Smith Secures 17.6 Million for Local Defense Projects
July 30, 2009
Today, Congressman Adam Smith (D-Wash.) secured nearly $18 million for local defense related projects. The projects were including in the Defense Appropriations Act, which supports our troops by providing them with weapons and equipment necessary for our national defense and makes investments in their health, well-being and overall readiness.
“With two major military installations and thousands of military personnel in my district, I see first-hand the service these brave men and women provide for our country,” said Congressman Adam Smith. “So I am pleased to see that this bill provides a pay raise as well as key investments in their health and overall readiness. Our troops provide us a tremendous service, and this bill reflects our gratitude.”
The Defense Appropriations Act keeps our commitments to our troops and their families by including a 3.4% pay raise for our military, provides vital funding for first class medical care and strong support for military family advocacy programs. It also continues efforts to end the practice of “stop loss” and pays our troops an additional $500 for every month their term of service is involuntarily extended by that practice.
Additionally, for the first time since the beginning of operations in Iraq, this bill budgets for Overseas Deployment and other activities in Iraq and Afghanistan for the upcoming fiscal year. This legislation also makes a commitment to fiscal responsibility by reigning in outsourcing and putting Defense personnel, not contractors, in charge of critical department functions.
Smith was specifically able to secure funding for a number of local projects including:
The Defense Appropriations Act is one of 12 annual appropriations bills that fund Federal Government programs and services. For a full summary of the bill visit the House Appropriations Committee.
The bill must now be approved by the Senate before it can be sent to the President to be signed in to law.
“With two major military installations and thousands of military personnel in my district, I see first-hand the service these brave men and women provide for our country,” said Congressman Adam Smith. “So I am pleased to see that this bill provides a pay raise as well as key investments in their health and overall readiness. Our troops provide us a tremendous service, and this bill reflects our gratitude.”
The Defense Appropriations Act keeps our commitments to our troops and their families by including a 3.4% pay raise for our military, provides vital funding for first class medical care and strong support for military family advocacy programs. It also continues efforts to end the practice of “stop loss” and pays our troops an additional $500 for every month their term of service is involuntarily extended by that practice.
Additionally, for the first time since the beginning of operations in Iraq, this bill budgets for Overseas Deployment and other activities in Iraq and Afghanistan for the upcoming fiscal year. This legislation also makes a commitment to fiscal responsibility by reigning in outsourcing and putting Defense personnel, not contractors, in charge of critical department functions.
Smith was specifically able to secure funding for a number of local projects including:
- $1.8 million: Portable Device for Latent Fingerprint Identification. This funding will be used to develop a portable device that will be used by operators in the field to search, capture, and identity latent fingerprints.
- $1.0 million: Corrosion Detection and Visualization Program. This funding will be used to develop new inspection methods and procedures using magneto-optic imaging for F-15 aircraft that will eliminate the need to disassemble part of the aircraft.
- $2.5 million: Western Regional Counterdrug Training Center. This funding will be used to re-establish a fifth counter-drug training center, which would be located at Camp Murray, Washington.
- $2.0 million: Advanced Ground Electronic Warfare & Signals Intelligence System. This funding will be used to research and develop a unique, next generation system that will be used by military personnel on the ground to detect and jam enemy communications, IEDs, and other electronic warfare (EW) threats.
- $2.5 million: Madigan Army Medical Center Trauma Assistance. This project provides critical trauma training for military medical personnel at local civilian hospitals.
- $5.8 million: Institute for Simulation and Interprofessional Studies. This project will allow for the expanded use of health care simulation technologies by the Department of Defense.
- $2.0 million: Malaria Vaccine Development. This funding will be used for clinical trials on a second generation malaria vaccine.
The Defense Appropriations Act is one of 12 annual appropriations bills that fund Federal Government programs and services. For a full summary of the bill visit the House Appropriations Committee.
The bill must now be approved by the Senate before it can be sent to the President to be signed in to law.