President Donald Trump on March 23 signed into law an Omnibus Appropriations Bill to set policy and allocate discretionary funding for the remainder of the fiscal year. Included in the bill is $700 billion for the Department of Defense, related national security priorities, and various programs advocated for by Rep. Steve Knight (CA-25).
“For far too long, Congress has ignored military leaders and troops on the ground who have come back to us saying they need more parts, ships, vehicles, and resources to execute their mission and defend the country,” Knight said. “This can’t go on any longer. This bill finally begins to invest the appropriate funds to rebuild our military and ensure it remains the single strongest fighting force in the world.”
“Rep. Knight has been a leader in advocating for programs vital to our national security and military service members,” said Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairwoman Kay Granger (R-TX) “I’m very happy we were able to include many of his requests in the final bill and I want to thank him for his continued leadership on this issue.”
With Rep. Knight’s advocacy, an additional $16 million was allocated for Air Force industrial responsiveness to fund important base infrastructure projects like the new Air Traffic Control Tower at Plant 42 in Palmdale. In addition, the bill supports cutting-edge programs like the RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle, F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, and the B-21 “Raider” Long Range Strike Bomber. The RQ-4 and F-35 received funding levels above the President’s Budget Request. All of these programs have significant parts of their development and production in Southern California.
“Representative Knight truly understands the needs of our airment and aircrews,” said House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry (R-TX) “Steve’s been an effective advocate for our pilots and many important programs in this omnibus.”
“Here in the 25th District, we have a proud history of producing some of the best aircraft and defense products in the world,” Knight said. “Supporting our military is an important win for all Americans, but especially so in our community. These programs keep our country strong while bringing in thousands of high-quality and high-paying jobs to the area.”
