A new House Armed Services subcommittee on military quality of life will focus on issues like boosting pay for junior enlisted service members, military housing conditions, health coverage gaps, day care waiting lists and military spouse employment challenges, its chair, Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) told Military.com.

“I talk to a junior enlisted guy, and he says he’s on [the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program], that pisses me off,” Bacon said. “That should piss everybody off, make us all angry. A guy’s serving our country and he has to have his family on SNAP. That’s unacceptable.”

Bacon said his subcommittee will hold hearings and installation visits.

“I know there’s folks on both sides of the aisle really desiring to be part of this because this has a chance to impact our military for decades to come,” he said. “I think people are also yearning for a bipartisan focus. This is not a Republican or Democrat focus. It’s going to be a patriotic national focus of serving the folks who defend our country.”

Bacon told Military Times that he hopes the subcommittee can make recommendations for the fiscal year 2025 defense authorization bill.

Air National Guard photo by Lt. Col. Kevin Hynes