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| House Passes Major Defense Bill with NM Research Efforts |
September 29, 2006 |
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| Wilson Supports Authorization for Troop Pay Raise & Body Armor
Washington, DC – Congresswoman Heather Wilson today supported the National Defense Authorization Act of 2007 (H.R. 5122), which passed the House 398-23 and authorizes funds for troop pay, body armor and technology research in New Mexico.
“New Mexico plays a critical role in our nation’s defense, particularly through research and technology,” Wilson said. “This one bill sends billions of dollars to New Mexico through our Defense Department and Department of Energy installations, equipment, research and personnel. New Mexico’s unique contributions to our national security are authorized in this legislation.”
For New Mexico, the bill specifically authorizes $45 million for Boeing’s Advanced Tactical Laser program, which includes development in New Mexico. Additionally, $20 million was authorized for the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) funding for the Army Reserve Center at KAFB. Military Construction totaling $15.4 million was authorized for the ParaRescue School at KAFB. The bill is the annual funding blueprint for the Department of Defense, and authorizes funding for all New Mexico’s military bases.
In other New Mexico funding, the bill contains $15.8 billion for atomic energy defense activities and energy supply of the Department of Energy for fiscal year 2007, a portion of which will fund New Mexico-based research with $9.3 billion for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and $5.4 billion for environmental and other defense activities.
Overall, the bill authorizes $532.8 billion for the Defense and Energy Department budgets, and $70 billion for operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The bill limits the retirement of F-117A aircraft to no more than 10 in the next fiscal year, and requires that they be maintained in a condition that would allow them to be recalled to service. There are F-117A aircraft stationed at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico.
The bill provides for posthumous awarding of a Purple Heart to a member of the armed forces who died while in captivity as a prisoner of war or died due to injury or illness obtained while in captivity as a prisoner of war – a provision that Wilson cosponsored in another bill (H.R. 2369, the Honor Our Fallen Prisoners of War Act).
The bill eliminates proposed TRICARE Prime and TRICARE Standard fee increases.
Highlights of the National Defense Authorization Act include:
A 2.2 percent across-the-board pay raise for members of the military;
$70 billion in supplemental funding to support the global war on terror;
A total of $800 million for continued production of enhanced body armor and body armor components; and
Additional funding for force-protection, including up-armored Humvees, improvised explosive device (IED) jammers, Humvee IED protection kits and gunner protection kits.
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