The Package Includes $156 Million for Louisiana Military Installations
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) issued the following statement on the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) headed to the president’s desk to be signed into law. The package includes several key Louisiana priorities Cassidy worked to secure and $155,971,000 million for Louisiana’s military bases. Cassidy supported the package in July.
“When Louisiana and our military are strong, our country is strong. These investments in U.S. bases like Barksdale send a clear message to the world that the United States is always ready to defend itself and will never bow to our adversaries,” said Dr. Cassidy.
Cassidy also successfully pushed to prevent a personnel reduction of 4,000 troops at Fort Johnson as part of the NDAA deal.
Provisions Cassidy secured for Louisiana in the NDAA include:
| FY24 National Defense Authorization Act Amount | Recipient | Project Description |
| $7,000,000 | Barksdale Air Force Base | 307 BW Medical Facility Addition |
| $2,000,000 | Barksdale Air Force Base | Planning and Design for a Child Development Center |
| $7,000,000 | Barksdale Air Force Base | Planning and Design for a Dormitory |
| $112,000,000 | Barksdale Air Force Base | Weapons Generation Facility (Inc 3) |
| $2,400,000 | Camp Beauregard | Planning and Design for Collective Training Unaccompanied Housing Open-Bay |
| $2,000,000 | Camp Beauregard | National Guard Readiness Center |
| $3,718,000 | Camp Minden | Collective Training Unaccompanied Housing, Open Bay |
| $13,400,000 | Fort Johnson | Multipurpose Athletic Field |
| $6,453,000 | Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans | Distribution Switchgear |
In addition to the Louisiana funding secured above, the FY24 NDAA:
- Secures 5.2% pay raise for servicemembers to offset inflation;
- Confronts China with hard power and enhanced regional cooperation;
- Invests in American naval power;
- Provides the Department of Defense Inspector General with enhanced hiring authorities to ensure Ukraine oversight is fully resourced;
- Requires the Pentagon to plan to counter cartels’ human and drug trafficking on the border;
- Allows the Department of Defense to offer cyber security assistance to personnel’s personal devices and accounts;
- Place sanctions on drug cartels that traffic illicit fentanyl and fentanyl precursors;
- Expands Louisiana rice exports to Africa; and
- Enable better coordination between the Departments of Labor, Defense, and Veteran Affairs to help veterans transition to civilian employment.
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