WASHINGTON — Last week, U.S. Sens. John Fetterman, D-Pa., and Tom Cotton, R-Ark., introduced the Depot Investment Reform Act to help military depots across the United States respond to rapidly changing national security needs around the world by making federal investments more responsive.

Congressmen Chris Deluzio, D-Pa., and Blake Moore, R-Utah, introduced the companion legislation in the House.

“Military depots like Tobyhanna and Letterkenny are the backbone of our military readiness,” said Fetterman. “They ensure our soldiers have access to the weapons systems and platforms they need to keep our nation safe. The Depot Investment Reform Act takes action to make sure our depots can respond to rapidly evolving global threats.”

Cotton added, “The Army’s arsenals and depots are a critical part of our defense industrial base. This bill will improve our ability to produce the ammunition and weapons systems that we need to fight and win wars.”

Deluzio said this would help America’s military be prepared.

“America’s military needs to be ready and prepared for whatever comes our way,” said Deluzio. “This is a top priority in my work on the House Armed Services Committee, and I am proud to join the senators to help improve our military depots and boost our military readiness.”

The Depot Investment Reform Act would improve military depot responsiveness by updating the formula used to determine federal investments in these depots. Currently, funding levels are determined based on the average workload of the previous three fiscal years. The Depot Investment Reform Act would change this formula to consider the workload average of the previous fiscal year, current fiscal year, and estimate for the next fiscal year to determine investments.

By allowing future estimates to be included in investment calculations, this change would help military depots respond to rapidly changing needs. During periods of increased revenue, the investment formula set by the Depot Investment Reform Act would likely generate a higher minimum investment than the current formula, allowing the depots to receive adequate funding to meet demand. By considering both past and future workloads, this method may create a more stable investment amount in both times of increasing and decreasing revenue, allowing depots across the nation to plan for the future with confidence.

Military depots are essential to maintaining military readiness by ensuring critical weapons systems are being repaired and returned for use in training and operations. Tobyhanna Army Depot and Letterkenny Army Depot, both located in Pennsylvania, have played essential roles in arming U.S. service members with reliable weapons, technology, and platforms throughout U.S. military history.