insecurity and recruitment/retention concerns. Access to medical care has also become challenging, on top of a nationwide shortage of childcare workers.

The lawmakers also called out a staple of military enlistment: the frequent moves and isolated destinations. These, coupled with licensure issues, have had the unintended side effect of making it difficult for military spouses to find and keep jobs.

With the upcoming National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the lawmakers stated their intention to renew focus on these issues, regardless of its cost and scope.