Durbin Touts Rock Island Arsenal’s High-Quality Manufacturing In Meeting With Army Secretary Driscoll

Durbin Touts Rock Island Arsenal's High-Quality Manufacturing In Meeting With Army Secretary Driscoll

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, today met with U.S. Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll as the Senate Appropriations Committee reviews the Department of Defense Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) budget request. Durbin and Secretary Driscoll's conversation centered on the importance of supporting jobs at Rock Island Arsenal and ensuring that the Arsenal is valued as a critical producer of military equipment. Last month during an Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense hearing, Durbin secured a commitment from Secretary Driscoll that he would protect Rock Island Arsenal from further significant job cuts after several civilian employees at the Arsenal were impacted by the Army's recent "rebalancing" effort.

"Today, I reiterated to Army Secretary Driscoll that our nation's military readiness is better for the work done by the men and women at Rock Island Arsenal. I am grateful to Army Secretary Driscoll for working with me to protect the workforce at Rock Island Arsenal and develop opportunities that will sustain economic growth in the Quad Cities," Durbin said.

Photos of the meeting are available here.

Durbin has long been a supporter of the Rock Island Arsenal and the groundbreaking manufacturing performed there. In the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Durbin secured significant support for the Arsenal including provisions to:

• Authorize a new pilot program modeled after Durbin's Arsenal Workload Sustainment Act to give contracting preference to public-private partnerships between industry and Army arsenals such as at Rock Island. This provision will help ensure Rock Island Arsenal remains active and viable while preserving the skilled workforce, equipment, and production capacity critical to the nation's defense industrial base;

• Restrict the Army from using any funds allocated for restructuring until the Army provides more information about its proposed plan to integrate Joint Munitions Command and Army Sustainment Command, helping to ensure operations and protect jobs at Rock Island Arsenal from unnecessary cuts; and

• Authorize the Army to expand robotic munitions manufacturing capabilities at government-owned, contractor-operated facilities, which will help boost workload for facilities such as the Quad City Cartridge Case Facility.

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