House Passes Defense Appropriations Legislation with Wagner Provisions

Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO) released the following statement after the House passed H.R. 4016, Department of Defense Appropriations Act:  

“Our world continues to be a dangerous and volatile place, and it remains critical we counter our adversaries by enhancing American military superiority and supporting the men and women of our armed forces as they fight for our freedoms. Today’s defense appropriations legislation accomplishes those goals by investing in badly needed air superiority programs including the new F-47 stealth fighter, the F-15EX Eagle II, and the MQ-25 Stingray refueling drone, all made right here in the greater St. Louis region.  It also includes strong funding for Missouri-made Small Diameter Bombs (SDBs) and Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs), a remarkable and cost-effective capability that converts unguided bombs into highly accurate guided weapons. 

“The new Axis of Evil that is Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea has continued to threaten global stability and safety of Americans at home and abroad, and this legislation counters those deadly threats by strengthening missile warning systems, advancing next generation intelligence collection, and ensuring our military personnel and their families are appropriately compensated for the many sacrifices they make protecting our nation.  I was pleased my amendments to support the development of cutting-edge armor production and battery manufacturing made here in our community were included, and I thank my colleagues for their confidence in our Missouri ingenuity.”

Amendment Background

1. Supports $6 million for the Isostatic Advanced Armor Production program, which enables domestic development and production of stronger, lighter, and more flexible armor.
2. Supports $5 million for the Multifunctional Ballistic Battery, which supports testing and development of a consolidated Conformal Wearable Battery and Anti-Ballistic personnel armor plate.