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Wright-Pat's $19 million hinges on bill
Congress considering a cut in BRAC funds that would pay for construction at base.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
A budget tug-of-war between congressional Democrats and the Bush administration could affect $19 million requested to prepare for construction at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base to house research programs scheduled to relocate there within five years.
It is part of catch-up funding Congress must appropriate soon, for the fiscal year that began last Oct. 1, to keep most of the government from shutting down when interim spending authority expires on Feb. 15. The House could take up the measure today, with the Senate to consider it soon afterward.
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Wright-Patterson expected to receive the $19 million this year for infrastructure improvements, primarily work on utilities and roads, said Michael Gessel, a vice president with the Dayton Development Coalition which works closely with the base on funding requests.
That work would pave the way for construction to start as soon as this fall on the buildings to house aerospace medicine research, education and other programs. Wright-Patterson officials have said they expect to receive $260 million in federal funding for 2008, out of the entire $335 million construction authorization.
Under the 2005 round of the Base Realignment and Closure process, the programs are to relocate to Wright-Pat from bases in Texas, Arizona, Florida and elsewhere.
