U.S. House approves Rep. John James request for $162 million for Selfridge to prepare for new fighter mission

The eagles have not landed yet, but they are on approach. The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday approved $162 million requested by Rep. John James for Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Macomb County. The money is needed to prepare for a new fighter mission that President Trump announced when he visited the base a little more than a year ago. Selfridge is slated to get 21 F-15EX Eagle II fighter jets to replace the aging A-10 Warthogs when they retire. It is also supposed to get a squadron of KC-46A Pegasus refueling tankers. The new mission is critical for homeland security, and it’s also massively important for Southeast Michigan’s economy because thousands of jobs are directly and indirectly tied to the base. This is not a done deal yet, though. The funding still needs to pass the U.S. Senate and get signed into law, and the state of Michigan also needs to kick in money to prove it is a committed partner. It’s still unclear whether that will happen, as state-level lawmakers have not reached an agreement yet. “This is the largest amount approved for the Selfridge modernization project thus far,” said James, R-Shelby Township, after the vote. “Getting to this point is a victory, but we all have to work together to make sure we get the new fighter mission locked in and secure the future of the base for generations.” James represents Michigan’s 10th Congressional District, which includes Selfridge. Huge win for Michigan The $162 million for Selfridge was included in the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs appropriations bill, which passed 400-15. The money is for three projects: $110M to improve and extend the runway $24M for taxiway Bravo $28M for taxiway Alpha Under the plan approved today, Selfridge will get more than half of the construction money for all Air National Guard bases nationwide. That’s 56 cents out of every dollar of the $261M total for Air National Guard construction. The $162 million figure is also the 2nd largest appropriations for military construction overall, behind just one project for the Space Force that is larger. Total cost around $1 billion According to base commander Brig. Gen. Leah Voelker, the total upgrade project will cost around $1 billion over a span of several years. James requested $673 million for Selfridge, which is the amount the Air National Guard asked him to request. Of that, the $162 million approved today is the most important because sequentially, the runway improvements have to happen first before any of the other upgrades. Other components that will likely come down the road include: $190M for an eight-bay maintenance complex for the F-15EX Eagle II $218M for a dual bay hanger complex for the KC-46A Pegasus refueling tankers $34M for a Pegasus aircrew training complex $28M for Pegasus squadron operations building $6.6M for an aircraft arresting system used to safely stop aircraft in danger of overshooting the runway $35M for planning and design James previously secured $20 million for Selfridge. State-level funding dispute explained Federal guidelines require the host state to put up money to prove it is a committed partner when getting a military base investment of this magnitude. The Republican-controlled Michigan House of Representatives passed a “clean” supplemental appropriation of $152 million for Selfridge on March 3. That means it approved money for just this one project, with nothing else attached. The Democrat-controlled Michigan Senate passed its own supplemental nearly two full months later, on April 30, that also included $152 million for Selfridge. But rather than pass a clean spending bill, the state Senate loaded it up with other unrelated projects and tied it to a plan to take money out of the state Rainy Day Fund. It also relies on lapsed funds that won’t lapse until October, meaning the money will not be available immediately. The reason the money is needed now is so that construction can get started right away, which is necessary due to concern a future president could scrap the mission and send it to another base in another state if the upgrades are not done before President Trump leaves office. The state funds can cover the gap until federal funds are approved by the full Congress. But that means breaking the standoff. Gov. Whitmer has publicly said that state lawmakers need to approve funding by June 1. “The state Senate is trying to use Selfridge as leverage in state budget negotiations and playing a dangerous game of chicken, putting the mission at risk. They need to get off the stick,” James said. State lawmakers included $26 million in the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 budget, and there was a smattering of state money before that.