$768 billion defense bill passed by House includes pay increase for military members

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - Colorado Springs military members can look forward to a pay raise if the Senate passes the $768 billion defense bill that was already passed by the House earlier this week. Colorado Springs Republican Congressman Doug Lamborn says the bill also includes money for military construction in the Pikes Peak Region.

Besides the pay raise, other big parts of the bill include an independent commission to investigate the war in Afghanistan, and an overhaul of how sexual harassment and assault are prosecuted within the military.

“What we're left with is a pay raise of 2.7 percent for active duty folks, we'll fund the cutting edge technologies that are going to be needed for research and development on directed-energy or lasers, missile defense and some important areas like that," said Rep. Lamborn. "And we addressed the Chinese and Russian threat. “

But despite Congressman Lamborn pushing for an amendment that would've paused work towards moving U.S. Space Command from Colorado Springs to Huntsville, Alabama, his provision was dropped.

"I was disappointed that they couldn't hold that over there in the Senate," said Rep. Lamborn. "I don't know what happened. That would have said that we can't move forward in Alabama until the investigations are done. Now, the environmental impact statement and assessments that have to take place are going to burn up sometime anyway, so they may not have a lot of room to go forward even if they want to, before these two reports come out in the first and second quarters."

Another provision that didn’t make it in the bill was a bipartisan plan to establish a Space National Guard.

"I work with my friend Jason Crow in Aurora, a Democrat who's on the Armed Services Committee as well, and we think the time is ready for a Space Force National Guard," said Rep. Lamborn. "And for some reason, though, the White House wants to hold off on that. So I feel good about doing that next year. But it would've been better to do it this year.”

The bill now heads to the Senate for a vote. If it passes there, it heads to President Joe Biden's desk for his signature.