APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE APPROVES DEFENSE FUNDING BILL WITH SHAHEEN PRIORITIES

(Washington, D.C.) – The Senate Appropriations Committee approved a bipartisan Department of Defense (DoD) appropriations bill Thursday that includes key national defense priorities put forward by U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), including support for New Hampshire National Guard’s Deployment Cycle Support Care Coordination Program (DCSCCP), the development of the KC-46A tanker to Pease Air National Guard Base and Virginia-class submarines.

“The defense appropriations bill we advanced will both support our service men and women while making targeted investments in New Hampshire jobs and our national defense,” Shaheen said. “The continued investment in the KC-46A tanker as well as the procurement of two Virginia-class submarines are of particular importance for local jobs and our national security, and I hope the full Senate can pass this bipartisan legislation quickly.”

The committee’s DoD FY 2015 appropriations bill incorporates many of the priorities Shaheen put forward in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) earlier this year. The appropriations bill approved by the committee will specifically support development for the KC-46A tanker at Pease in addition to ongoing research and development, and authorizes continued procurement of two new Virginia-class submarines in FY 2015. Shaheen has consistently advocated for investments in our Navy’s submarine fleet, which remain one of the most productive assets for the Department of Defense. 

Yesterday, Shaheen and U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) also announced the inclusion of $15 million to support the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program, which funds the New Hampshire National Guard’s Deployment Cycle Support Care Coordination Program. DCSCCP provides resources and support to deploying service members and their families throughout the full deployment cycle. The committee’s bill also includes an amendment from Shaheen that will promote continued and long-term funding of Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program and Beyond Yellow Ribbon Program by transitioning each to DoD’s base budget request.