SW New Mexico News

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On June 22, 2023, Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) voted to advance the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024 out of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) to the House Floor for consideration. 

“Supporting our national defense and bringing good-paying jobs to New Mexico are critical parts of the role I play on the Armed Services Committee,” said Vasquez. “In my first year representing this district, I’ve focused on strengthening our national defense, ensuring taxpayer dollars are being used wisely, and fighting for New Mexico’s interests not just in my district, but across the state.”

As a Member of HASC, Vasquez is the Vice Ranking Member of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee and also serves on the Readiness subcommittees. Vasquez helped draft the bipartisan FY24 NDAA. The final bill includes dozens of provisions Vasquez authored, such as quality-of-life improvements for service members, clean water and energy resiliency projects on military installations and support for local jobs for New Mexicans.

“Our national security interests are uniquely represented in New Mexico, from the groundbreaking research and development that takes place at Sandia and Los Alamos National Labs, to the testing grounds of White Sands Missile Range, to the 49th Wing at Holloman Air Force Base. I’m proud to support New Mexico’s interests and economy in the NDAA,” Vasquez remarked.

The committee held a comprehensive debate, and in the end, Vasquez was able to deliver investments in innovation, security, research, and quality-of-life improvements for servicemen and women that will support New Mexico. Vasquez secured more than  25 provisions in the bipartisan FY24 NDAA. 

Here are a few notable wins:

Expanding Military Base Child Care: Vasquez secured a bipartisan provision with Rep. Stefanik (R-NY), which expands the “In Your Home Child Care Fee Assistance Pilot Program” at Holloman Air Force Base in Alamogordo, NM. Improving child care for service members is a top priority for Rep. Vasquez.

Addressing PFAS Contamination: Vasquez was able to secure provisions that mandate standardized water quality reports from installations and a report from the Department of Defense (DOD) on the scale of PFAS contamination in drinking water at and around installations.

Improving Housing for Service Members: Vasquez prioritized modernizing facilities at places like White Sands Missile Range and authored a provision to cut down on issuing waivers for insufficient housing, instead focusing on building new housing for service members. 

Helping Service Members’ Families: Vasquez expanded service members’ access to Basic Needs Allowance (BNA) and required an assessment of the BNA and Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS) to address disparities between junior and senior service members. The bill also includes a 5.2 percent pay raise for service members. 

Supporting New Mexico Universities: Vasquez secured a provision to work with the DOD to increase opportunities for the Air Force to partner with academic institutions, like the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, for cyberspace training and operations. 

Read the summary of the bill here. 

Original source can be found here.