The House Armed Services Committee held its marathon hearing Wednesday to work through hundreds of amendments to the annual defense policy bill.

This year’s bill is officially titled “The Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act.” Committee Chair Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) said that shows the committee’s commitment to incorporating quality of life improvements recommended by the special quality of life panel that was led by Reps. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) and Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.).

“No servicemember should have to live in squalid conditions. No military family should have to rely on food stamps to feed their children. And no one serving this country should have to wait weeks to see a doctor or a mental health specialist,” Rogers said in opening remarks. “This bill will go a long way toward fixing that.”

DOD photo by Air Force TSgt. Jack Sanders