Military

Amendment Based on Recommendations of a Government Study is Latest Addition to Feingold's Control Spending Now Act to Slash the Deficit

November 17, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Russ Feingold is hailing Senate passage of his amendment to the military construction appropriations bill to enhance the security of our nuclear arsenal and more effectively use taxpayer dollars.    » read more »

November 17, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the United States Senate has approved $82,257,000 in federal funding for military construction projects in Illinois.

The Fiscal Year 2010 Appropriations Bill for Military Construction and Veterans Affairs includes funding for the following Illinois projects:    » read more »

Legislation invests in new military facilities in Minot, Grand Forks, Bismarck and Fargo

November 17, 2009 -- (WASHINGTON, D.C.) --- The U.S. Senate approved an appropriations bill today that includes funding secured by U.S. Senators Byron Dorgan and Kent Conrad to construct new military facilities in Minot, Grand Forks, Fargo and Bismarck. Dorgan and Conrad said the bill will give a boost to North Dakota’s military missions.    » read more »

November 17, 2009 -- Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Joe Lieberman (ID-CT) today announced that they helped secure $64.6 million for military construction projects for Connecticut military bases throughout the state. The funding, which was allotted as a part of the Military Construction and Department of Veterans’ Affairs Appropriations bill, will go towards projects in Bridgeport, Middletown, and Hartford.

In addition, the bill includes $300 million for the Homeowners Assistance Program (HAP) – which provides financial support to military families incurring substantial losses when service-related moves force them to sell their homes in base communities such as the one surrounding Submarine Base New London.    » read more »

November 17, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall reported that the Senate has approved legislation to fund key construction projects at New Mexico's military installations.

The fiscal year 2010 Military Construction and Department of Veterans' Affairs Appropriations Act sets aside a total of $172 million for Cannon, Kirtland and Holloman Air Force Bases, as well as the National Guard facility in Santa Fe.

"This bill invests millions of dollars in New Mexico's military installations and ensures that our Air Force and National Guard facilities remain in top shape," Bingaman said. "It is another way to support the men and women of our armed forces."    » read more »

Funding Included in Senate Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Bill

November 17, 2009 -- Mark Udall and Michael Bennet, U.S. Senators for Colorado, announced today that the Pueblo Chemical Depot is on track to receive $92.5 million in new federal funding for construction of a facility to destroy chemical weapons stored there.

The funding was included in the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs appropriations bill for fiscal year 2010, which was approved by the Senate by a vote of 100 to 0.

The bill now goes to a conference committee to be reconciled with the version passed in the House. The $92.5 million in funding represents a portion of the money requested for work at Pueblo Chemical Depot.    » read more »

November 17, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel K. Inouye and Veterans Committee Chairman Daniel K. Akaka announced that Hawaii is expected to receive more than $365 million to fund infrastructure improvements to the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, Schofield Barracks and Hickam Air Force Base.

The federal funds for Hawaii-related projects were approved as part of the Fiscal Year 2010 Military Construction Veterans Affairs Appropriations Bill.

The full Senate passed the spending measure by a vote of 100 to 0. The bill still requires approval by the House of Representatives.    » read more »

U.S. Joins False Claims Act Lawsuit Against Kuwait-Based Companies That Supplied Food to U.S. Troops in Middle East

November 16, 2009 -- The United States has joined a whistleblower suit against Public Warehousing Company (PWC), The Sultan Center Food Products Company (TSC), and PWC’s chief executive officer, Tarek Abbul Aziz Sultan Al-Essa, the Justice Department announced today.    » read more »

"Family care packages are always a welcome treat for our deployed servicemembers, especially during the holidays when they are away from home defending our freedoms. Thoughts and acts of kindness from others are also appreciated.

- While we, Department of Defense, do not specifically send care packages, we do have various morale and recreation activities for our troops both at home and abroad.    » read more »

November 16, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (CA-47) today introduced House Resolution 904, honoring women who have served or are currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. If passed, the resolution would recognize the expanding role of women in the military and their important contributions to America's military operations at home and abroad.

"Today, I am proud to honor the strength and accomplishments of our women in uniform," said Rep. Sanchez. "It is absolutely necessary to recognize that women are now engaging in frontline duties, fighting beside our male soldiers. Moving forward, it is imperative that we continue to give our servicewomen the tools they need to serve safely and effectively in combat."

The full text of H. Res. 904 can be found below:    » read more »

Pilot program that Murray pushed for in Wounded Warriors bill will mean single medical examinations and transparent rating system for returning service members disability claims

November 16, 2009 -- (Washington, D.C.) – Thousands of returning service members will have access to a streamlined disability claims system at Fort Lewis Army Medical Center because of a pilot program that U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) helped pass into law.    » read more »

November 14, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – With the investigation into the tragedy at Fort Hood ongoing, President Barack Obama used his weekly address to call for a careful and complete review of what happened before the tragedy.

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
November 14, 2009

This was a week for honoring the extraordinary service and profound sacrifice of our men and women in uniform.

Every fall, we set aside a special day to pay tribute to our veterans. But this year, Veteran’s Day took on even greater poignancy and meaning because of the tragic events at Fort Hood.    » read more »

November 13, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – Rohullah Farooqi Lodin and Hashmatullah Farooqi were each sentenced today in Alexandria, Va., to four years in prison for their roles in a scheme to offer $1 million in bribes to a U.S. Army contracting official in Afghanistan, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Neil H. MacBride of the Eastern District of Virginia.

U.S. District Court Judge Liam O’Grady also sentenced Lodin, 48, from Irvine, Calif., and Farooqi, 38, from New York City, to each serve three years of supervised release following their prison term and ordered each to pay a $30,000 fine. Lodin and Farooqi, both dual Afghan/U.S. citizens, each pleaded guilty on Aug. 7, 2009, to one count of offering to bribe a public official.    » read more »

Access to Care for Seniors and Military Families at Stake; Campaign to pass bill includes new radio ads airing today

Nov. 13, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Urging swift passage of a bill to repeal the broken Medicare physician payment formula that threatens seniors’ access to care, the AMA added a new dimension to its Medicare campaign today with radio ads airing in markets across the nation. In addition to the ads, the AMA is activating its nationwide grassroots network of patients and physicians and intensifying communication to physicians through online and social media.    » read more »

November 13, 2009 -- AUGUSTA – Maine Governor John E. Baldacci today registered his opposition to a proposal by the Air National Guard to allow low-level training flights over Western Maine.

A public hearing on the proposal is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, in Farmington in the Lincoln Auditorium on the campus of the University of Maine Farmington.

In the letter to the Director of the Air National Guard, Governor Baldacci cites the lack of responsiveness from the National Guard Bureau to questions raised about the proposal to allow the low-level flights.    » read more »