Several key Missouri and national priorities were included in the FY2021 Defense and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs funding bills.

(Washington, D. C.)–Missouri U.S. Senator Roy Blunt, a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, announced Monday that several key Missouri and national priorities were included in the FY2021 Defense and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs funding bills. The bills are part of the larger government funding package that Congress is expected to consider shortly. Key Blunt-Backed Missouri and National Priorities in the Defense and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Funding Legislation include a Military Pay Raise of 3%.
For Fort Leonard Wood, the bill includes $40 million in additional funding for further construction of a new hospital at Fort Leonard Wood, which will replace the current General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital. In June 2020, Blunt celebrated the groundbreaking for the new hospital. $10 million in additional research funding is included in the bill for advanced technology for maneuver support and protection to directly benefit the training at Fort Leonard Wood. There is $1.3 million in additional funding for operational energy research that could be conducted at Fort Leonard Wood. The measure includes $60 million in funding for Defense Community Infrastructure Pilot Program infrastructure projects. Fort Leonard Wood has previously benefited from the DCIP program, which aims to improve the quality of life for service members and their families. The bill includes $70 million in additional funding for Impact Aid assistance to benefit Whiteman and Fort Leonard Wood area schools. Department of Defense Supplemental Impact Aid Assistance is critical to local school districts impacted by the presence of federally-owned land.