The U.S. House Appropriations Committee passed its Fiscal Year 2027 Defense Appropriations Bill on Wednesday night – a $1.072 trillion funding measure that stacks up as the largest defense spending package in American history.
And as the committee finished its twelfth and final FY27 bill, Chairman of the Defense Subcommittee Ken Calvert made a point of singling out one member: North Alabama Congressman Dale Strong.
“The passage of our annual defense appropriations bill fulfills our commitment to keep America safe and ensure the U.S. military remains the strongest fighting force in the world. Recent conflicts have highlighted the pressing need to acquire and produce the munitions, weapons, and technology our troops require to meet the moment in both modern and future warfare,” U.S. Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.) said.
“I commend Representative Strong for his tireless advocacy for strengthening America’s national security. His deep understanding of the warfighter’s needs, along with the critical capabilities being developed at Redstone Arsenal, has been a valuable contribution to the Subcommittee’s work. Strong’s leadership and forward-thinking approach have helped ensure America remains ahead of evolving threats. I appreciate his partnership and his continued commitment to strengthening our national security.”
The package devotes more than $7.5 billion to hypersonic weapons and test infrastructure, $12.5 billion to Missile Defense Agency programs, and $10.6 billion to munitions procurement, including the PAC-3, THAAD, and SM-3 interceptors at the center of the Army’s missile defense portfolio — work managed and developed in no small part out of Redstone Arsenal.
It also seeds the next generation with $397.9 million for the Golden Dome for America homeland missile-defense effort – which already has fundamental footing in Strong’s district, through his work with his colleagues in Congress and President Trump.
According to Strong’s office, the bill strengthens America’s military advantage by providing a total discretionary allocation of $1.072 trillion for national defense, investing $248.3 billion in procurement to modernize equipment and acquire advanced weapons systems, and providing $221.01 billion for Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation to accelerate next-generation capabilities and enhance America’s technological advantage.
For service members and military families, it provides a military pay raise of 7% for all personnel ranked E-5 and below, 6% for E-6 to O-4, and 5% for O-4 and above; increases funding for critical services such as the Military and Family Life Counseling program; and includes $60 million for STARBASE, a youth outreach program aimed at enhancing students’ abilities in STEM.
To accelerate defense innovation, the bill provides $1.1 billion for the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and $600 million for the Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies (APFIT) program, while maximizing support for advanced artificial intelligence, scaled directed energy, biomanufacturing, contested logistics, and battlefield information dominance.
It also rebuilds the defense industrial base with over $2.9 billion for the Defense Production Act, Office of Strategic Capital, and Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment; funds new-entrant low-cost munition systems with multiyear procurement authority; and supports the skilled workforce, research institutions, and defense manufacturers that drive North Alabama’s economy and national security mission.
“This bill delivers historic investments in missile defense, hypersonic weapons, military modernization, defense innovation, and domestic manufacturing — priorities that strengthen Redstone Arsenal’s mission, support North Alabama’s workforce, and ensure the United States remains prepared to confront evolving threats around the globe,” Congressman Strong (R-Huntsville) added.
The bill now moves to a full vote of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Got a tip for OTR? Send your tip to [email protected] with related photo/video, your name, phone number, and e-mail address.
