Washington, D.C. — Senator Ted Budd (R-NC), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, voted to pass the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25 NDAA).

Senator Budd secured a provision that prohibits the Air Force from divesting F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base through 2027.

The Air Force planned to divest 26 Strike Eagles from Seymour Johnson next year, even though aircraft from North Carolina’s 335th Fighter Squadron helped defend Israel by shooting down dozens of drones and missiles from Iran in April.

Additionally, these Strike Eagles have more than half their service life remaining and recently received multi-million-dollar upgrades.

Several top military officials have praised the F-15E after being questioned by Senator Budd in committee hearings. Strike Eagles were called phenomenal, very capable, and critical for scenarios in the Indo-Pacific and Europe.

Senator Budd also secured a provision to prohibit TRICARE from covering dangerous transgender medical procedures that could sterilize children.

In addition, Senator Budd secured several other significant wins for North Carolina, including a 4.5% pay raise for North Carolina servicemembers and their families, more than $296 million in military construction projects, accelerating production of Infantry Squad Vehicles, and investing in research and development at North Carolina companies and educational institutions.

Senator Budd said in a statement:

“North Carolina represents the core of what makes our nation strong. The Air Force’s plan to divest F-15E Strike Eagles from Seymour Johnson would harm our national security and make us weaker. The F-15Es are supremely capable aircraft with unmatched capability in the fleet. I am thrilled that my colleagues agreed with me and prohibited divestment. I will continue to fight to make sure that the future for Seymour Johnson and the Goldsboro community is bright, and our military remains strong.

“I was proud to secure nearly $300 million for military installations across North Carolina. These investments support our men and women in uniform by improving their quality of life and ensuring they have the facilities, equipment, and tools necessary to keep our Armed Forces ready and lethal.”

Budd-Secured Wins for North Carolina:

• Authorizes $296 million in military construction, planning, and design funding for North Carolina’s military installations including:

Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point ($123.5 million total):

• Authorizes a $114 million Composite Repair Facility, including $20 million in incremental funding for FY 2025.
• Authorizes $50 million for a F-35 Aircraft Sustainment Center at MCAS Cherry Point.

Authorizes a $213 million Aircraft Maintenance Hangars for MCAS Cherry Point, including $53.5 million in incremental funding for FY 2025.

Camp Lejeune ($84.5 million total):

• Authorizes $27.5 million for a Special Operations Forces (SOF) Armory.
•  Authorizes $57 million for Information Maneuver Facilities for Marine Forces Special Operations Command.
  

Fort Liberty, formerly Fort Bragg ($47 million total):

• Authorizes $13 million for a SOF Arms Room Addition.
• Authorizes $34 million for SOF Camp Mackall Company Operations Facilities

Seymour Johnson Air Force Base ($41 million total):

• Authorizes $41 million to construct a Combat Arms Training and Maintenance Complex at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.
• Authorizes $46.6 million, a $12.2 million increase from the President’s budget request, to accelerate procurement of the Infantry Squad Vehicle, manufactured in Charlotte, for the Army.
• Authorizes $5 million for Airborne Pathfinder, a program at Fort Liberty, to improve soldier readiness and effectiveness.
• Authorizes $4 million for procurement of Army Load Carrying Technology advancements (STEED) to improve the mobility of dismounted forces, STEED is manufactured in Charlotte.
• Authorizes $5 million to research and develop a 360 Helmet Mounted Display for Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV).
• Authorizes $15 million for Heavy Dump Trucks for the Army supporting work in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Budd-Secured Wins for National Security:

Protecting the Homeland:

• Requires DOD to provide a briefing on the number of service member deaths attributable to drug overdoses caused by fentanyl.

Deterring China:

• Requires a plan for the establishment of a joint force headquarters subordinate to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in Japan.
• Updates the 1260H list to modify public reporting of Chinese Military Companies operating in the United States.
• Prohibits DOD from operating, procuring, or contracting for the use of Chinese light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology.
• Prohibits DOD from contracting with companies that retain lobbying firms that also lobby for Chinese military companies on the 1260H list.

Support for U.S.-Israel Bilateral Relationship and Countering Terrorism in the Middle East: 

• Condemns the horrific terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023, and supports DOD assistance to Israel including:
• Authorizes $110 million for U.S.-Israel Missile Defense Cooperation
• Authorizes $30 million for U.S. Israel Anti-Tunneling Cooperation and expands cooperation with Israel to improve anti-tunneling technologies, increases the limit on amount authorized for such activities and directs the Secretary of Defense to provide a briefing on planned training exercises relating to subterranean and tunnel warfare.
• Authorizes an increase of $47.5 million for U.S.-Israel cooperation on emerging technology.

• Requires DOD to brief Congress on efforts to secure the release of United States citizens being held hostage by Hamas and other terrorist organizations around the world.
• Requires an assessment and plan of defense equipment provided to Kurdish Peshmerga Forces.

Senator Budd championed the following additional provisions:

• Authorizes funding to support a 4.5 percent pay raise for military members.
• Increases monthly basic pay for junior enlisted service members in the grades of E-1 through E-4, in addition to the force-wide pay raise.
• Establishes a cross-functional team to plan and oversee the implementation of the recommendations of the Commission on Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution (PPBE), working to improve the DOD’s budgeting process and make it easier for small businesses to work with the DOD.
• Establishes pilot program to commercially produce munitions.
• Strengthens munitions supply chain secondary sources and solid rocket motor production.
• Authorizes a hiring manager of a military medical treatment facility or other health care facility of the Department of Defense to waiver any General Schedule qualification standards related to work experience for certain nurse or practical nurse applications for a position in Department of Defense medical treatment facilities.
• Extends the Pacific Deterrence Initiative (PDI).
• Provides funding for the Defense Innovation Unit OnRamp Hubs, supporting the defense innovation ecosystem.
• Authorizes an additional $10 million to support DOD-Wide Internet Operations Management Capability to support expansion of security orchestration and automation capability within the existing program.
• Requires DOD to brief Congress on how it will maximize the success of the Thunderdome program.
• Requires the Secretary of Defense to implement a policy of reciprocal software accrediting.
• Supports $10 million for the Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration program to prevent encroachment and reduce threats to military installation resilience.
• Reduces the minimum number of students required to establish a unit of the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) to 50 students to prevent closure of at risk JROTC units in North Carolina and across the country.
• Requires the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Secretaries of the military departments, to brief Congress on all national security waivers granted by DOD.
• Halts hiring at DOD for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) for one year.
• Bans DOD personnel from promoting critical race theory (CRT).