U.S. Rep. Vince Fong (R-CA) helped successfully secure federal funding in a proposed appropriations bill for the California-based U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory’s Rocket Propulsion Division, known as the AFRL Rocket Lab, the military’s premier center for advanced rocket engine and spacecraft propulsion research.
“I secured critical funds for the AFRL Rocket Lab that will strengthen defense operations and security” at the primary propulsion test facilities located at Edwards Air Force Base, Rep. Fong said last week. “This legislation delivers wins for our military installations, the service members who call them home, and our veteran community.”
The proposed funds are included in the bipartisan Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2027, H.R. 8469, which the U.S. House of Representatives advanced to the U.S. Senate on May 15.
The bill includes critical investments in military infrastructure that support readiness, veterans’ health, support services, and commitments to the well-being of military families.
“I am proud to provide essential support and resources for our warfighters, military families, and veterans,” said Rep. Fong. “This legislation ensures our military is ready to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow, while making important investments in the quality of life of our military families and those who have served.”
H.R. 8469 would provide direct support to military installations in Rep. Fong’s district, including $4.5 million to construct a vehicle search area at the AFRL Rocket Lab to strengthen installation security, improve access control, and support the base’s research and development mission.
The bill also includes oversight and infrastructure improvements at the Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS) China Lake, where the U.S. Navy would continue upgrading aging infrastructure and provide Congress with semi-annual briefings on ongoing challenges and progress. The effort is aimed at ensuring the installation has the resources necessary to support mission readiness and its tenant commands, according to a bill summary provided by Rep. Fong’s office.
Additionally, H.R. 8469 addresses housing needs at Edwards Air Force Base and would require the U.S. Air Force to brief Congress on current and projected housing shortages tied to mission growth.
The measure also would advance construction of the Bakersfield, Calif., Community-Based Outpatient Clinic by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which would also be required to examine the repeated delays surrounding the project and to identify legislative fixes to prevent similar failures in the future, the summary says.
China Lake Alliance Executive Director Stephen Farmer; Shawn Phillips, retired chief of the Rocket Propulsion Division; and Justin Salters, California Project Lead for the Griffiss Institute, thanked Rep. Fong for his efforts.