Spending bill sets aside over $200 million for isle projects

Defense spending in Hawaii would increase by more than $200 million while transportation would be boosted by nearly $10 million under a $1.15 trillion congressional spending bill for the remainder of fiscal 2016, officials said.

“I’m pleased we were able to help secure an across-the-board increase in federal investments for Hawaii,” said U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, a member of the Appropriations Committee. “I know that people are paying particular attention to defense and transportation, and we did exceptionally well there.”

The deal announced Wednesday was struck by leadership and the heads of the appropriations committees, with the legislation expected to come to a vote in both chambers this week, DefenseNews reported.

For Hawaii, military construction is fully funded at $444 million — about $200 million above last year’s level, Schatz’s office said in a news release. The amount reflects the Defense Department’s continuing investment in facilities, capabilities and infrastructure for the rebalance to the Pacific, the release said.

U.S. Pacific Fleet commander Adm. Scott Swift said Monday at a cooperative strategy forum in Honolulu that he is “not resource-constrained.”

“As the Pacific Fleet, we are able to accommodate what the policymakers’ desires are for presence and operations,” Swift said.

Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay would get $12.4 million for a new facility to support a detachment of two P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft that will rotate through Hawaii, $68 million for a new bachelor enlisted quarters, and $26.1 million to modernize lighting on the airfield.

Hawaii highway and transportation funding will include $250 million for the Honolulu rail project, with Hawaii receiving annual increases for roads, bridges, buses and bike paths, Schatz’s office said.

A total of $511 million was set aside for national parks and monuments including the new Honouliuli National Monument. Opened in 1943, Hono­uli­uli Internment Camp was the last, largest and longest-used World War II confinement site in Hawaii.

The majority of Hono­uli­uli’s approximately 400 civilian internees were Japa­nese-Americans who were citizens by birth. The Kunia site was also the largest prisoner-of-war camp in Hawaii, with nearly 4,000 POWs including enemy soldiers and labor conscripts from Japan, Korea, Oki­nawa, Tai­wan and Italy.

Funding for defense, transportation and other projects also includes:

>> $123.8 million for a behavioral health and dental clinic at Schofield Barracks;

>> $122.1 million to replace a medical/dental clinic at Kaneohe Bay;

>> $30.6 million for electric grid work at Kauai’s Pacific Missile Range Facility;

>> $46 million for an F-22 fighter alert facility at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam;

>> $13.78 million for a smart grid control system at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam;

>> $16.7 million for the East-West Center; and

>> $13.7 million for Native Hawaiian health care.