December 14, 2023

Key Duckworth NDAA Provisions to Support Scott Air Force Base and Illinois School Districts Pass Congress

 

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] — Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), who served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years and is a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), secured several important provisions to support our state in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that passed Congress this week. Some of the Illinois priorities Duckworth secured include supporting school districts near military bases by helping alleviate state and local tax base funding shortfalls and charting a sustainable future for C-40 aircraft—which are flown by the 932nd Airlift Wing at Scott Air Force Base.

“The brave men and women in uniform who serve our nation at home and abroad deserve to know that our country fully supports them as they and their families sacrifice to defend our country and our Constitution,” Duckworth said. “While I do not support every provision in this bipartisan compromise, I’m proud of the many provisions I secured throughout the NDAA process that will support Illinois, work toward a sustainable future for the 932nd Airlift Wing at Scott Air Force Base and ensure our schools serving communities near military bases have the support they need. I’m pleased Congress passed this bipartisan legislation this week to send a message to our troops that we have their backs and I look forward to the President signing it into law as soon as possible.”

Each year, the NDAA authorizes funding for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), sets our nation’s defense policy and ensures that our servicemembers have the tools they need to defend our nation.

In this year’s Senate-passed NDAA, Duckworth secured legislation to authorize an additional $50 million for school districts to receive critical Impact Aid from the DoD to help communities and schools whose budgets are impacted by the presence of nearby DoD installations. For Illinois school districts with large populations of students living on military bases, this funding will be critical in ensuring our schools, teachers and students have needed resources and school districts are able to alleviate budget shortfalls.

In this year’s NDAA negotiations, Duckworth also secured language to ensure DoD charts a sustainable future for C-40 aircraft, which is critical for Scott Air Force Base. The Senate committee report, published earlier in the year, recognizes the Air Force’s decision to retain C-40 aircraft—like those flown by the 932nd Airlift Wing at Scott Air Force Base—in the coming fiscal years. The conference committee required the Air Force to provide Congress with its plan for the long-term future of the aircraft. As the junior Senator from Illinois, Senator Duckworth is committed to helping bolster Scott AFB’s capabilities. Scott AFB is critical in our entire military’s ability to get things where they need to be quickly, precisely and efficiently.

A full list of Duckworth’s priorities included in the FY24 NDAA can be found here.

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