Senate passes defense spending
Wyoming to receive funding for four projects totaling about $7.5 million
September 29, 2006
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Craig Thomas and Mike Enzi, both R-Wyo., said the Senate passed legislation that would provide about $7.58 million for Wyoming military products and projects as well as fund the nation’s military for another year.
The Senate passed the conference report for the Department of Defense (DoD) Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2007, H.R. 5631, by a vote of 100-0 Friday. Thomas and Enzi both voted in favor of the bill which provides about $437 billion for the Department of Defense for fiscal year 2007, including $70 billion for emergency appropriations for the war on terrorism, and a 2.2 percent across-the-board pay raise for military personnel.
"By continuing solid funding for the Department of Defense we can provide some certainty during uncertain times. Our military deserves substantial funding in order to adapt to the rapidly changing global threats facing our nation," Thomas said.
"Defending our country becomes more of a challenge every year. The programs that this bill funds are essential to protecting our country," said Enzi. "Wyoming can play a part in keeping us safe and these contracts show the Department of Defense knows that."
The bill allocates a total of about $7.58 million in DoD contracts to Wyoming through the requests of Thomas and Enzi.
• AristaTek of Laramie for the Palmtop Emergency Action for Chemical (PEAC) system - $3.2 million
• Nanomaterials Discovery Corp. of Cheyenne for the Electroconversion of Energetic Materials research and development project - $2.25 million
• Wyoming National Unmanned Systems Experimentation Environment through the University of Wyoming and the Army National Guard at Camp Guernsey for Joint Robotics Program testing - $2.25 million
• Firehole Technologies Inc. of Laramie to develop the Multicontinuum Technology for Space Structures project - $1 million
PEAC is a handheld system that provides emergency information about hazardous materials and weapons of mass destruction. It currently stores information for 10,000 chemicals and their physical properties, as well as hazard ratings, respirator recommendations and suggestions for chemical protective clothing.
Nanomaterials Discovery Corporation is working with the Army Material command at Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey to develop fuel cells powered by high energy materials such as propellants and explosives. This technology can provide applications for portable power for soldiers, enabling development of miniature power supplies for fusing and arming of munitions and for "self-sterilizing" smart land mines that render themselves harmless after a certain period of time. This technology could also enable the reuse of obsolete ammunition by converting its explosive components into electrical power.
The University of Wyoming and Wyoming Army National Guard at Camp Guernsey are one of seven members of the National Unmanned Systems Experimentation Environment activities designed to make Wyoming an extremely effective testing site for the DoD’s Joint Robotics Program of experimental unmanned aerial, ground and water vehicles.
Firehole Technologies Inc. of Laramie is working on the Multicontinuum Technology for Space Structures project plans to develop an accurate and reliable analysis tool to understand the durability and breaking point of composite materials that are used in space structures.
Within the $437 billion bill, about $86 billion will provide basic pay, retirement, housing and subsistence allowance, special and incentive pays, and other personnel costs for members of the Armed Forces. The bill also provides about $119 billion for operation and maintenance purposes such as fuel purchases, spare parts for training operations and weapons and facilities repairs. Procurement of aircraft, missiles, weapons and combat vehicles, ammunition and shipbuilding receives about $80 billion under the bill. The DoD is also provided with about $75 billion for research, development, testing and evaluation programs.
Emergency Fire Funds
The bill also provides a one-time supplement of $200 million for emergency wildfire suppression funds. The funds will be split between the Department of Interior and the Department of Agriculture for fire suppression, emergency rehabilitation activities and for repayment due to emergency fires.
The House passed H.R. 5631 on Sept. 26 by a vote of 394-22. The President is expected to sign the bill.
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