Strickland Secures Quality of Life Improvements for Servicemember and their Families

Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland (WA10), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, released the following statement after the House Armed Services Committee passed H.R. 8800, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027 (NDAA).

"Improving the lives of our servicemembers, their families, and the thousands of others serving JBLM continues to be my top priority in the annual defense policy bill," said Strickland. "This bill is set to build on the quality of life for servicemembers and their families, housing, access to healthcare, childcare support, nutrition, and continued support for JBLM, and so much more. The legislation is a bipartisan commitment to showing up for those who serve our country."

Under Strickland's leadership and advocacy, the bill includes key provisions to boost the quality of life for servicemembers and their families:

Confederate Base Names

• Renames bases to follow the recommendations from the Congressionally established Confederate Naming Commission for military bases that honored Confederate leaders.

Housing

• Removing the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) from the calculation of gross household income to determine a servicemember's eligibility for a basic needs allowance.
• Create an assessment to evaluate whether faster, more cost-effective replacement authorities are improving living conditions and accelerating modernization.
• Give permanent authority for Temporary BAH Increases- making it easier for the Department of Defense (DoD) to provide temporary BAH increases in places with housing market spikes or major disruptions.

Childcare + Healthcare

• Providing no-cost dental coverage under TRICARE for some junior enlisted members of the Selected Reserve.
• Military healthcare provisions that will improve the Defense Health Agency's accountability, military treatment facility administration, TRICARE beneficiary protections, maternal health, autism care, suicide prevention, and more.
• An assessment to look into the DoD's pilot program to expand childcare capacity through partnerships with commercial providers and identify opportunities for expansion.
• $50 million for Impact Aid and $20 million for students with disabilities, and supporting military-connected children with severe disabilities - including additional targeted support for local educational agencies.

Health + Nutrition

• Requiring the DoD to provide information regarding food access and childcare to servicemembers receiving permanent change of station orders.
• An amendment pushing DoD to publicly display inspection ratings and improve accountability for food service quality.
• Create a process for DoD claims related to service-connected asbestos exposure and remove time limitations associated with long-latency diseases.

Joint Base Lewis McChord

• $89 million for an Airfield Fire and Rescue Station at JBLM.
• $35 million for a SOF Tactical Equipment Maintenance Facility at JBLM.

Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland (WA-10) serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. She is Whip of the New Democrat Coalition, Secretary of the Congressional Black Caucus, and is one of the first Korean-American women elected to Congress.

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