Hatch lauds passage of National Defense Authorization Act

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) recently lauded passage of the National Defense Authorization Act and a number of provisions that will impact Utah.

The NDAA, which authorizes budget expenditures for the Department of Defense, contained two significant provisions pertaining to Utah.

The first provision facilitates a transfer of the U.S. Air National Guard facility at Francis Peak from the federal government to the state. Utah officials plan to use the facility to support emergency response and public safety communications, including 9-1-1.

Also included in the NDAA is a provision that authorizes funding to build a facility at Hill Air Force Base that will be used to house and maintain a fleet of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets.

“Providing for the defense and security of our nation is one of the most important responsibilities members of Congress have, and I was proud to vote (recently) to ensure our DoD and Utah have the tools they need to fulfill their responsibilities to our nation,” Hatch said. “I’m especially grateful to House and Senate Leadership on the Armed Services Committees for including these two provisions important to Utah.”

Transferring the Francis Peak facility to the state will ensure that emergency services in northern Utah are appropriately addressed, Hatch added.

“…The new construction at Hill will guarantee that the hardworking men and women at Hill have the state of the art equipment they need to service the state-of-the-art next generation aircraft, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter,” Hatch said.