(The Center Square) – Congressional members from North Carolina were unanimous in support of the FY 2027 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.
Passage was 400-15 in the House of Representatives on Friday. The $469.49 billion spending plan includes $19.2 billion toward military construction and infrastructure, including $55 million for a Special Operations Forces Ammunition Supply Point at Fort Bragg.
“As Fort Bragg’s congressman,” said Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., “I was proud to deliver critical funding for Fort Bragg, protect our veteran’s rights, and provide more resources for our warfighters and their families. Ensuring the brave men and women of our military, their families, and our veterans have support in Washington is my top priority in Congress.”
Also cited as a pivotal for the bill’s strength is the Second Amendment rights of veterans. The language said the Department of Veterans Affairs is prohibited from sending information to the FBI about veterans without a judge’s consent.
“I was proud to vote for last week’s MilConVA Appropriations bill, which invests in veterans’ healthcare, military housing, childcare resources, and quality-of-life improvements for our military families and veterans,” said Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C. “Our veterans deserve nothing less than our full support.”
The bill fully funds veterans’ healthcare, benefits, mental health programs and a number of VA services deemed critical. Among them is $2 billion toward medical facility improvements.
In assistance to military readiness, there’s $2.1 billion for Army military construction, $5.5 billion for Navy and Marine Corps construction, and $3.7 billion for Air Force construction projects.
“The men and women who served this country have earned every dollar in this bill and I was proud to cast this vote,” said Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-N.C. “We ask our troops to be ready to fight and our veterans to live with what that costs them. The least we can do is make sure their bases are funded, their families are taken care of, and their healthcare is there when they need it. That is a promise we made and this bill keeps it.”
Hudson, Harris and Harrigan were joined by Republican Reps. Dr. Greg Murphy, Virginia Foxx, Addison McDowell, David Rouzer, Chuck Edwards, Brad Knott and Tim Moore affirming the bill, and Democratic Reps. Deborah Ross, Valerie Foushee and Alma Adams.
Rep. Don Davis, D-N.C., was excused while away for a family commitment.
North Carolina is home to an estimated 615,000 vets, roughly 90,000 active-duty military, and about 43,000 National Guard and reservists. Texas, Florida, California and Pennsylvania rank with North Carolina in the top five of states home to veterans. California, Texas and Virginia are the only states with more active-duty military.
North Carolina’s six major military bases include the U.S. Army’s Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base, both in the southeastern part of the state; Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in eastern North Carolina; and U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Camp Lejeune and MCAS New River along the coast, not more than an hour’s drive from the more inland MCAS Cherry Point. There are also two U.S. Coast Guard bases along the northern coast at Elizabeth City; and the Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point on the southern coast in Brunswick County.
