{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.cochran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ContentRecord_id=e043a4c3-967b-411d-a9b7-3c159ae457bc", "COCHRAN: FY2015 DEFENSE BILL MAKES PROGRESS TOWARD MEETING U.S. SECURITY NEEDS", "2014-07-17", "2014", "2014-07", "Republican", "House", "MS", "Thad Cochran", "C000567", "www.cochran.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), vice chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today supported committee passage of a defense funding bill that makes progress on meeting challenges associated with maintaining the nation\u2019s naval power and improving readiness of the nation\u2019s Armed Forces.\r\nCochran on Thursday supported approval of the FY2015 Defense Appropriations Bill by the Senate Appropriations Committee.\u00a0 The nearly $549 billion measure, which is now available for consideration by the entire Senate, makes $11 billion in reductions from program requests throughout the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community, and redirects some of those savings to other national defense priorities like readiness, ships and aircraft.\r\n\u201cThe FY2015 Defense Appropriations Bill represents an honest effort to consider the needs of the Armed Forces within the limits set by the budget process.\u00a0 We\u2019ve worked to ensure that our military forces have the resources they need to carry out their missions and protect our national security interests,\u201d Cochran said.\u00a0 \u201cI hope the bill will soon be brought to the floor for debate so that all Senators will have a chance to offer amendments and improvements to it.\u201d\r\n\u201cOn a number of fronts, this bill will allow Mississippians to continue their important role in supporting the nation\u2019s security interests,\u201d he added.\u00a0 \u201cOur state is proud of its contributions to ensuring that our men and women in uniform are the best equipped and trained in the world.\u201d\r\nIn crafting the bill, Cochran worked to secure $800 million for procurement of a 12th LPD class amphibious warship, a project that has been identified as a priority for the U.S. Marine Corps and the Navy.\u00a0 The LPD class amphibious warships are built in Pascagoula.\r\nDespite the Marine Corps\u2019 need for the 12th LPD vessel, the President did not request funding for it and the House-passed version of the FY2015 Defense Appropriations Bill did not provide funding for it.\r\n\u201cI am confident that the Senate and House will resolve this difference in a manner that best suits our security interests,\u201d Cochran said.\u00a0 \u201cThe Senate bill recognizes the Marine Corps\u2019 need for another LPD vessel, as well as the budgetary benefits of continuing the active production line as the Navy and Defense Department develop a plan for a new generation of naval vessels to meet the changing threats facing our security interests.\u201d\r\nIn addition to $800 million for the LPD 17 program, Cochran cited other funding to help the Armed Forces that the President failed to request that directly impact Mississippi, including:  \u2022\u00a0$220 million, $40 million above the President\u2019s request, to support High Performance Computing at Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) in Vicksburg;  \u2022\u00a0$130 million, funding not in the President\u2019s request, to enhance National Guard counterdrug activities and the Regional Counterdrug Training Academy at the Meridian Naval Air Station;  \u2022\u00a0$10 million, $8 million above the President\u2019s request, to improve the Digital Radar Warning Receiver built in Forest for the Air National Guard; and  \u2022\u00a0$110 million, $70 million above the President\u2019s request, for the procurement of MQ-8C Fire Scouts, which are assembled in Moss Point.\r\nThe bill also provides $2.67 billion for the procurement of two DDG-51 destroyers, one of which would be built in Pascagoula.\r\nIn addition, the measure also funds 55 Lakota Light Utility Helicopters, which are produced in Columbus.\u00a0 This represents a major increase from the procurement of 20 Lakota aircraft funded in FY2014.\u00a0\u00a0 Separately, Cochran is also supporting a pending FY2014 reprogramming request from the U.S. Army which calls for the procurement of 21 additional Lakota Light Utility Helicopters in FY2014.\r\nOverall, the bill supports the administration\u2019s request for a 1.0 percent pay raise for military and civilian personnel.\u00a0 It also adds $200 million to maintain operations at commissaries.\r\nThe Senate bill adds $507.5 million to fully fund military retirement benefits, meeting the congressional commitment to reverse cuts made to those benefits in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 (Murray-Ryan agreement).\u00a0 Cochran opposed that Act.\r\n\u00a0In compliance with the earmark moratorium, the Senate bill contains no congressionally-directed spending items.\u00a0\u00a0 The bill, however, directs funding not requested in the President\u2019s FY2015 budget request toward national programs of inherent value for national defense, including shortfalls identified by the Services and activities authorized by the Senate Armed Services Committee or Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.cochran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news-releases?ContentRecord_id=e043a4c3-967b-411d-a9b7-3c159ae457bc"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.3195141218602657, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}