The Senate on Tuesday approved a one trillion dollar infrastructure package but an amendment to the bill that would add $50 billion in defense infrastructure spending was blocked from receiving a vote.
Sens. Richard Shelby, R-Ala.; Jim Inhofe, R-Okla.; and Roger Wicker, R-Miss., introduced the amendment to the infrastructure bill.
The amendment would have established a $50.2 billion Defense Infrastructure Fund. The measure proposed $25.35 billion for shipyard improvements, $4.5 billion for military depot modernization, $4 billion for training and test ranges, $2.5 billion for 5G deployment to military bases, $4 billion for facilities sustainment, restoration and modernization and $2 billion for high priority military construction projects.
Defense News reported that Shelby introduced a similar amendment to the budget resolution but the Senate turned down the defense infrastructure proposal in a 53-46 vote.
“These infrastructure projects are absolutely critical to our national security, they impact millions of jobs across the country, both military and civilian,” Shelby said ahead of the Senate vote.
