Iowa 4th District Representative Randy Feenstra was among the 217 yes votes that helped a 19.5 percent pay raise for junior enlisted servicemen and women pass through the U.S. House of Representatives. The lower chamber approved the move on Friday on a 217-199 vote. In addition to the 19.5 percent pay raise, the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 expands childcare options for military families, improves military housing provisionS, and strengthens healthcare access for soldiers and their families. The bill also fully funds National Guard unit deployments for border security, supports counternarcotics operations at the southern border, cuts diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and critical race theory (CRT) programs at military schools, and ends the forced electrification of military trucks, tanks, and other vehicles. Feenstra says, “The National Defense Authorization Act is a strong and important investment in our troops, our military families, and our national security. With rising threats abroad – particularly China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea – this legislation supports our military readiness, eliminates unrelated social initiatives, and enhances the quality of life of our servicemembers and their families.” The other members of Iowa’s House delegation also supported the bill. A companion bill in the Senate also features pay raises for junior enlisted servicemembers, but the upper chamber is yet to determine how significant the raises will be.
