Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Representatives Don Bacon (R-NE) and Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee’s Quality of Life Panel, led an engagement today with Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Ashish Vazirani, and Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Radha Plumb.
 
“The men and women who serve our country, as well as their families, make immense sacrifices every day. It is vital we continue to work together to improve their quality of life,” Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) said. “Today, we had a productive discussion with Department of Defense officials on quality of life issues faced by our servicemembers. Spousal employment, child care, housing, compensation, and access to health care are all top priorities for this panel and I look forward to making headway on these issues for our servicemembers and their families.”
 
“I want to thank Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen H. Hicks, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense of Acquisition and Sustainment Dr. Radha Iyengar Plumb, and Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Ashish S. Vazirani for today’s review of DoD’s current efforts to address serious recruitment and retention challenges, including a breakdown of the salaries and benefits for service members and their dependents,” Rep. Chrissy Houlahan said. “As I have said previously, ensuring a strong national defense means we must continue to prioritize and improve the lives and livelihoods of our service members and their families. Today’s discussion was a good first start for the panel and its work to address these critically important issues.” 
 
Today’s engagement marked the first official event for the Quality of Life Panel, which will focus on issues that impact U.S. service members and their families, including compensation, child care, housing, support programs for spouses of service members, and health care. The panel will provide a written report to the Military Personnel Subcommittee, which will include recommended proposals for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
 
Photos courtesy of the House Armed Services Committee can be found HERE.