Washington, DC – US Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced that the Omnibus spending bill – a must-pass bill that funds the federal government through the end of the fiscal year – includes $58 million in funding to build new barracks at West Point. This is the third federal funding installment for the barracks, which will be the first constructed at the United States Military Academy since 1972. Schumer and Gillibrand both wrote to Senate and House appropriators urging them to include funds for the barracks construction in the omnibus spending bill.
“The Cadets who choose to serve our country deserve the best facilities and education that West Point can offer. That is why I have always fought for the funding that will allow West Point to overhaul dilapidated buildings on its campus and provide better living conditions for Cadets, which in turn will impact retention, quality of study, and overall quality of life. This third federal installment of $58 million will be an investment in the best military institution in America and it will preserve the Hudson Valley’s reputation as the place where our best soldiers come to learn and where the values of service, honor and sacrifice are instilled,” said Senator Schumer.
“West Point is the heart of America’s military tradition,” said Senator Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and West Point Board of Visitors. “These new barracks at West Point will help the Academy reduce overcrowding and improve living conditions. These federal funds couldn’t have a better destination.”
The new West Point barracks would provide housing for 650 cadets, adding new space to help alleviate overcrowding, which can reach up to 40 percent at the beginning of the academic year. The military construction project would also support much needed ongoing and future renovations of the existing barracks, some dating back to 1895.