U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) has announced that the Senate has passed two key appropriations bills for Fiscal Year 2026, which include provisions aimed at supporting military and agricultural priorities in Tennessee. The Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies (MilCon-VA) Appropriations Act, along with the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, now await approval from the House of Representatives.
“Tennessee is home to both critical military bases and installations and a thriving agriculture industry. The appropriations bills passed by the Senate last night deliver key investments to modernize Fort Campbell, strengthen the Tennessee National Guard, and ensure our servicemembers have the tools they need to protect our national security,” said Senator Blackburn. “At the same time, this legislation supports the groundbreaking research taking place at Tennessee’s world-class universities to help drive innovation and support our agricultural industry.”
The MilCon-VA bill includes funding for several projects in Tennessee. These include support for designing a new hangar at Fort Campbell and replacing its nearly five-decade-old air traffic control tower, which currently lacks modern safety standards as well as sufficient height, space, and visibility for current operations.
Additional funding is set aside for Army National Guard initiatives such as establishing a new Milan Volunteer Training Site Air Force Reserve Range in West Tennessee. There are also plans to relocate the Tennessee National Guard from Berry Field to Smyrna Airport before their lease expires in 2045. If not moved, personnel positions, federal missions, and equipment could be relocated out of state. The expanded training site at Smyrna would allow continued state and federal response capabilities due to its proximity—12 miles from Berry Field—and would retain significant local economic impact estimated at $145 million annually in Middle Tennessee.
The legislation also provides resources for Department of Veterans Affairs medical and prosthetics research at institutions including Vanderbilt University.
In agriculture-related measures, the appropriations bill offers funding for University of Tennessee System research projects. This includes enabling the UT Institute of Agriculture to seek Agricultural Research Service funding for precision poultry farming research. It also allocates $6 million in grants aimed at capacity-building for Non-Land Grant Colleges of Agriculture such as UT Martin.
