SE Nebraska News

U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, has announced that she advanced more than $200 million in funding for defense programs at both the national level and in Nebraska. The funding is included in the Fiscal Year 2026 Defense Appropriations Bill, which is now pending consideration on the Senate floor.

The funds will support several military units based at Offutt Air Force Base, including U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM), the 55th Wing, and the 557th Weather Wing. Fischer stated, “The first duty of Congress is to defend the nation, and as a member of the Appropriations Committee and Armed Services Committee, I’m working to ensure our nation is equipped to fulfill that mission. That’s why I advanced critical funding for projects that will boost U.S. Strategic Command, the 55th Wing, and the 557th Weather Wing at Offutt Air Force Base, including critical defense programs our nation relies upon to keep our people safe.”

For STRATCOM, Fischer secured $15 million for its NC3 Enterprise Center’s Rapid Engineering Architecture Collaboration Hub (REACH) program and $11 million to expand and improve its network sensor demonstration capabilities. An additional $9 million will be used to test and evaluate new electromagnetic warfare technologies.

The 55th Wing will receive $20 million aimed at improving alternate position, navigation, and timing systems on its RC-135 aircraft fleet.

The 557th Weather Wing will benefit from $1 million each for mitigating security risks during its transition to cloud-based data processing services and for enhancing sensing and modeling capabilities to support missions in the stratosphere.

Fischer also helped secure funding for partnerships with Nebraska universities. The University of Nebraska Medical Center will receive $3 million to collaborate with federal agencies on contingency planning for extreme health events. Another $3 million goes to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for developing an Automated Resuscitation Catheter.

Other provisions include an extra $30 million above what was requested by the President’s budget for APEX accelerator programs; an additional $60 million for MH-139 helicopters used in monitoring Intercontinental Ballistic Missile fields; $50 million more than requested to stabilize missile component production; and $47.5 million above requested levels for U.S.-Israel Emerging Technology Cooperation focused on future battlefield challenges.