WASHINGTON – Today the House of Representatives passed the Defense Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2024. This bill provides critical funding for the Department of Defense.
“As the Chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee, I secured funding that is crucial to our national defense and defense jobs in and around Fort Worth,” said Chairwoman Kay Granger. “With North Texas being home to Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth and mission-critical defense companies, our region plays a crucial role in our national defense. The men and women who serve at Fort Worth’s military base defend the freedoms Americans enjoy every day. We must ensure they have the most effective, cutting-edge aircraft, including the F-35, V-22, and V-280 – all of which are made right here in Fort Worth.
“I am proud that Texas-12 is home to some of the best manufacturing jobs in the world. Our local economy keeps our military strong and prepared to meet and defeat the threats we face. I am honored to represent our defense industry and our world-class workforce in Congress, and I will continue to fight to bring more opportunities to our region.”
“I urge the Senate to pass this strong bill and send it to the President to be signed into law.”
BACKGROUND
The FY24 Defense appropriations bill supports Texas’ 12th Congressional District jobs.
The bill includes 86 new F-35 aircraft to be built in the Lockheed facility in Fort Worth, which is three more than the Department of Defense requested. The bill also supports key modernization and sustainment efforts that are critical to the success of the program. The F-35 program supports over 17 suppliers that represent 49,000 direct and indirect jobs. The program represents an annual economic impact of $9.4 billion.
The bill provides $675 million for five additional CMV-22s, built by Fort Worth’s Bell Helicopter. These aircraft are critical for the operations of the United States Navy.
Also included is $1.49 billion for the development of the Bell V-280 for the United States Army's Future Long Range Assault Aircraft and Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft, supporting over 5,100 Fort Worth and North Texas employees.
Fort Worth is home to the world’s best defense employees and engineers specializing in delivering cutting-edge capabilities to our warfighters. In addition to the job creators listed above, Elbit Systems of America, Parker Aerospace, Moog, Memsel Inc., Eaton Aerospace, Nauticus Robotics, Albers Aerospace, GKN – and most importantly their hard-working employees – will directly benefit from this bill.