Today, the House approved the first installment of the $182 million building expansion project at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) that Congressman Mike Turner (OH-10) secured in the National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2019 (FY19). Language was included in the military construction appropriations conference report passed today to make a portion of $61 million “immediately available” for construction in 2019—bypassing administrative burden.

“Earlier this year, I fought to authorize $182 million for a new building for the National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC), surpassing the President’s budget request. Today the House voted to make the first $61 million of that project available on October 1st. It was my priority for WPAFB to be able to access this money and start the project as quickly as possible. The work done at NASIC is not only vital to our local economy, but also critical to our national security. This project cannot afford to be delayed by burdensome red tape, and I am proud that today’s bill allows for swift availability of these funds.”

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