May 23, 2019

Manchin Secures West Virginia Priorities In National Defense Authorization Act

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, secured provisions in the committee’s markup of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, a vital piece of legislation that authorizes defense funding and provides authorities for our military to defend the nation. On Wednesday, the committee voted to report the bill, which authorizes $750 billion in funding for the Department of Defense and the national security programs of the Department of Energy. 

“At a time when we face many threats at home and abroad with budget constraints because of our country’s dire fiscal challenges, we must make sure that we maintain a strong defense while also reducing unnecessary costs,” Senator Manchin said. “This bipartisan defense package provides necessary funding to support our troops and defend our nation and provide support to our West Virginia service members and industrial base. I am proud to have worked in a bipartisan way to include these provisions and I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this important legislation.”

Below is the list of West Virginia provisions included in the committee passed bill:

  • Increase of $14.3 million in Innovative Readiness Training program for joint training between Active Duty, Reserves and National Guard to include West Virginia National Guard. 
  • Procurements and upgrades to submarines, aircraft carriers, civil air patrol, and the CH-53K which benefits West Virginia defense industrial base. 
  • Increase of $2 million for metals affordability research which benefits West Virginia defense industrial base.
  • Increase of $3.5 million in RDT&E for the extraction of rare earth elements from coal ash which is primarily extracted from West Virginia. 

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