WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – member of the Senate Appropriations Committee – today released a statement following Senate passage of H.R. 2577. This legislation prioritizes funding through fiscal year 2017 for the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and related agencies, as well as for Military Construction (MilCon) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). It prohibits changing the law in fiscal year 2017 to allow the transfer of GITMO detainees to the United States, as well as prioritizes a number of Moran-led initiatives to support veterans.

“The passage of this bill represents another step by the Republican-led Senate to fund the government in a fiscally responsible way, as well as reminds this administration that closing GITMO has been and continues to be against the law,” Sen. Moran said. “Included in this bill are provisions supporting veterans such as addressing the impact of toxic exposure on our military members and their families. It also prioritizes critical military construction projects at McConnell Air Force Base for the arrival of the first KC-46A tankers and Fort Leavenworth with a new Readiness Center for the Kansas National Guard’s 35th Infantry Division. These critical investments underscore the importance of Kansas’ military installations to the Armed Forces, and I will continue working to prioritize funding that supports service members and Kansas defense communities.”

Included Kansas military construction projects in this legislation:

• National Guard Readiness Center, Fort Leavenworth: $29 million for construction of the 35th Infantry Division Readiness Center for the Army National Guard;
• Air Traffic Control Tower, McConnell Air Force Base: $11.2 million for construction of a new air traffic control tower;
• KC-46A Alter Flight Simulator Buildings, McConnell Air Force Base: $3 million for construction of flight simulator buildings in preparation for the KC-46A tankers; and
• KC-46A ADAL Taxiway Delta, McConnell Air Force Base: $5.6 million for construction of a new taxiway in preparation for the KC-46A tankers.

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