DAYTON, Ohio — The U.S. Senate voted to pass the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Thursday 77-20, and Republican Ohio Sen. Jon Husted said he helped ensure funding for various Ohio-based military projects.
It now needs to pass the House and then be signed by President Donald Trump for it to become law.
This vote comes amid an ongoing government shutdown that has led to Democratic and Republican lawmakers becoming increasingly heated as it stretches on.
“I’m especially proud that Ohio will continue to lead the way in America’s defense,” Husted said in a release from his office. “This legislation delivers major investments in new infrastructure and technology at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, advances cutting-edge research at NASA Glenn in Cleveland and strengthens key national defense assets across our state.”
In addition to a 3.8% pay increase for members of the military, here are just some of the Ohio-specific benefits within the bill, should it become law, according to Husted’s office.
There would be $45 million going toward Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) for the construction of a Human Performance Wing Laboratory.
“This building will serve as the modernized headquarters for the Human Effectiveness Directorate of the 711th Human Performance Wing, which advances human warfighter capabilities in training, bioeffects and bioengineering,” the release reads.
There would be $15 million going toward refurbishing WPAFB’s main runway, which the release states has been deteriorating for years.
The WPAFB would also be seeing $2.8 million go toward the design of an AI supercomputing center.
“The construction of the AI Supercomputer Center is essential to U.S. defense capabilities in artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, and advanced modeling & simulation,” the release reads. “…This investment will ensure the Air Force can meet supercomputing needs for weapon system development and intelligence applications.”
Husted’s office also states that Ohio jobs would be created out of the $10 million headed to Project Pele, which will create “an expeditionary micro nuclear reactor for the military.”
A couple million dollars would also be headed to the DEEP SENTRY program, “to infuse AI and machine learning into America’s missile defense system…Ohio is home to developers of the missile defense software used in DEEP SENTRY,” according to the release.
You can view the full text of the bill here, which Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, also voted to pass.
“Peace is preserved through strength, and deterrence is our surest safeguard against war,” Husted said in the release. “This bill puts America back on solid footing to deter our adversaries and protect our national interests. I will continue fighting to ensure our Armed Forces have the tools to win—and that Ohio remains at the heart of America’s renewed strength and pride.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Cody Thompson
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