The $1 trillion omnibus spending plan signed by President Obama on Friday includes more than $122 million in military investments for Southern Maryland.
The bill, which passed both chambers of Congress on Dec. 16, includes $67.8 million for a decentralized steam system at Naval Support Facility, Indian Head, replacing the existing Goddard Power Plant; $45.8 million toward the construction of an aircraft prototype facility at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station in Lexington Park; and $9 million for a 28,630-square-foot readiness center in La Plata that will house all elements of the Maryland Army National Guard’s 253rd Engineer Company.
The office of U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md., 5th) issued a release Dec. 16 stating the bill also will facilitate expansion of the Community Based Outpatient Clinic at the Charlotte Hall Veterans Home and the creation of a new CBOC closer to the Pax River base.
“I am proud to support this bill, which makes important investments to ensure our Federal government remains functioning while also meeting the needs of our veteran population, protecting our national security, and supporting all those in the armed services who have sacrificed so much on behalf of our country,” Hoyer said in the release. “Here in the Fifth District, we see the benefits of this legislation in the investments for our veterans and our military facilities, which are contributing in significant ways to strengthen the local economy, bolster our armed forces, and maintain our nation’s status as the premier military innovator in the world.”
At Pax River, the aircraft prototype facility “represents the future for [the base] and will transform the time it takes to field systems from years down to months and even weeks,” the release states. “This secure capability opens many new opportunities for Pax River to support programs directly involved in fighting terrorism around the world and solving immediate challenges for our warfighters.”
The $45.8 million will fund the second phase of the facility’s construction.
jnewman@somdnews.com
