Authoring Defense Appropriations Bill, Tester Secures Key Montana Defense Priorities and National Security Provi...

As Chairman of the Senate committee that sets the military's budget, Tester's defense bill would ensure our troops have the resources to keep our nation safe

In his role as Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, U.S. Senator Jon Tester today secured key Montana defense priorities and national security provisions during the mark-up of his bipartisan FY2025 Defense Appropriations Act, which now advances to the full Senate floor.

"As Chairman of the Senate committee that sets our military's budget, my top priority is ensuring our armed forces have the necessary resources to keep our nation safe and maintain our position as the greatest country in the world," said Tester, Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. "This strong, bipartisan budget will accelerate investments to allow our military to stay ahead of the threat of China, provide certainty for our servicemembers, and keep Montana and our country safe here at home. I'm glad to see my defense budget advance to the Senate floor and I will continue to work with Republicans and Democrats to get it across the finish line on time."

Tester's FY2025 Defense Appropriations Act continues his commitment to accelerate investments that keep our military modernization ahead of the People's Republic of China, protect the U.S. homeland, and take care of our servicemembers and their families.

Key Tester priorities in his defense bill include:

Supporting Servicemembers and Families:

• Fully funds 4.5 percent military pay raise as requested in the President's FY25 budget request.
• Fully funds the operation, renovation, and repair of child development centers, and supports full-day pre-kindergarten access requested in the fiscal year 2025 President's budget request, to expand access to childcare for members of the armed forces.
• Adds $47 million for the Special Victims' Counsel Program to help victims of sexual assault.
• Funds $72.85 million to support additional recruiting efforts.

Strengthening the Sentinel Program:

• Calls on the Secretary of the Air Force to proactively engage with local labor unions to identify and secure the necessary high-skilled local workforce in Montana.
• Directs the Secretary of the Air Force to establish a pilot program for local workforce development to support the Sentinel program.
  • Encourages the Secretary of the Air Force is encouraged to collaborate with the Sentinel program's industry partners, local educational institutions, and labor unions in the states where construction will occur to develop targeted training programs, apprenticeship programs, and career pathways aligned with the Sentinel program's workforce needs.
• Fully funds the continued development of the Sentinel Program and includes $200 million for industrial base risk reduction and prototyping.
• Requires the Secretary of the Air Force to present its plan to Congress for incremental progress towards its goals, to include an interim schedule, and a to achieve a fully Integrated Master Schedule.

Investing in Research on Missile Cancer and Military Toxic Exposure:

• Funds $15 million for the Toxic Exposures Research Program [TERP] to support research on the impacts of military toxic exposures.
• Directs the Secretary of the Air Force to expedite its ongoing Missile Community Cancer Study and maintain a transparent process by providing regular updates to affected servicemembers, veterans, and their families.

Countering China:

• Adds $1.9 billion specifically to counter China through campaign activities in the INDO-PACOM area of operations, and investments in AI and hypersonic technologies.

Protecting Servicemembers' Access to Health Care:

• Chairman Tester's defense bill again includes no language restricting servicemember's access to abortion, IVF, or other health care services.

Bolstering Montana-Based Research and Defense:

• Includes over $220 million in total for Montana military sites, universities, businesses, and stakeholders.
• Includes $109 million in funding for defense-related research at universities in Montana.
• Includes $111 million for defense programs being worked on by Montana companies and stakeholders.
• Includes $50 million for the National Guard Youth Challenge Program, which will ensure the Montana Youth Challenge Academy in Dillon is fully funded.
• $20 million for the STARBASE program, which has classrooms in Helena and Great Falls and provides youth with Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education opportunities.

As the Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, Tester is responsible for crafting the annual Defense Appropriations bill which will provide funding for the Department of Defense (DOD) and related activities in the upcoming fiscal year. The Fiscal Year 2025 Defense Appropriations Act provides $852.2 billion in total funding.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.