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News from
Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin
For Immediate Release
Contact: Chip Weiskotten, 202-226-8553
Russ Levsen, 202-225-2801
HOUSE
OF REPRESENTATIVES PASSES DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS BILL WITH $9.5 MILLION
FOR SD PROJECTS
Includes
Pay Raise for Military Personnel; Invests in the Future of the B-1 Bomber
and Funds Critical Equipment Needs for Troops
August 6,
2007, Washington, D.C. – The
U.S. House of Representatives this weekend passed the Fiscal Year 2008
Defense Appropriations bill. The bill includes more than $9.5 million
in funding for South Dakota projects requested by U.S. Rep. Stephanie
Herseth Sandlin, as well as a pay raise for military personnel, funding
for critical equipment and readiness needs for our troops, and an investment
in the future of the B-1 Bomber.
Herseth Sandlin
said, “I’m proud to support a well-deserved pay raise for our troops
and funding for health care for those who serve our country in uniform.
These are national priorities and should be included in the ongoing
cost of war.”
Herseth Sandlin
continued, “Importantly, the bill also provides funding for high-priority
equipment needs for our National Guard and Reserve units, some of which
are experiencing critical equipment shortfalls and deficiencies. It
also contains significant resources to invest in the future of the B-1
Bomber, including the fleet at Ellsworth Air Force Base.”
Herseth Sandlin
noted that the bill addresses a number of our military’s readiness needs,
an issue that has been of growing concern among many in Congress. Recent
reports have indicated Army readiness has dropped to levels not seen
since the 1970s, and Army National Guard units have only 56 percent
of their required equipment, the lowest levels since September 11, 2001.
Additionally, many stateside units are not fully equipped and would
not be considered ready if called upon to respond during an emergency.
Overall, the bill
also contains $459.6 billion for Defense Department programs in FY 2008,
including:
- $2.2 billion
to cover the cost of a 3.5 percent military pay raise – 0.5 percent
more than the President’s budget request
- $6.7 billion
for Guard and reserve equipment, including $925 million to address
equipment shortfalls to help these forces meet the demands of overseas
deployments and respond to domestic natural disasters. This amount
meets the requirements identified by the Chief of the National Guard
Bureau in the “Essential 10 Equipment Requirements for the Global
War on Terror”
- $558.4 million
more than the President’s request for military family support, including
childcare centers, education programs and the family advocacy program
which supports military families affected by the war and child and
spousal abuse
- $23 billion for
Defense Department military health care programs
- $144 million
for B-1 Bomber research and development activities
- $43 million for
modifications to existing B-1 aircraft, including the fleet at Ellsworth
Air Force Base
- $500 million
to develop countermeasures to prevent IED attacks
The bill also contains
$9,525,000 for research and defense-related projects specific to South
Dakota, requested by Rep. Herseth Sandlin, including:
- Project: Control
System for Laser Powder Deposition - South Dakota School of Mines
and Technology (SDSM&T)
Received: $350,000
- Project: Improvised
Explosive Device Simulation in Different Soils (SDSM&T)
Received: $425,000
- Project: Transparent
Nanocomposite Armor (SDSM&T)
Received: $300,000
- Project: Next
Generation Lightweight Drive System for Army Weapon (Dakota Power
Inc. – Rapid City)
Received: $2 million
- Project: Small
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Sensors (SDSM&T)
Received: $500,000
- Project: Shielding
Rocket Payloads (SDSM&T)
Received: $350,000
- Project: Future
Affordable Multi-Utility Materials for the Army Future Combat Systems
(SDSM&T) in partnership with Florida A&M University and Iowa
State University
Received: $5 million
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Congresswoman
Stephanie Herseth Sandlin serves South Dakota in the U.S. House of Representatives.
She is a member of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of moderate Democrats
committed to fiscal discipline and strong national security, and is
co-chair of the Rural Working Group, which is dedicated to raising the
profile of issues important to rural America. She also serves on three
committees vital to South Dakota’s interests: Agriculture, Veterans’
Affairs and Natural Resources. In the 110th Congress, Rep. Herseth Sandlin
was appointed to serve on the Select Committee on Energy Independence
and Global Warming.
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