The latest on the defense budget and what it could mean for Fort Liberty
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The Senate passed its version of the National Defense Authorization Act late last month, while the House version was met with opposition across party lines before it passed.
The Senate version of the proposed $886 billion defense budget, which passed 86-11, includes troop pay raises and $398 million for North Carolina military installations, according to a July 27 news release from Sen. Thom Tillis, R-North Carolina.
“As the United States continues to face growing threats from Russia and China, this bipartisan legislation is a win for North Carolina servicemembers and their families,” Tillis said.
According to Tillis’ news release, the Senate version of the defense budget:
• Provides a 5.2 % pay raise for military servicemembers and the Department of Defense civilian workforce, while also lowering costs of housing, healthcare and childcare for military families.
• Authorizes improvements to the quality and oversight of military enlisted barracks, including the replacement of substandard barracks. The Army had asked for $85 million to build a 102,820-square-foot barracks building for 146 junior enlisted soldiers and junior noncommissioned officers at Fort Liberty and $50 million to fund a 75,706-square-foot barracks building for 146 Special Forces soldiers at Fort Bragg.
• Extends the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative through fiscal year 2027 and streamlines the acquisition of defense stocks related to Ukraine.
• Authorizes funding for technologies like microelectronics, hypersonic weapons and unmanned aircraft systems.
• Enhances deterrence by modernizing the U.S. nuclear stockpile, delivery systems and infrastructure.
House version
The House version of the proposed defense budget passed 219-210 on July 14 and included amendments that prohibited covering the cost for service members to travel across state lines for an abortion and would also not allow for gender-affirming surgeries or hormone treatments.
The Pentagon had a policy to help military families cover out-of-state costs if they live in states that prohibit abortion following the Supreme Court’s decision last year to reverse Roe v. Wade and allow states to determine if the medical procedure is legal or not.
In a news release, Rep. Richard Hudson, whose district includes Fort Liberty, said the House version of the defense includes $260 million for infrastructure projects in the local area.
“As the representative of the largest Army base in the world, I'll never stop fighting to support our men and women in uniform and their families,” Hudson said.
How the Army hopes to spend $154.5 million at Fort Bragg
In addition to also proposing $135 million for enlisted and Special Forces barracks and a military pay raise, Hudson said the House defense budget also proposes the following for Fort Liberty:
• 19.5 million for an automated record fire range
• $61 million for an aircraft maintenance hangar to accommodate aircraft serving the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, which Hudson requested funding for.
• $36 million for a child development center, which Hudson requested funding for.
• $10.5 million for a microgrid to supplement power at Camp Mackall
• A provision to improve roadway infrastructure on Fort Liberty.
What’s next
Congress is currently in recess. The House and Senate versions of the defense budget will undergo a reconciliation process to compromise a final version once the current session resumes. Once approved, it will be presented to President Joe Biden to sign into law.
During the past several years, the budget has been approved sometime in December.
Staff writer Rachael Riley can be reached at rriley@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3528.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Proposed defense budgets seek more than $160 million for Fort Liberty
