Jeff Bingaman United States Senator from New Mexico

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today said he is pleased that a key spending bill working its way through the Senate contains millions of dollars for Kirtland Air Force Base.  

The Senate Appropriations Committee has approved the fiscal year 2009 Military Construction Appropriations bill, which contains $14.4 million Bingaman requested for a fuel storage replacement project at Kirtland Air Force Base.

"Kirtland Air Force Base continues to play an important role in our country's national defense.  The funding in this bill will help make upgrades at the Albuquerque base to safely store aviation fuel," Bingaman said.

The bill, which contains a total of $66.75 million for New Mexico bases, included the funding for the following projects:

• $18.1 million to construct a Special Operations Forces Maintenance Hangar at Cannon;
• $8.3 million for a CV-22 simulator training facility at Cannon;
• $14.5 million to construct a Low Observable Composite Repair Facility at Holloman
• $3.15 million for the additions and alterations to the Flight Simulator Facility at Holloman;
• $4.6 million to construct an Aerospace Ground Equipment Facility at Holloman;
• $2.15 million to construction a Jet Engine Maintenance Shop at Holloman;
• $1.05 million for additions and alterations to Aircraft Maintenance Units at Holloman; and,
• $495,000 for design of a consolidated munitions handling facility at Holloman.

The FY 2009 Military Construction Appropriations bill is ready for full Senate debate.  It will be several months before the bill can be finalized.