[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 186 (Thursday, December 1, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6924-S6925]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                        Ellsworth Air Force Base

  Mr. THUNE. Madam President, tomorrow, Northrop Grumman and the U.S. 
Air Force will unveil the new B-21 bomber, a sixth-generation aircraft 
that will revolutionize the Air Force's long-range strike capabilities.
  I had the special opportunity to see the first tails under 
development at Palmdale, and I am excited that this incredible feat of 
U.S. engineering will finally be unveiled to the American public and to 
our adversaries. It is an exciting day for the Air Force, and it is an 
especially exciting day for Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota, 
which was chosen to be the first home--Main Operating Base 1--of the B-
21 Raider.
  We have come a long way at Ellsworth since I first came to the 
Senate. Shortly after I took office, Ellsworth was recommended for 
closure by the Department of Defense's Base Realignment and Closure 
Commission. So one of my first priorities as a U.S. Senator became 
getting Ellsworth taken off the closure list. Statistically speaking, 
our odds of pulling through were not high, but thanks to an all-hands 
effort by the congressional delegation and State and community leaders, 
we won the day, and we were removed from the BRAC list that August.
  Then we got right to work on building up the base so we would never 
again find ourselves in the same position.
  In 2007, the Air Force Financial Services Center opened at Ellsworth, 
and 2011 saw the arrival of the 89th Attack Squadron and its command 
and control stations for MQ-9 Reapers.
  In 2015, a nearly decade-long effort paid off with the quadrupling of 
the

[[Page S6925]]

training airspace for the base. The Powder River Training Complex is 
now the largest training airspace in the continental United States and 
can be used for large-force exercises that draw combat aircraft from 
across the country, and it is well-suited for B-21 training. This is 
just one of the efforts that we undertook to put Ellsworth in the best 
possible position to secure the B-21 mission. I am proud that it paid 
off with last June's announcement that Ellsworth would become the home 
of the Raider.
  The B-21 represents a significant step forward in our long-range 
strike capabilities, and it will come not a moment too soon. Between 
chronic underfunding and a high operational tempo during the War on 
Terror, our military preparedness became seriously strained.
  A 2018 National Defense Strategy Commission report warned that our 
Nation's readiness had eroded to the point where we might struggle to 
win a war against a major power like Russia or China. This was not just 
because of the wear and tear of our own forces but also because of the 
significant investments being made by China and Russia in their 
militaries, with the intent of neutralizing our military strengths. We 
have made progress since then, but there is still a lot of work that 
needs to be done.
  The importance of continued investment in our Nation's military and 
our technological edge cannot be overstated. The events of the past 
year should remind us that there will always be bad actors who 
represent a threat to peace and freedom, and being prepared to meet 
those threats is the best way of preserving peace and keeping our 
Nation secure.
  It is disappointing that the National Defense Authorization Act--
yearly legislation to authorize funding for our military and national 
defense--has been so low on Democrats' priority list this year. We are 
2 months in fiscal year 2023; yet the Senate still hasn't taken up the 
2023 bill. Democrats were more focused on spending hundreds of billions 
of dollars on their Green New Deal priorities than they were on passing 
essential legislation for our Nation's defense.
  As efforts continue to negotiate a way to bring the NDAA to the 
floor, I hope we are able to pass a comprehensive bill that rejects the 
President's inadequate funding request and addresses all our key 
defense requirements.
  As always, one of my top priorities is ensuring that each year's NDAA 
addresses the needs of our airmen at Ellsworth Air Force Base. I am 
working to ensure that the base continues to receive full funding for 
the many equipment and support facilities that will be needed for the 
B-21 Raider mission.
  In late October, I had the opportunity of reviewing the progress at 
Ellsworth firsthand with Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall, and 
suffice it to say, things are going to be very, very busy over the 
coming years. The B-21 training and operational missions will require 
significant investments in new infrastructure, including a low-
observable coating restoration facility and a radio frequency facility 
to support the Raider's stealth properties, as well as a 
weapons generation facility to support its nuclear capability. The NDAA 
will continue this essential military construction and ensure that it 
remains on pace in preparation for the arrival of the B-21.

  We also need to ensure Ellsworth remains a premier training space for 
our bombers, which is why I am pursuing a provision to require the 
Federal Aviation Administration to establish a pilot program to support 
the development of dynamic airspace. Dynamic airspace--sometimes called 
adaptive airspace--refers to efficiently scheduling and managing 
airspace and adjusting airspace boundaries as military exercises or 
other flights proceed through them. This concept will better enable the 
Pentagon to meet training requirements for aircraft like the B-21, 
which need larger volumes of training airspace to accommodate longer 
engagement distances.
  As always, while we prepare for the B-21 mission, I continue to work 
to ensure that our B-1s at Ellsworth receive all the resources they 
need to remain a responsive and lethal component of Global Strike 
Command, as they demonstrated in the just-completed Bomber Task Force 
deployment to Guam.
  While updated planes and equipment are essential, as always, our 
greatest resource is the men and women who wear the uniform. I will 
continue to work to improve quality of life for our Ellsworth airmen 
and their families.
  More military families will be moving into the communities 
surrounding Ellsworth with the arrival of the B-21 mission, and another 
one of my priorities is making sure that the infrastructure is in place 
to provide ample support for these new families.
  I worked to include a provision in this year's NDAA that would allow 
the Secretary of Defense to continue to adjust basic allowance for 
housing rates if an installation is experiencing a sudden increase in 
the number of servicemembers assigned there. This will help ensure that 
families at Ellsworth and elsewhere will have the resources they need 
to secure appropriate accommodations.
  I am also working to ensure that the Douglas School District is able 
to integrate and support Air Force members' children and provide 
sufficient classroom space. I am grateful to the other members of South 
Dakota's congressional delegation for working with me to ensure that 
this year's NDAA will authorize up to $15 million in Impact Aid funding 
for schools experiencing forced structure changes like the anticipated 
growth at Ellsworth.
  I am looking forward to tomorrow's unveiling of the B-21 Raider and 
to that day in the near future when the first Raider lands at 
Ellsworth. It is an honor to be part of building up the base and to 
represent the men and women of Ellsworth in the U.S. Senate.
  I will continue to do everything I can to ensure that our Ellsworth 
airmen and our men and women in uniform in every branch of the military 
have everything they need to carry out their missions.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Padilla). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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