Vasquez Secures Major Investments for New Mexico in National Defense Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Today, Thursday, December 14, 2023, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) voted to pass the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24), securing major investments for New Mexico.

“Today’s passage of the NDAA is a big win for our national security and New Mexico’s prosperity, and I’m proud to have secured historic investments–including the largest pay raise for service members in a decade,” said Vasquez. “With over $2.25 billion for New Mexican laboratories and military installations, we are upgrading our national defense, strengthening the economic well-being of our communities and improving the quality of life for service members and their families.”

As a House Armed Services Committee member, Vasquez helped draft the bipartisan FY24 NDAA. Vasquez secured many provisions in the final version of the bipartisan NDAA, including a 5.2 percent pay raise for service members, the largest pay raise in the last decade, addressing per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination in drinking water around military installations, improving housing for service members and more. 

Following the House passage of the NDAA, Vasquez called on House and Senate leadership to ensure the House Republicans’ egregious provisions were not included in the final defense bill. Vasquez is pleased that the extremist amendments were removed.

In the NDAA, Vasquez passed bipartisan amendments into law that will require better uniform housing standards across the Department of Defense and establish a pilot program to provide air purification technology in military housing to ensure service members live in housing that is safe, comfortable and free from hazardous conditions like mold or unsafe drinking water.

Vasquez delivered critical investments in innovation, security, research and quality-of-life improvements for servicemembersservicemen and women and support for local jobs that will bolster New Mexican communities. 

Vasquez secured over $2.25 billion for New Mexican laboratories and military installations. The NDAA authorizes the following funding for New Mexico’s military installations and facilities: 

• $85 million for an MQ-9 (Reaper) Facility at Holloman Air Force Base
• $11 million for the Rio Rancho Training Site
• $97 million for Protective Force and Plutonium Production Facilities at Los Alamos National Laboratory
• $5.5 million for the Joint Directed Energy Test Center Facility at White Sands Missile Range
• $5 million for the Satellite Fire Station at Cannon Air Force Base                                                                                                                                                                                                      
• $1.76 billion for Los Alamos National Laboratory Plutonium Modernization 
• $287.5 million for Los Alamos and $2.26 million for Sandia National Laboratories under the National Nuclear Security Administration

Following its passage out of the House and Senate, the bill now heads to President Biden’s desk for signature - marking the 63rd consecutive year that Congress passed this critical national defense legislation.

Rep. Vasquez is the vice-ranking member of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee and serves on the Readiness Subcommittee. Rep. Vasquez not only represents the military installations in his district, but as the only delegation member serving on an armed services committee, he also represents the military interests of New Mexico at large. 

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