Representative Ike Skelton

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	Contact: Lara Battles or
Monday, December 19, 2005	Whitney Frost (202)225-2876

SKELTON SAYS DEFENSE BILL INCLUDES PROJECTS
FOR WHITEMAN AFB AND FORT LEONARD WOOD

Washington, DC – Congressman Ike Skelton (D-MO) announced that the final version of the Fiscal Year 2006 National Defense Authorization bill includes over $21 million for projects at Whiteman Air Force Base and Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri.

Missouri projects in the bill include:

$5.721 million for B-2 conventional munitions storage at Whiteman Air Force Base; and
$15.4 million for the construction of enlisted soldier barracks at Fort Leonard Wood.

“This upgrade to munitions storage facilities at Whiteman is essential to the B-2 mission. The existing storage igloos were built in the 1950s and were not designed to accommodate today’s weapons systems,” said Skelton. The $5.721 million in project funding will provide for the construction of 5 new conventional munitions storage igloos and for the demolition of the old storage facilities.

“Congress works hard to ensure that we provide our service members with quality housing, so I am very pleased that this year’s bill includes funding for a new barracks for enlisted soldiers at Fort Leonard Wood. The new barracks will replace housing built in the 1950s and 1970s that no longer meets the Army’s quality of life requirements,” said Skelton. The new barracks will provide living quarters for 180 soldiers and will be the first of five phases of new barracks for single enlisted service members at Fort Leonard Wood.

Overall, the defense bill authorizes $441.5 billion for defense programs for Fiscal Year 2006, including $12.2 billion for military construction and family housing and $16.39 billion for Department of Energy defense-related programs. The bill also includes a supplemental authorization of $50 billion for activities associated with Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

Other provisions of the defense authorization bill address quality of life issues that are a priority for service members, such as a 3.1 percent military pay raise and additional incentives to boost military recruiting and retention. “Annual pay raises and other benefits show our Armed Forces and their families that we value and appreciate the sacrifices they make in order to serve our country,” said Skelton.

The conference report to H.R. 1815, the Fiscal Year 2006 National Defense Authorization bill, was approved in the U.S. House of Representatives on December 19, 2005, by a vote of 374 to 41. After the conference report is approved by the House and the Senate, the legislation will be forwarded to the President to be signed into law.

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Congressman Ike Skelton (D-MO) serves as Ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee. For further information, please contact Lara Battles or Whitney Frost at (202)225-2876, or check Congressman Skelton's web site at http://www.house.gov/skelton.