State may get More than $537 million worth of defense spending is earmarked for Hawaii under the U.S. Senate's version of the $355.4 billion appropriations bill approved yesterday.
$537 million
The U.S. Senate OKs a bill
The biggest projects
earmarking funds for
defense spending hereBy Gregg K. Kakesako
gkakesako@starbulletin.comSen. Daniel Inouye, chairman of the Senate Appropriations SubCommittee on Defense, said $537.3 million is contained in the fiscal year 2003 Defense Appropriations Bill that cleared the Senate by a vote of 95-3.
The Senate's version of the defense appropriation bill is more than 20 percent higher than the $444 million set aside for military spending in the islands this year.
Of the $537.5 million in military spending in Hawaii, nearly $310 million would go to projects in the counties of Kauai and Maui.
More than $80 million would go toward finishing the 10-year Kahoolawe restoration project next year.
More than $67 million had been given for this year's cleanup of the former military target island.
Increased funding is projected for the Pacific Missile Range at Kauai's Barking Sands, with the Senate recommending spending $54.8 million next year compared to $49.3 million this year.
Maui will receive a major portion of the defense dollars set aside for Hawaii ($88 million) with $35 million for the Maui Space Surveillance System, housing the nation's largest telescope and combining satellite tracking with research, compared to $22.8 million this year.
And $5 million is projected for the Maui High Performance Computing Center, compared to $3.4 million this year.
A Maui program to improve tracking of enemy submarines will get $10 million, compared to $4.3 million this year.
Pearl Harbor would receive $32.5 million, including $15 million for repairs and renovations to existing piers and facilities. Last year $4.3 million was approved for similar projects.
Nearly $35 million would be spent at Tripler Army Medical Center, including $22 million for the federal Health Care Network. Last year Congress approved $15.3 million for similar programs.
An additional $31 million is contained in another bill and the money will be shared by military units in Hawaii and other Pacific areas, Inouye said.
A House-Senate conference committee will be convened to resolve the differences between the Senate's $355.4 billion version and the $354.7 billion approved by the House following the August congressional recess.
"The defense of our nation is too important to be a matter of partisan politics," said Inouye, a chief author of the measure.
"I want to point out that while the bill provides the highest level of defense spending in history, the total recommended is still $11.4 billion below the president's request," Inouye said.
When Congress returns from its August recess, senators will try writing a compromise bill with the House, which approved a similar package in late June.
Associated Press contributed to this report BACK TO TOP |
Major projects funded by $537 million allotment: Big chunk goes
for Kaho'olawe>>$80 million for continued military cleanup of Kaho'olawe
>>$32.5 million for Pearl Harbor shipyard
>>$4 million for corrosion research at the University of Hawaii
>>$76.8 million for Kauai's Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands
>>$73 million to the Office of Naval Research programs on Kauai
>>$35 million for the Maui Space Surveillance System
>>$15 million for the Pan Stars program
>>$10 million to Theater Undersea Warfare
>>$34.5 million to Tripler Army Medical Center
