Turner, McSally highlight new law’s federal funding for home-state military projects

A military construction and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) spending package signed into law on Sept. 21 by the president includes federal funding for projects supported by U.S. Reps. Mike Turner (R-OH) and Martha McSally (R-AZ).

The minibus appropriations bill, the Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year (FY) 2019, H.R. 5895, includes three of the 12 regular FY19 appropriations bills: the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019; the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2019; and the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019, according to the congressional record summary.

H.R. 5895 also provides additional Overseas Contingency Operations/ Global War on Terrorism funding, which is exempt from discretionary spending limits, the summary says.

Rep. Turner said language was included in the minibus bill to make initial construction funds “immediately available” for the $182 million building expansion project at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. The first installment of $61 million will be available on Oct. 1, the congressman said.

“I fought to authorize $182 million for a new building for the National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC), surpassing the president’s budget request,” said Rep. Turner, noting that the construction work at Wright-Patt and NASIC is critical and will “keep our country safe and ensure we stay ahead of our adversaries in intelligence.”

In Arizona, the minibus spending package also will make federal funds available for several projects Rep. McSally supported as a cosponsor of the VA Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks (MISSION) Act of 2018, S. 2372, which became law on June 6.

“This legislation provides the funding we need to keep the promises we’ve made to our veterans and provides more than $86.5 billion – the largest annual dollar amount ever – for the Department of Veterans Affairs,” said the congresswoman on Sept. 21. “The vast majority of this funding will go toward improving medical care for our veterans, but it also will support things like speeding up claims processing for the 450,000 veterans who have been waiting for years to receive the benefits they’ve earned.”

Additionally, Rep. McSally said the funds will support 174 construction projects in the United States and abroad to “strengthen our national security, enable our military to complete their missions successfully, and support our military families with quality schools, housing and other services.”

“With the help of President Trump and his administration, this Congress is doing its job to honor our veterans, support our troops and protect the homeland,” she said.

In McSally’s home state, for instance, the bill provides $15 million to replace an Aerospace Ground Equipment facility at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, a project Rep. McSally said guarantees “that millions of dollars worth of equipment — as well as the soldiers and maintainers that work on that equipment — are protected from harsh weather conditions.”

And at Luke Air Force Base, the bill will provide $40 million for two construction projects designed to protect F-35 combat aircraft maintenance and operations.