Rep. Obernolte Secures Wins for High Desert Military Bases and Communities in 2025 Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act

WASHINGTON – U.S. Congressman Jay Obernolte (CA-23) secured important wins for High Desert military bases and surrounding communities in the Fiscal Year 2025 Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed by the U.S. House of Representatives this week. 

Included in the legislation were several amendments Rep. Obernolte authored, including an amendment to support the establishment of home-based businesses for military spouses on our nation’s military installations, an amendment to modernize the U.S.’s solid rocket motor production, an amendment to increase investment into domestic sourcing of rare earth elements, and an amendment to ensure adequate healthcare for the civilian and military workforce in the service areas surrounding Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake and Edwards Air Force Base.

“This year’s House-passed NDAA will improve the quality of life for our military families and servicemembers, and I’m proud to have had the opportunity to make important changes to this critical legislation,” said Rep. Obernolte. “The NDAA will enhance our nation’s military readiness, support our warfighters, and increase the military’s recruitment and retention rates. With my provisions, it will also improve the quality of life on remote and isolated bases, including those located in California’s 23rd Congressional District. It’s critical that the military has the talent it needs to do its work of ensuring our nation’s security.” 

One of the most daunting issues facing our country’s military is recruitment and retainment. One of Rep. Obernolte’s amendments would direct the DoD to find potential solutions to help alleviate this critical issue by addressing employment and business opportunities for military spouses. Currently, the Home-Based Business (HBB) program provides opportunities for military spouses living on base by allowing and incentivizing them to create and run commercial businesses out of their housing. This amendment would require the DoD to make recommendations to improve the program and provide better guidelines for installations to improve the success of the program.

Presently, the United States imports more than 95% of its Rare Earth Elements (REE). This is dangerous for our competitiveness, our jobs and our industry, and it makes our fragile supply chains reliant on China, which dominates the REE market. That’s why one of Rep. Obernolte’s amendments would direct the DoD to create a list of high-potential REE sites here in the United States and assess how these sites can help secure our domestic supply chain and reduce reliance on China.

Our remote and isolated military installations have unique missions with unique challenges. Rep. Obernolte secured an amendment that would require the DoD to report to Congress on the challenges the military and civilians are facing within the healthcare system in the region surrounding NAWS China Lake and Edwards AFB, including funding, authorization, and ease of access to providers for emergency care personnel and certain specialties such as labor and delivery, oncology, and nephrology. Additionally, the Department of Defense would recommend legislative proposals to improve the healthcare system and would be required to develop a plan to address solutions to these issues.

Rep. Obernolte also introduced and secured passage of an amendment toaddress the need for increasing U.S. production capability for solid rocket motors (SRMs) and modernizing the technology behind them. Many defense companies are looking to pivot from research and development to production of their prototypes, and the Department of Defense should work with these companies to develop modular and scalable SRM capabilities.

In addition to including the amendments authored by Congressman Obernolte, the FY25 NDAA is focused on rapidly deploying innovative and new technologies that our servicemembers need to prevail on future battlefields. The bill enhances the DoD's ability to rapidly test, evaluate, and deploy emerging technologies by streamlining processes, fostering private sector collaboration, and implementing new programs. It also strengthens research security and innovation workforce capabilities, while improving partnerships between the DoD, educational institutions, and small businesses.

To further support members of the military and their families, the bill provides a 19.5% pay increase for junior enlisted servicemembers and contains a raise of 4.5% for all other service members.Pay for these servicemembers has failed to remain competitive with the private sector as inflation has continued to increase the prices of goods and services. Many military families have had to rely on foodbanks, SNAP and WIC to put food on the table, which is unacceptable. This pay raise will improve the quality of life and morale of our servicemembers and their families.

The FY25 NDAA builds upon gains made in the FY24 NDAA to restore the focus of our military on defending our country. 

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