Granger Secures Funding for Texas’ 12th Congressional District Supporting Local Defense Jobs and Economy

Yesterday the House Appropriations Committee passed the Defense Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2022. This bill provides critical funding for the Department of Defense.

As the Republican Leader on the Appropriations Committee, I successfully fought for funding that is vital to Texas’ 12^th Congressional district’s national security and local defense jobs.  The Metroplex is home to the very best manufacturing jobs and a very highly skilled work force.  The work these men and women do every day is one of the reasons the United States has the best military in the world.  Just as I have done since my first day in Congress, I will continue to fight to protect every single one of those jobs, and to bring new jobs to North Texas.

While House Democrats added provisions that prevented me from supporting the bill in its current form, I am strongly supportive of many priority programs funded in the bill.  I hope that Democrats will come back to the negotiating table and work with Republicans to negotiate a bill that prioritizes national defense and can be passed by the House and Senate and signed into law.

Background

Supports The USS Fort Worth – I successfully fought to include language to save the USS Fort Worth from premature retirement by the Navy. USS Forth Worth, commissioned in 2012, is our pride and joy in the US Navy.

Supports Texas’ 12^th Congressional District Jobs –

F-35 Aircraft – includes 85 new F-35 aircraft to be built in the Lockheed facility in Fort Worth. The F-35 supports over 17 suppliers that represent 49,000 direct and indirect jobs. The program represents an annual economic impact of $9.4 billion.

V-22 Aircraft – includes 8 new V-22 aircraft supporting over 15 suppliers and vendors in the Metroplex. Locally, the V-22 program supports 350 direct and indirect jobs and represents $22 million in economic impact.

Investments in Metroplex Defense Technology – Fort Worth is home to the world’s best defense employees and engineers specializing in cutting edge aircraft. Included in the bill is $444 Million for the development of the Army’s Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) supporting over 5,100 Fort Worth and North Texas employees and another $635 million to fund the Army’s Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft to be built here in Fort Worth.