Ander Crenshaw: MILCON Bill Will Help Defense on First Coast

From his perch on the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee on Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw, R-Fla., showcased how the fiscal year 2015 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies (MILCON) Appropriations Bill will help the defense community on the First Coast.

Military bases on the First Coast and around the globe anchor our national security, Crenshaw said. My No. 1 priority is to ensure these facilities and the men and women in uniform based at them have the resources they need to carry out that central mission. The comprehensive, bipartisan MILCON bill accomplishes that goal through efficient use of taxpayer dollars. Moreover, it ensures that we keep our commitment to funding military family housing and quality-of-life programs as well as veterans benefits and programs.

The only infrastructure projects in the state of Florida included in this MILCON bill are located in Northeast Florida, underscoring the regions strategic role to our national security, Crenshaw added. Construction of a Littoral Combat Ship operational training facility at Naval Station Mayport and expansion of the MH-60R helicopter parking apron and improvements to P-8A taxiways at Naval Air Station Jacksonville are critical to keeping our Navy forces strong and ready to serve whenever they are called to duty. I am proud to support these programs and those that our veterans and military families have earned through years of dedicated service. I strongly urge all my colleagues to pass the bill when it comes to the full House for a vote.