Rep. Gabe Vasquez Holds Secretary Hegseth Accountable, Pressing Him to Lower Costs and Improve Quality of Life for New Mexico Military Families

May 15, 2026 Press Release WASHINGTON, D.C. – On May 15, 2026, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, following an April 29 hearing during which Vasquez demanded Hegseth direct the Pentagon to use taxpayer funds to improve quality of life and lower prices for New Mexico service members and military families at places like White Sands Missile Range and Holloman Air Force base — not on a senseless war in Iran. Read the full letter HERE . “I write to follow up on the commitments you made during the House Armed Services Committee hearing on April 29, 2026 related to the Department's quality of life spending in my district,” wrote Vasquez. “Throughout the hearing — during which you testified on the $1.5 trillion FY27 budget request for the Department of Defense — you assured me that the Department was fully committed to improving quality of life for service members and their families and would provide a list of every dollar being spent to improve military quality of life in New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District since the start of this Administration.” “In addition to the unprecedented $1.5 trillion FY27 budget request, the Department received a historic $1 trillion in FY26, including $9 billion under H.R. 1 to improve troops’ quality of life,” continued Vasquez “However, I have yet to see a single dollar of those investments directed to installations in my district. To ensure that servicemembers in New Mexico are receiving proper attention from the Department of Defense, I am requesting a list with details of the Department’s funding that has been allocated towards military quality of life improvements in my district since January 20, 2025.” The letter requested specific information from the Department of Defense, including: Past, current, or future construction proposals for on-base family housing, unaccompanied barracks, child development centers, medical treatment facilities, dining facilities, post exchanges, physical fitness facilities, commissaries, Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) facilities or any other relevant infrastructure that support military quality of life. Past, current, or future maintenance, remediation, or repair plans for on-base family housing, unaccompanied barracks, child development centers, medical treatment facilities, dining facilities, post exchanges, physical fitness facilities, commissaries, MWR facilities or any other relevant infrastructure that support military quality of life. Past, current, or future civilian hiring or spending on services that support the management of on-base family housing, unaccompanied barracks, child development centers, medical treatment facilities, dining facilities, post exchanges, physical fitness facilities, commissaries, MWR facilities or any other relevant infrastructure that support military quality of life. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Vasquez has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to supporting military servicemembers and their families in New Mexico. Rep. Vasquez helped pass the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), delivering vital investments in New Mexico’s military installations, service members, and national laboratories. He also passed his TRICARE Travel Improvement Act , which expands access to medical travel reimbursement for military families by lowering the mileage threshold under TRICARE Prime to 75 miles, helping families stationed at White Sands Missile Range and Holloman Air Force Base who routinely drive up to 95 miles each way for care. He advocated for the Pay Our Troops Act of 2026 to ensure military personnel receive pay even if the government shuts down. Supported H.R. 5208 , a bill that would exclude Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) income from being counted toward determining a servicemember’s eligibility for the Basic Needs Allowance (BNA). This legislation would give more servicemembers funding for their everyday basic needs including food, housing, and healthcare. ### Issues : Armed Services & National Security