Van Orden Backs FY25 National Defense Authorization Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Derrick Van Orden (WI-03) voted in support of the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Following his vote to pass the FY25 NDAA out of the House, Congressman Van Orden released the following statement:

“President Biden has been an abject failure as Commander-in-Chief, putting our country and our allies at great risk. The morale of our servicemembers is abysmal and recruiting is at a historic low. At a time where we face more threats than ever since World War II, it is imperative we rebuild and modernize our military capabilities and project global leadership. The FY25 NDAA halts the America-last policies pushed by this administration and bolsters our national defense to safeguard American interests, deter our adversaries, and support our men and women in uniform by providing the largest pay increase in history for junior enlisted servicemembers.

“I am also proud to have many of my provisions included in this legislation that provide necessary transition assistance program reform for those moving from active-duty to veteran. We must take care of our troops both before and after their time of service, and the FY25 NDAA ensures they have the resources, support, and opportunities needed to succeed in civilian life.”

The FY25 NDAA includes many provisions championed by Rep. Van Orden, including:

• The Ensuring Military Access to Higher Education Benefits Act of 2024, which streamlines the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program application process and makes it easier for current and former military servicemembers to have their direct loans forgiven
• Increasing the rate of leave for National Guardsmen and Reservists from 15 days to 20 days, based on language found in Rep. Van Orden’s Reserve and National Guard Military Leave Enhancement Act
• Extending financial counseling for servicemembers going through the Transition Assistance Program (TAP)
• Establishing a counseling pathway in TAP specific for Reservists
• Extension and Expansion of Reports on TAP: This provision extends and expands reporting requirements for TAP, originally mandated in the FY19 NDAA