DoD funding '19 goes back to House

The U.S. Senate voted Aug. 23 to fund its portion of the Defense Department’s FY 2019 budget – the largest increase in 15 years. The measure would fund a 2.6 percent military pay raise, the largest in nearly a decade. The Senate’s version of the budget still has to be reconciled with a House-passed measure. Currently, the appropriations act includes highlights for Mississippi include $500M for the advance procurement of the LPD Flight II amphibious transport dock; $350M for construction of the LHA 9 amphibious assault ship – both built at HII-Pascagoula. Also, $42.2B for procurement of military aircraft, including $10M above the budget request to upgrade UH-72 Lakota helicopters for the Army. The Lakotas are built in Columbus, Miss., by Airbus; $15M to enable the Air Force to continue development of long endurance platforms to meet urgent operational demands from Combatant Commanders. The project will also involve work done in Columbus, according to U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.). $218M – up from a $35M request - for the Army’s high performance computing modernization program, which are critical for the viability of the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) that directly affects the Mississippi State University (MSU) high performance computing program; $69M to support Army research at ERDC involving several projects, such as polymer development at the University of Southern Mississippi, advanced 3D printing technology, and next generation unmanned systems research at MSU. Additionally, $30M for the National Guard Counterdrug Schools, which is a “very important initiative” for the Regional Counterdrug Training Academy at Naval Air Station Meridian, according to a release by the senator. (Source: Y’all Politics 08/24/18)