WASHINGTON, D.C.(KMIT)- South Dakota Senator John Thune spoke on the Senate floor this week about the importance of passing the National Defense Authorization Act in order to authorize funding for critical military priorities, including those at Ellsworth Air Force Base in western South Dakota.

The senator says he wants to continue where last year’s defense bill ended.

Thune says more military families will be moving to western South Dakota with the arrival of the B-21 mission.  He says there needs to be support for them.

Key members of the House and Senate will work together to reconcile the two versions of the NDAA, which could authorize up to $847 billion in defense spending.