Mike Garcia

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Rogers for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, this will be my last floor speech as a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, and I am beyond proud that the last few minutes of my time on this floor is dedicated to our troops.

I rise today in support of the NDAA, but I rise, above all things, in support of our servicemembers and their families.

During my 4\1/2\ years as a Member of Congress, my office has championed this effort to get our troops off of food stamps and above the poverty line.

At times, it felt very difficult, but we have ultimately followed through with this commitment and this promise to our folks in uniform, especially our junior enlisted personnel who, just a couple of years ago, were making only $22,000 a year as a base salary.

My historic Military Spouse Licensing Relief Act was signed into law in February 2023 and allows our Active-Duty troops' spouses to cross- deck their professional licenses across all 50 States when they move, without having to spend thousands of dollars and potentially years getting recertified.

It was a huge victory for our servicemembers and their families, but it didn't solve the pay problems that our personnel were having.

This week, we will pass this year's NDAA, which includes our historic 14.5 percent pay raise for our junior enlisted, and this, in combination with the Defense appropriations bills over the last 2 years, represents the single largest pay raise for our enlisted troops in our Nation's history.

I thank Chairman Rogers and Chairman Calvert from the Appropriations Committee for truly driving this and enabling this.

Lastly, I thank God for this imperfect Union that we call America. She is only held together by the stitches sewn by the men and women and their families who serve in our military every day and in the future, and held together by the veterans who served in the past. May we never forget their sacrifices, for they are the ones who have delivered us this great gift called the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members of Congress to support our military and this NDAA.

With that, Mr. Speaker, go Navy, beat Army.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a member of our community who has proudly served the people of Santa Clarita for more than 12 years, State Senator Scott Wilk. As Senator for the 21st Senate District, Scott Wilk has dedicated his life to the betterment of his residents and to solving California's problems.

His leadership in the Problem-Solvers Caucus as well as his membership in the Little Hoover Commission and the State Allocation Board has provided invaluable contributions to California residents and small businesses who needed a helping hand. Within Sacramento, Senator Wilk has worked tirelessly to enact change and deepen the bonds between his constituents.

As a member of the Valley Industry Association, Senator Wilk has helped the Santa Clarita Valley business industry thrive and acted as an indispensable mentor to young entrepreneurs. His voice and actions have been paramount to the continuous growth of the Valley as the network he has built supports both businesses and individuals in need.

A champion of change and a loving family man, I want to sincerely thank State Senator Scott Wilk for his years of service. The 21st Senate District and the state of California are better because of his voice and actions, and I look forward to seeing how he continues making a positive impact to those around him.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Lucas and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology staff for their leadership on this very important bill.

Mr. Speaker, you can't tell the story of my district without also telling the story of NASA, whether it is Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier in the X-1 about 77 years ago, Pete Knight setting the record as the fastest man ever in the X-15 in 1967, the development and first flights of the space shuttle in the seventies and eighties, or now the upcoming first flight of the X-59, which is a commercial supersonic aircraft that will bring supersonic flight back to the United States for the commercial industry.

NASA's DNA is simply ingrained in the Antelope Valley, or as we affectionately call it in my district, the aerospace valley. That is why I am so proud to rise in support of the NASA Reauthorization Act of 2024.

This bill advances the Artemis program, returning Americans to the Moon for the first time in nearly 50 years. It supports our still- emerging commercial space economy, which is essential for Artemis, national security, and our scientific interests. It also includes my bill, the ACERO Act, to support work already underway at NASA to integrate unmanned aerial vehicles and ground systems into wildfire response, which will help stop fires before they spread.

We need to ensure that our firefighters are equipped like combat warfighters on the battlefield with cutting-edge technology to keep them safe, help them accomplish the mission as quickly as possible, and put the fires out as quickly as possible.

These UAVs will act as a force multiplier for firefighters to help protect communities like those in my district and usher in the next generation of firefighting technology so that our firefighters make sure that they come home safely at night.

This bill is about the next chapter for NASA, a chapter that starts in the aerospace valley and reaches all the way out to the edges of our solar system.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to support this bill, and I encourage my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to do the same.