Duckworth Secures Key NDAA Provisions to Strengthen Rock Island Arsenal, Support Families and Farmers in Illinois and Beyond

December 23, 2024

Duckworth Secures Key NDAA Provisions to Strengthen Rock Island Arsenal, Support Families and Farmers in Illinois and Beyond

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), who served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years and is a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), secured several important provisions to support our state in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that passed Congress this week. Some of priorities Duckworth secured to help Illinoisans include expanding housing opportunities and surrounding infrastructure at Rock Island Arsenal, supporting school districts near military bases by helping alleviate state and local tax base funding shortfalls and expanding our military's use of sustainable aviation fuels, which supports our Illinois farmers, protects the environment and drives economy opportunity throughout the Midwest.

"The brave Illinoisans who serve our nation in uniform at home and abroad deserve to know that our country fully supports them as they and their families sacrifice to defend our country," said Senator Duckworth. "While I do not support every provision in this bipartisan compromise, I'm proud I was able to secure critical provisions that benefit our state by strengthening Rock Island Arsenal, helping ensure our schools serving communities around our military bases have the support they need and expanding our military's use of renewable aviation fuels. I voted to pass this legislation because our troops deserve each of those improvements and because it's the right thing to do for our national security. I hope the President signs it as soon as possible."

Key Duckworth provisions secured in this year's Committee-passed NDAA aimed at supporting Illinoisans include:

Support a Strong and Ready Total Force by:

• Building More Inclusive Playgrounds by authorizing a pilot program) to build or upgrade inclusive playgrounds at one military installation within each of the military departments to directly support Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) families. Illinois military bases, including Scott Air Force base, Rock Island Arsenal and Naval Station Great Lakes, could potentially be selected as a part of the pilot program for new, accessible playgrounds.

• Expanding Veteran Medical Care by working with Senator Durbin to secure a one-year extension of the Joint Medical Facility Demonstration Fund. This U.S. Treasury account supports the operations of the North Chicago-based Lovell Federal Health Care Center (FHCC), ensuring continued access to vital services for military families and Veterans in the area.

• Supporting Community Schools and Kids by authorizing an additional $50 million for school districts to receive critical Impact Aid from the DoD, rectifying state and local tax base funding shortfalls due to the presence of federal property in their district. For Illinois school districts with large populations of students living on military bases, this funding will be critical in ensuring our schools, teachers and students have the resources needed and budget shortfalls are addressed.

Build the Logistics Enterprise for a Combat-Credible Deterrent by:

• Supporting the Army's Real Estate Management Cost Savings Tools by authorizing a one-year extension of the Army's Real Property Management program, which helps identify housing opportunities for military installations, like Rock Island Arsenal.

• Advancing USTRANSCOM by increasing the cap on the DoD's authority to buy used sealift vessels, which is a major priority for Belleville-based U.S TRANSCOM.

Tackle Climate Change and Defend the Environment by:

• Enabling the Military's Use of Sustainable Fuel by lifting restrictions on the DoD purchasing bulk renewable fuel, allowing them to utilize new fuel technology that is beneficial to operations, the environment and servicemembers' health. Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) supports our Illinois farmers, protects the environment and drives economic opportunity throughout the Midwest-while decreasing our emissions and dependence on foreign oil.

Restore American Competitiveness by:

• Building Stronger Local Communities by allowing the DoD to provide grants to local communities to improve infrastructure around military bases that benefit local communities and the DoD. This could assist communities that surround military installations, like Rock Island Arsenal.

A full list of Duckworth's priorities included in the FY25 NDAA can be found here.

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