State Rep. Joseph Pavlov this week welcomed long-awaited Senate approval of the House’s supplemental funding plan for Selfridge Air National Guard Base.

In early March, House Republicans passed a $152 million funding measure for runway upgrades and infrastructure improvements needed to prepare the base for the incoming F-15EX fighter mission announced last year by President Donald Trump.

The incoming mission will help secure the future of Selfridge, protecting nearly 5,000 jobs and preserving the roughly $850 million in economic impact the base generates for Michigan each year.

“This is a tremendous victory for Selfridge, southeast Michigan, and our entire state,” said Pavlov (R-Smiths Creek).  

Selfridge is slated to receive the new fighter mission in 2028 but meeting that accelerated timeline requires runway construction to begin before summer of this year.

Pavlov noted that while House Republicans approved the funding nearly three months ago, Senate Democrats delayed action while attempting to use Selfridge as leverage for a larger spending package that included pork projects and a $350 million withdrawal from the state’s rainy-day fund.

“House Republicans held the line, and I’m pleased Senate leadership finally agreed to pass our clean supplemental and get this funding across the finish line before the deadline,” Pavlov said. 

The funding measure now heads to the governor for her signature.