House approves Defense spending bill that would protect Letterkenny
Workers from Letterkenny Building 350 listens to speakers during a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday, March 16, 2016. The facility addition will provide space for consolidation of metal cleaning and treatment operations currently performed throughout Building 15, according to LEAD. (Markell DeLoatch, Public Opinion Online)
(Washington) – A bill authorizing military spending has passed the House with a provision that keeps the Pentagon from undertaking another round of base closings.
The House of Representatives on Thursday passed the $717 billion National Defense Authorization Act by a bi-partisan vote of 351 – 66. Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Everett, voted with the majority. Shuster is a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee.
“Unfortunately, there continues to be some support by member of the House and Senate for a new round of (Base Realignment and Closure Commission) despite continued questions over actual cost savings and the amount of excess military infrastructure,” Shuster said. The provision in the bill would protect Letterkenny and other military installations.
The bill authorizes a 2.6-percent pay raise for troops, the largest raise in nine years. It would provide nearly 16,000 additional active-duty troops.
H.R. 5515, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019, makes key investments to address worldwide threats from Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran, Shuster said.
Spending would include more than $25 billion for equipment maintenance, three more Navy ships than requested by the Navy, 77 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters and the upgrade of thousands of vehicles, according to The Hill.
The Senate has yet to approve its version of the bill.
This story comes to us through a partnership between WITF and The Chambersburg Public Opinion.
Sometimes, your mornings are just too busy to catch the news beyond a headline or two. Don’t worry. The Morning Agenda has got your back. Each weekday morning, host Tim Lambert will keep you informed, amused, enlightened and up-to-date on what’s happening in central Pennsylvania and the rest of this great commonwealth.
