Defense bill includes pay hike

Measure also contains steps to improve family housing, Inhofe says

The defense bill completed t h i s w e e k b y t h e S e n a t e Armed Services Committee t a k e s maj o r s t e p s t o war d i mproving f amily housing, b o o s t i ng mil i t a r y pa y a nd modernizing weapons syst ems, U. S. Sen. J i m I nhofe said Friday.

“E a c h a n d e v e r y p r o v i - si on addresses some of t he mos t p r e s s i n g c h a l l e n g e s facing our military: curtailing threats from ( China and Russia) and rogue regimes, s e c u r i n g n e w w a r f i g h t - i ng f r o nt i e r s o f s pa c e a nd cyberspace and addressing management issues within the Department o f D e f e n s e , i n particular, privatized housing,” s a i d I n h o f e , Inhofe the chairman

of t he Senate Armed Services Committee.

The bill, which sets defense policy, authorizes $ 750 billion in spending for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1. It will be up to the White House and congressional l eaders how much is ultimately appropriated. The bill now goes to the full Senate.

U . S . S e n . J a c k R e e d , o f R h o d e I s l a n d , t h e t o p Democrat on the committee, said a prompt budget agreement is necessary “to provide certainty and predictability” for the Defense Department. I nhofe s a i d $ 7 5 0 bi l l i on i s the “bare minimum” needed to restore military strength after years of cutbacks.

The measure i n c l u d e s a 3.1% pay raise for active duty military. That is the largest pay hike in a decade, Inhofe, R-Tulsa, said.

I nhofe and Reed said the bill takes meaningful steps to address serious problems at family housing run by private companies.

The committee held t wo hearings this year after a series of stories by the Reuters news agency exposed unhealthy conditions on bases, including Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma County, and unresponsiveness by the private housing companies and base commanders.

“There are many provisions in the bill that will begin to correct the unacceptable state of military privatized family housing,” Reed said.

Janna Driver, a former resident of Tinker Air Force Base who testified at one of Inhofe's hearings, said in a news release this week that she was grateful for the proposed changes in the defense bill.

“We are hopeful that the changes made in this year's (defense bill) — including the Tenant Bill of Rights, dispute r e s ol ut i on pr oces s , a dded transparency and strengthening the chain of command — will help to i ncrease the accountability that has been l a c k i n g a n d n e c e s s a r y i n making living conditions safe and healthy for our military families who sacrifice so much for this country,” Driver said.

Inhofe said in an interview that he plans to hold a third hearing this summer to gauge progress.

Col. Kenyon Bell, installation commander at Tinker, said earlier this month that numerous problems, including mold, were found during a survey of t he 600 housing unit s . The contractor responsible, Balfour Beatty Communities, said it was working quickly to remedy the problems.

Inhofe said the bill would al so expedite hiri ng at t he massive aircraft repair depot a t Ti nke r a nd a t t h e U. S. Army ammunition depot in McAlester. Inhofe added $6 million to the administration's request for repair depots. The Government Accountability Office reported recently that the majority of the Defense Department's depots, includi n g T i n k e r ' s , h a d a g i n g equipment and facilities.

I mpact Aid, which compensates local school districts for the l oss of property tax revenue in communities with military bases, is fully funded under the bill, Inhofe said, and there is specific aid for schools with military dependent children with severe disabilities.