Domenici Votes Senate to Fund War Effort, Cannon AFB & N.M. National Guard Equipment

Press Release

Domenici Votes Senate to Fund War Effort, Cannon AFB & N.M. National Guard Equipment

U.S. Senator Pete Domenici today voted with the Senate to approve an emergency supplemental spending package to support U.S. military activities in Iraq and Afghanistan, while also funding a new military construction project at Cannon Air Force Base at Clovis.

Domenici, a member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, said the FY2008 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Bill will now be returned to the House for approval before it can be sent to President Bush, who has issued a veto threat against the bill.

The Senate bill includes the Air Force request for $8 million to construct a child care center at Cannon which was included as part of a defense-wide initiative to improve family support for service members. The Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) mission at Cannon would benefit from aircraft procurement funding in the bill.

"This bill will be very beneficial for Cannon and move it toward being a great base. There are still a few hurdles to clear before it becomes law, but I am confident the defense funding for Cannon and aircraft procurement will eventually be made available this year," Domenici said.

The bill provides $349 million to procure five CV-22 Osprey aircraft, as well as $1.8 billion for 18 C-130J and seven MC-130J aircraft. Both aircraft will be part of the AFSOC mission at Cannon.

"While Cannon is not specifically singled out as a beneficiary of these new aircraft, the base will benefit because the Air Force will expand its inventory of aircraft available for deployment to New Mexico," said Domenici, pointing to the AFSOC announcement to begin deployment of its 16th Special Operations Squadron and its AC-130 aircraft at Cannon this fall.

Related to the New Mexico National Guard, Domenici said the bill has $825 million for National Guard and Reserve equipment. Domenici has consistently pressed the Defense Department for more Guard equipment funding after a late 2006 General Accountability Office study showed the New Mexico Guard ranked last nationally in available dual use equipment.

Also of interest to New Mexico, the supplemental offers $188 million in new funding to support the Defense Department's drug interdiction and counter-drug activities.

During Senate votes Thursday, Domenici voted against an amendment that would have meant restricting the use of war funding in the bill. He also voted for an amendment that retained non-defense funding in the bill including DOE clean-up funding that is expected to direct $40 million toward Los Alamos National Laboratory. It also includes a plan to reform education benefits offered in the GI Bill and a Domenici plan related to Russian access to the U.S. uranium enrichment market.

Overall, the bill provides $168.9 billion in FY2008 and FY2009 emergency funding for Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom ($99.5 billion for FY2008, and $65.9 billion in FY2009 funding to be available Oct. 1).

The package provides $415 million more than the President's request for DOD and Military Construction related programs including increases for National Guard Equipment ($825 million); Family Child Care Facilities ($168 million); Defense Health Programs ($1.627 billion); and Barrack Improvements ($700 million).

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