U.S. Senator Katie Britt Applauds Senate Passage of Nearly $137 Million for Alabama’s Military Installations, Farmers, Rural Communities
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.), a member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, applauded Senate passage of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies (MilCon-VA) Appropriations Act, the FY26 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, and the FY26 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act. Passage of this legislation out of the Senate allows for negotiations to begin with the U.S. House of Representatives before heading to the president’s desk.
“The passage of these bills marks a significant step forward in returning taxpayer dollars to be invested back into Alabama. From supporting our family farmers and rural communities who play a critical role in our economy and national security, to strengthening Alabama’s military bases and the warfighters they serve, I’m proud to use my role as a Senator and an appropriator to deliver for our state. Advancing these bills before September, for the first time since 2018, also demonstrates my commitment to restoring regular order to our broken government spending process. I’m grateful to Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins and Majority Leader John Thune for their dedication to restoring transparency for the American people and ending bloated, last-minute omnibuses once and for all,” said Senator Britt.
A detailed breakdown of the Alabama priorities secured by Senator Britt in the FY26 MilCon-VA Appropriations Act can be found here. The Senator advanced $119.4 million for Alabama’s military installations, including nearly $32.4 million secured in Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) requests. Funding includes support for constructing air traffic control towers for Fort Rucker’s critical mission of training Army Aviators in the Alabama Wiregrass and building a state-of-the-art “All-Domain Wargaming Center” at Maxwell Air Force Base. Anniston Army Depot and Redstone Arsenal also received significant infrastructure investments.
In total, the FY26 MilCon-VA Appropriations Act would provide $19.8 billion for the Department of Defense military construction program to fund more than 280 projects at military bases around the world, and $133.3 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), including funding for VA medical care.
A detailed breakdown of the funding Senator Britt secured in the FY26 Agriculture Appropriations Act can be found here. Senator Britt directly secured more than $6.25 million in CDS spending for Alabama’s farmers and rural communities. Projects included upgrades for emergency communications capabilities, drinking and wastewater infrastructure, and fire fighting equipment.
No state has more 1890 Land-Grant Institutions than Alabama, and Senator Britt successfully secured specific language in the FY26 Agriculture Appropriations Act expressing concern with delays in issuing applications for the 1890 Scholars Program, and directing a report detailing expected timelines for FY26. Additionally, Senator Britt secured critical funding for 1890 Institutions: $21.5 million for facility improvements; $89 million for research initiatives; $30 million for education grants; $10 million for scholarships, and more.
Senator Britt also fought to fund programs that invest in rural Alabama, including $23.9 million for the Circuit Rider Program, one of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s most successful public-private partnerships; $7 million for the Grassroots Source Water Protection Program; $1 million for research into how peanut farmers can best combat drought conditions; $2 million for the Alabama Water Institute’s CONSERVE program at the University of Alabama; and $6 million for the Institute for Rural Partnerships.
In the FY26 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, Senator Britt was proud to support $885 million for security and support for the courageous men and women of the United States Capitol Police.
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