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| September 29th, 2006 |
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Media Contact(s): Peter Carr (202) 224-9854,
Jared Whitley (202) 224-0134 |
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Printable Version |
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FINAL DEFENSE SPENDING BILL PASSES SENATE
President Set to Sign Bill Bringing Millions to Utah’s Military Installations |
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Washington — Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) today joined his Senate colleagues in unanimously approving the Department of Defense spending bill for the next fiscal year. The measure, which passed overwhelmingly in the House Tuesday, includes for several key programs that Hatch requested for Utah military installations.
“We have the No. 1 military power in the world, and Utah has the expertise to keep us on top,” Hatch said. “This funding is vital in securing victory in Iraq and other fronts in the War on Terror. It will also keep Utah at the forefront helping to make sure the military is equipped with the technology and maintenance necessary to defend our freedoms.”
The measure provides a 2.2-percent, across-the-board pay raise for military personnel and funds key readiness programs critical to the War on Terror, including $70 billion in emergency appropriations for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The spending bill also includes a continuing resolution to provide temporary funding for programs whose Fiscal Year 2007 appropriations bills have not yet been enacted.
The following are the Utah projects Hatch requested, all of which were included in the final DOD spending bill:
1. Automated Composite Technologies Initiative – Hill Air Force Base, $5.5 million
“This will keep Hill as a world leader in composite technologies,” Hatch said. “The military desperately needs a domestic supply of fiber-placed composite products, especially for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. This funding will help Hill improve current production standards so the military can continue to have vital equipment for our national defense.”
2. Senior Scout – Special Signal Processing Threads - Utah Air National Guard, $1.4 million
“The Senior Scout has an exceptional track record in helping us fight the War on Terrorism and the War on Drugs,” Hatch said. “Military commanders rely on the Senior Scout system to exploit signals of interest throughout the world, and it’s operated solely by the Utah National Guard.”
3. Dugway Testing and Infrastructure Upgrade – Dugway Proving Ground, $1.1 million
“Dugway’s developing technology that detects aerosols used in chemical and biological warfare from at least 10 kilometers,” Hatch said. “In a day of terrorism, this technology is critical. This funding will help Dugway personnel test these sensors in a broad range of scenarios and conditions, especially those in urban areas.”
4. Hydrolysis Demilitarization Demonstration Program - Tooele Army SCWO/Depot, $1 million
“Two years ago, Tooele started safely processing 15,000 tons of obsolete chemical agents,” Hatch said. “With this money, Tooele will be able to buy more equipment to remove heavy metals from the agents using these environmentally friendly, economically viable methods.”
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