Publish Date : 21-Sep-2018
U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and its Subcommittee on Defense, announced final passage of the Fiscal Year 2019 (FY2019) Defense Appropriations Act. The bill was included in the conference report to accompany H.R. 6157, the minibus appropriations package which also contains the FY2019 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies funding bill. The package provides $674.4 billion for our Department of Defense, which is an increase of $19.8 billion above the FY2018 enacted level. Following passage in the House, which is expected to vote on the legislation next week, the package will be sent to the Presidents desk for his signature.
This is the most significant step we have taken yet, said Senator Shelby. For the first time in a decade, we are sending a Defense spending bill to the Presidents desk on time. Returning to regular order has required us all to sacrifice and work together for the good of the process. I want to thank my colleagues particularly Leaders McConnell and Schumer and Vice Chairman Leahy for their help in moving the Defense-Labor-HHS conference report before the Senate. This conference report contains critical funding for defense and domestic priorities. It accelerates the rebuilding of Americas military and provides our men and women in uniform with the largest pay increase in nearly a decade. It also increases NIHs budget by $2 billion and provides critical resources to combat the opioid epidemic.
The appropriations minibus conference report was approved in the Senate by a vote of 93 7. The Department of Defense portion of the package contains critical funding for defense priorities throughout the state of Alabama.
We must approve defense appropriations legislation to fund military readiness, procurement, and testing all of which are required to keep U.S. military forces the best trained, equipped, prepared, and strongest force in the world, continued Senator Shelby. This historic legislation further highlights Alabamas strong national defense capabilities and provides our state with the opportunity to continue producing essential tools to support our men and women in uniform. I am confident that this legislation will allow our defense programs to remain of the highest caliber.
The Defense and Labor-HHS-Education bills represent the majority of discretionary federal spending, yet neither has been signed into law before the end of the fiscal year in a decade. The measure provides an outline to ensure our military leaders have the necessary resources to meet current and future threats to U.S. national security.
The legislation includes the following provisions impacting Alabama:
The legislation includes the following provisions impacting the production and use of missiles and helicopters in the Wiregrass region:
An additional $95 million for Future Vertical Lift research, which will help accelerate development of helicopters flown at Fort Rucker.
$10 million to upgrade Navy MH-60 Seahawk helicopters.
$1.0 billion for Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missiles.
$111 million for Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles (LRASMs). The measure also encourages the Navy to evaluate the capabilities and costs of a surface-launched LRASM.
$307 million for Joint Air-to-Ground Missiles (JAGMs).
$663 million for Joint Air-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSMs), which recently made its debut in strikes on Syria in response to their use of chemical weapons.
$484 million for Hellfire missiles, which are made in Troy and used for training at Fort Rucker.
$254 million for Javelin missiles for the Army and Marine Corps.
The legislation includes the following provisions impacting North Alabama:
Army Research $11.1 billion for investments in transformational technologies to address modern and future Army warfighting needs.
Missile Defense $10.4 billion for the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), including $1.1 billion to support urgent MDA unfunded priorities and emergent threats. The measure included $191 million for Standard Missile Improvements, which are built in Decatur, and supports work done by MDA at Redstone Arsenal and many local companies.
Directed Energy $184 million in additional funding to further develop directed energy technology and transition these activities to both offensive and defensive capabilities.
Hypersonics $664 million in additional funding to support and accelerate offensive and defensive hypersonics research and prototyping efforts.
Cyber $306 million in additional funding to expand and accelerate cyber research across the Department of Defense, including $127 million for Army cybersecurity research efforts and $116 million in Missile Defense Agency cybersecurity enhancements. The bill encourages the enhanced use of cyber red teams to address cyber intrusions that threaten our weapons systems, an area of particular excellence for Huntsville.
Space $200 million in additional funding for Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) development efforts to ensure assured access to space. United Launch Alliance (ULA), which builds rockets in Decatur, continues to be seen as the most reliable and capable space launch provider.
Advanced Shipbuilding Capabilities $15 million to establish North Alabama as a center for classified, high power large-scale electron beam welding. This technology is critical to new Navy Columbia-class submarines and many high-performance aerospace systems such as hypersonic reentry vehicles, scramjet missiles, and rocket and jet engine turbomachinery.
Small Glide Munitions An additional $15 million to integrate Small Glide Munitions onto on Unmanned Aerial Systems. This highly successful weapon is used by Special Operations Command and built in Huntsville.
The legislation includes the following provisions impacting Anniston:
$276 million for Hydra rockets, which are built in Anniston and fired from Army and Marin
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