Congress sends $716 billion defense bill with military pay raise to Trump

WASHINGTON (WDRB) - A $716 billion defense bill is ready for President Donald Trump to sign, and it includes a pay raise for the military and $150 million in funding for the military in Kentucky.

In a news release Wednesday, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) praised Senate passage of the John S. McCain 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

The measure will raise military pay by 2.6 percent, the largest pay hike in nine years. The 87-10 vote Wednesday sends the bill to the White House for Trump's expected signature.

McConnell said he helped secured money for military construction projects at installations in Kentucky. The list includes training facilities for the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell, the Army's Human Resources Command and Recruiting Command at Fort Knox and support for chemical weapon demilitarization at the Bluegrass Army Depot.

Kentucky projects funded by the defense bill include:

$26 million for a Digital Air/Ground Integration Range at Fort Knox
$32 million for a Vehicle Maintenance Shop at Fort Campbell
$18 million for a Microgrid and Power Plant at Fort Campbell
$62.6 million for the Fort Campbell Middle School
$5.4 million for a Special Operations Forces Logistics Support Operations Facility at Fort Campbell
$9.1 million for a Special Operations Forces Air/Ground Integration Urban Live Fire Range at Fort Campbell
$5.1 million for a Special Operations Forces Multi-Use Helicopter Training Facility at Fort Campbell
$993.8 milion for Department of Defense chemical agents and munitions destruction activities, which will support chemical demilitarization efforts at the Blue Grass Army Depot.

The bill also gives authority for the production and use of natural gas at Fort Knox. McConnell said he worked with Congressman Brett Guthrie and Sen. Rand Paul to include the measure in the final bill.

The compromise bill weakens a bid to clamp down on the Chinese telecom giant ZTE and allows Trump to waive sanctions against countries that bought Russian weapons but now want to buy U.S. military equipment.

The bill does not fund Trump's request for a new "Space Force" as an independent service branch but authorizes a military parade he wants in Washington in November.

House and Senate lawmakers negotiated the bill after each chamber approved competing versions. The House approved the compromise last week.