Congresswoman Kay Granger (TX-12), the Chairwoman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives voted 359-49 yesterday in support of her bill, Department of Defense Appropriations Act (H.R. 6157):
“The defense spending bill provides funding for more troops, more equipment, and more training. It also means more jobs and more opportunities for Texans.
“My Congressional district is home to Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth. This bill supports the base and those who work there. My bill also provides $145.7 billion for equipment procurement, including: $9.4B for 93 new F-35 aircraft, and $1.1M for 13 V-22 aircraft. In total, it appropriates $674.6 billion for the Department of Defense and provides for a 2.6 percent pay raise for our troops – the largest pay raise in nine years.
“My bill provides significance resources for the National Guard who are so important to both our national and Homeland security. Texas has faced terrible natural disasters this year and the National Guard was always there to help. My bill provides $1.8B for 18 C-130J aircraft for the National Guard, which is the plane flown by the 136th airlift wing at NAS Fort Worth JRB. Additionally, there is significant money in this legislation for the National Guard Counterdrug program.
“As Chairwoman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, I’m proud to have authored this important legislation, which will build on the historic increase in defense funding I helped secure earlier this year. There are so many defense interests in the Twelfth Congressional District of Texas including NAS Fort Worth JRB and companies whose employees build the outstanding equipment needed to keep this country safe.”