Defense bill authorizes Nevada spending

With the Senate's vote over the weekend to do away with the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, suddenly a major Pentagon bill that had contained the repeal of the anti-gay provision got much less controversial. 

Consequently the 2011 defense authorization bill that at one time had been blocked by Republicans in the Senate was finalized and passed this morning by both House and Senate. It approves spending $725 billion on defense programs and weapons.

At the request of the Defense Department, improvements totalling $63.3 million were authorized for Nellis and Creech air force bases in Nevada, according to an accounting by the office of Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev. 

As Nellis Air Force Base prepares to host a squadron of F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighters in 2014,  Congress approved $51.65 million for construction of a maintenance hangar and various flight test facilities.

Creech Air Force Base was approved to spend $11.7 million for a rescue station.