U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines yesterday voted to support and fund several critical defense and veterans priorities.
“This critical funding ensures America maintains the best military in the world, gives our troops a much needed pay raise, provides support for Montana veterans and strengthens Montana’s defense priorities,” Daines said.
Strengthens Montana’s and the Nation’s Defense Forces:
- $180 million for Air Force C-130 propeller upgrades (4-blade to 8-blade)
- $368 million for Army’s CH-47 Chinook helicopters
- $923.4 million for National Guard Counter-Drug Program, which includes an increase of $100 million for the National Guard State Plans program and $20 million for the National Guard Counter-Drug schools program
Supports Montana Veterans:
- $10.3 billion for Montana veterans mental health care
- $312 million for suicide prevention outreach
- Supports the request for medical care accounts, including amounts supporting VA MISSION Act programs.
- $300 million for VA Office of Rural Health and the Rural Health Initiative to overcome barriers to access in large rural states.
- $5 million for pilot program in agritherapy to train veterans in agricultural vocations in no less than three locations
- $661 million for women’s health care
- Provides $2.6 billion for Electronic Health Record Modernization
- Provides $1.9 billion for Montana veteran homeless assistance programs
Supports Military Research at Montana Universities and Small Businesses:
- $20 Million for Lightweight Composite Barrel research (Proof Research in Columbia Falls)
- $15 Million for Language Training Centers with report language at University of Montana (UM)
- $5 Million for Warfighter Physiology Research with report language at UM
- $5 Million for Hearing restoration research with report language at UM
- $4 Million for TechLink at Montana State University (MSU)
- $3 Million for MilTech at MSU
- $10 Million for Extreme Battery research at MSU
- $7 Million for Quantum cryptography research at MSU
- $3 Million for Department of Defense Partnership Intermediary Assistance to Marine Corps Warfighting Lab at MSU
Supports Military Youth Programs:
- $75 Million for National Guard Youth Challenge
- $4.3 Million for Naval Sea Cadet youth programs
- $22.8 Million for Civil Air Patrol youth programs