WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) issued the following statement on the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) headed to the president’s desk to be signed into law. The package includes key priorities Cassidy secured, including $105 million for Louisiana military installations.
“Strategic investments in Louisiana’s bases and troops are critical to our national defense. It also supports jobs in our communities,” said Dr. Cassidy. “This package demonstrates to the world that the United States stands ready to defend our freedom against any adversary.”
Cassidy and the delegation took steps to protect our national security by ensuring the Air Force cannot make changes to Air Force Global Strike Command at Barksdale Air Force Base, without Congressional approval. Additionally, the Air Force is prohibited from spending any funds to modify the current structure of the command until that plan is submitted. The package also requires the Government Accountability Office to study ways to improve special education services, including dyslexia, in schools run by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD). As ranking member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Cassidy has advocated for improving special education for military children.
Provisions Cassidy secured for Louisiana in the NDAA include:
| FY25 National Defense Authorization Act Amount | Recipient | Project Description |
| $50,000,000.00 | Fort Johnson | For the construction of a Rotational Unit Billeting Area. |
| $33,000,000.00 | Louisiana National Guard | For improvements to and operation of the Lafayette National Guard Readiness Center. |
| $22,000,000.00 | Barksdale Air Force Base | For improvements to the ADAL Child Development Center. |
Cassidy also secured $6 million for the new National Disaster Military System Pilot program that will incorporate LSU Health Shreveport into the pilot program to expand emergency medical care during a disaster. That funding was secured in a separate funding bill known as the FY25 Senate Defense Appropriations package.
In addition to the Louisiana funding secured above, the FY25 NDAA:
- Secures a 14.5% pay raise for junior enlisted servicemembers (E1-E4) and a 4.5% pay raise for all other military members;
- Combats “wokeness” within the DOD;
- Expands tough-on-China policies;
- Rebuilds the “Arsenal of Democracy” and reforms antiquated DOD procurement process;
- Embraces innovation for counter-drone tech, AI, and quantum computing;
- Pushes for generational nuclear, hypersonic, missile defense, and space upgrades;
- Improves oversight of key Pentagon programs;
- Provides support for Israel and bolsters U.S. counter measures against Iran;
- Reverses shrinking Air Force and expands Navy shipbuilding; and
- Stops Democrat attempts to revise military annual medical screening forms to include pro-abortion information.
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