HONOLULU — Hawaii could get an influx of $469.7 million for military construction and infrastructure investment as part of the National Defense Authorization Act.
The bill was passed by the House Armed Services Committee on Thursday morning after a nearly 19-hour congressional hearing.
For Hawaii, the bill includes funding for improvements at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam and Marine Corps Base Hawaii. It also includes a plan to make improvements at the Red Hill Underground Fuel Storage Facility, which leaked an estimated 27,000 gallons of fuel last year.
The bill also requires the president to provide an overall strategy for U.S. interests in the region, and states that an Indo-Asia-Pacific strategy must be included as a separate part of the executive budget.
“There’s so much happening in the Asia-Pacific region,” U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, said in an interview. “There has been quite a bit of focus both on the economic opportunity and also seeing how collectively we can ensure that there is stability in the region.”
“As we understand and recognize that there are other hot spots occurring around the world, we want to make sure that as we address those other issues, we don’t lose focus on what must continue to occur in the Asia-Pacific region,” Gabbard said.
The bill also requires the secretary of defense to report on a program to eradicate the coconut rhinoceros beetle, an invasive species that can cause millions of dollars in property damage. The beetle was introduced to Hawaii through military shipments from Guam, according to a news release from Hawaii’s congressional delegation.
The proposal “will provide Hawaii with the necessary resources we need to upgrade our aging infrastructure, protect Hawaii’s environment and bolster our economy,” Rep. Mark Takai, D-Hawaii, said in a news release.
At this stage, Hawaii’s $469.7 million cut of the defense spending bill is greater than the $435.9 million approved for Hawaii in 2015, but that number could change as the bill progresses through Congress.
The overall defense spending bill includes $611.8 billion in spending and now heads to the full House for a vote.