Today, the Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), annual legislation that sets defense policy and priorities, authorizes defense spending
The defense policy package includes numerous priorities Senator Reverend Warnock pushed for, including stronger transparency for military housing conditions and improved access to healthy, affordable food on military bases
The legislation authorizes $130 million for Georgia military construction projects
The priorities Senator Warnock secured in the NDAA ensure Georgia and its military bases remain at the cutting edge of our national defense and play a critical role in America’s military strategic planning in the years to come
Senator Warnock: “Our servicemembers are the best among us, and it is paramount that our admiration for their service is reflected in our budgets and laws. These are polarizing times, but we should always be able to work together in a bipartisan way to support our troops who defend our freedoms”
Washington D.C. — Today, the U.S. Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) 70-20, with numerous priorities secured by U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) to support Georgia’s servicemembers, military families, and bases. The bipartisan defense bill will improve military housing, raise servicemember pay, authorize $130 million for Georgia military construction projects, and more. The priorities Senator Warnock secured in the legislation will strengthen quality of life for servicemembers and military families and ensure Georgia and its military bases remain at the cutting edge of our national defense and plays a critical role in America’s military strategic planning in the years to come. The bill will be reconciled with the U.S. House of Representatives before going to the President’s desk to be signed into law.
“Our servicemembers are the best among us, and it is paramount that our admiration for their service is reflected in our budgets and laws. These are polarizing times, but we should always be able to work together in a bipartisan way to support our troops who defend our freedoms,” said Senator Warnock. “Georgia servicemembers, their families, and our base communities are the winners of this legislation with new investments in base housing, food quality, servicemember pay, and infrastructure projects across the state. When we invest in our servicemembers and their families, we boost their morale and quality of life and bolster our national security.”
In addition to authorizing critical funding for important military construction projects across Georgia, Senator Warnock secured three key bipartisan provisions in the Senate-passed version of the defense bill.
The Senator’s bipartisan Commissary Healthy Options and servicemember Wellness (CHOW) Act was included in the mega-bill and is an important step forward in strengthening access to affordable, nutritious food on military bases. The Senator’s legislation will implement a common-sense pilot program at two installations to provide servicemembers with a monthly commissary credit. This pilot will strengthen access to affordable, healthy food and could expand nationwide should the benefit prove successful. It follows Senator Warnock’s bipartisan oversight effort in March 2025 demanding answers from the Department of Defense (DOD) about poor-quality meals and food shortages at military bases in Georgia and across the country. For too long, the burden has been on junior enlisted servicemembers to make do with low allowances and limited dining options. This measure takes steps to promote military readiness and improve quality of life for those who put their lives on the line to defend our freedoms.
Senator Warnock is also continuing his efforts to increase transparency and accountability of privatized military housing conditions on bases across the country. The Senator secured his bipartisan Military Housing Performance Insight (MHPI) Act in the Senate-passed NDAA. This provision will help improve military housing conditions for servicemembers by requiring DOD to publicly release existing reports on privatized family housing on military installations. This expanded transparency will empower military families, advocates, and communities to hold DOD and housing companies accountable and ensure safer homes for servicemembers and their families. Despite numerous initiatives and improvements over the past five years due to focused Congressional and DOD oversight, continued vigilance is necessary to sustain these housing condition improvements. The frequent movement of local military installation leaders, mandated by the Permanent Change of Station (PCS) process, often disrupts institutional knowledge and can reduce command attention to housing problems.
Additionally, Senator Warnock successfully passed an amendment that would enshrine into law Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommendations regarding how DOD determines housing availability in locations near bases for the purposes of making housing decisions, such as investing in new on-post housing or determining BAH rates.
See below for a detailed summary of the Georgia priorities Senator Warnock secured:
Servicemember pay raise: Provides a 3.8% pay raise to servicemembers, building on last year’s 4.5% raise.
Fort Benning Elementary School: Authorizes $22 million to construct Dexter Elementary school at Fort Benning in Columbus for 400 students. Senator Warnock secured a $500,000 authorization for the initial design in the FY24 NDAA and an additional $14 million for design in the FY25 NDAA.
Moody AFB 23rd Security Forces Squadron Operations Facility: Authorizes $35 million for a new base Security Forces headquarters.
Moody AFB Military Working Dog Kennel Facility: Authorizes $14.5 million to provide safe and modern military working dog kennel facilities.
A-10 Minimum Inventory Requirement: Includes an A-10 minimum inventory requirement, protecting the Moody AFB A-10 mission until it can transition to the F-35 in the late 2020’s.
F-35 Support: Provide thirty-four (34) F-35 aircraft, which is crucial to Moody AFB receiving the F-35 in the late 2020s.
Robins AFB Air Traffic Control Tower: Authorizes $7.02 million to build a 10-story Air Traffic Control Tower to replace the cramped 52-year-old air traffic control tower at Robins AFB, which is currently posing a safety risk to both aircraft and tower personnel and hindering training capabilities.
Fort Gillem Evidence Storage Facility: Authorizes $45 million to build an evidence storage building supporting DOD law enforcement agencies.
Fueling Georgia-based Innovation: Authorizes $5 million for the Army Pathfinder Program, which is a collaborative initiative involving the U.S. Army and academic institutions like Georgia Tech, as well as civilian partners to solve real-world soldier challenges through technology development and field-testing.
Savannah Combat Readiness Training Center Barracks: Authorizes $3.5 million to design a new 172-person barracks facility at the Savannah Combat Readiness Training Center (CRTC).
Savannah CRTC C-130 Corrosion Control Facility: Authorizes $1.13 million to design a new facility for the Georgia Air National Guard at the Savannah CRTC to reapply paint to the new C-130J transport aircraft, which the base secured thanks to Senator Warnock.
Savannah Waste Disposal: Authorizes $1.06 billion for the Department of Energy to continue operations to remove Cold War-era liquid radioactive waste at the Savannah River Site located near Savannah. An additional $52.5 million is being authorized for the Department of Energy to continue constructing Saltstone Disposal Units to support the overall removal of liquid nuclear waste at the Savannah River Site.
Camp Merrill Barracks: Authorizes $3.8 million for new barracks for Ranger School instruction at Camp Merrill near Dahlonega, Georgia. Senator Warnock previously secured $1.3 million for planning and design in the FY24 appropriations bill.
HBCU Research and Collaboration Development: Establishes three Research and Development solicitations, which include HBCUs, Tribal Colleges, and all other Minority Serving Institutions, to increase access to R&D funding for Tribal Colleges and HBCUs.
###