WASHINGTON — The Senate’s version of the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, which provides funding for the U.S. Department of Defense, will include more than $2 billion worth of military-related investments in the state of Ohio.
“This defense bill provides needed resources to continue rebuilding our military, support our troops and increase their pay, and provide upgrades and support to Ohio’s defense installations,” Sen. Rob Portman, a Republican from Ohio, said in a news release.
“Our country faces significant security threats around the world, and this bipartisan legislation helps ensure that our soldiers, airmen, sailors, and Marines and Department of Defense civilians have the vital resources they need to accomplish their national security missions,” Portman said. “Ohio is home to some of the best and brightest serving our country, and some of our nation’s premier defense installations. I’m proud of their work.”
If the bill becomes law, it will include $1.7 billion in funding for upgrading 165 Abrams tanks and $394 million for upgrading Stryker Vehicles at the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center in Lima, Ohio, also known as the Lima Tank Plant. It will also include $523 million to purchase 152 Stryker A1 Vehicles from the same location.
The legislation also will include $120.9 million in funding for the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, which is located in Greene County, Ohio. The money will allow the base to finish construction for a previously approved modernization effort.
Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from Ohio, also voted for the legislation.
The $750 billion defense bill will increase the salaries of service members by 3.1 percent, which is the largest raise in about a decade. It also includes about $300 million for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which will supply weapons to the Ukrainian government as a means to discourage Russian aggression.
If the bill becomes law, it will include $1.7 billion in funding for upgrading 165 Abrams tanks and $394 million for upgrading Stryker Vehicles at the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center in Lima, Ohio, also known as the Lima Tank Plant. It will also include $523 million to purchase 152 Stryker A1 vehicles from the same location.