Preschool children from the New Horizons Child Development Center on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, attend an event in November 2015. (Michelle Gigante/U.S. Air Force)
DAYTON, Ohio (Tribune News Service) — The House Armed Services Committee early Thursday approved the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2022 by a vote of 57 to 2, boosting President Biden's defense allocation by nearly $24 billion.
Military construction initiatives passed by the committee include $24 million for a new Wright-Patterson Air Force Base child development center. According to the office of U.S. Rep Mike Turner, R-Dayton, the committee has also approved:
— Wright-Patterson Air Force Base — Army Reserve Center Training building: $19 million.
— Wright-Patterson Air Force Base — Human Performance Wing Laboratory: $40 million.
— Wright-Patterson Air Force Base — Bionatronics Research Center Laboratory: $33.8 million.
— Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport — Base-Wide Microgrid: $4.7 million.
— Camp Perry, Ohio — Red Horse Logistics Complex: $7.8 million.
— Youngstown Air Reserve Station — Assault Strip Widening: $8.7 million.
In all, the committee added $23.9 billion to the administration's request of $715 billion for defense, for a total of $738.9 billion.
The Senate Armed Services Committee added $25 billion to Biden's requested defense allocation last month.
The House Armed Services Committee voted to support the establishment of a Space National Guard, a key difference with the Senate's version of the defense bill.
Among other features, the bill backs procurement of 80 F-35 aircraft for the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps. It also provides additional funding for 12 Air Force F-15EX tactical fighter aircraft, an Air Force unfunded priority.
The new child development center for Wright-Patterson was also an Air Force unfunded priority.
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is the home of Air Force logistics and acquisition efforts.
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