Wisconsin’s local corporations are being targeted for defense equipment through a spending bill passed by the U.S. Senate Saturday that would award the state more than $36 million in defense and disaster aid.

If approved, the bill would provide federal funding to several communities in the state and two Wisconsin companies for defense projects. Madison alone would receive $16 million in aid for defense spending if President Bush signs the bill. ?

U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., supported the bill and said he was pleased with Wisconsin’s involvement in it.

“Our military needs the most up-to-date technology to meet 21st century challenges,” Kohl said in a statement. “I’m proud these Wisconsin companies have earned this federal investment.”

U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, D-Wis., also voted for the bill. Kind’s district was devastated by the flooding in June and appreciated the disaster relief aid, according to Kind’s communication director Anne Lupardus Hanson. ?

While U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., approved of some parts of the bill, he opposed it overall because it included funding for the Iraq war. However, Feingold was pleased by the inclusion of funds to assist Wisconsin in recovering from flood damage. ?

“This bill includes funding for a number of programs I support,” Feingold said in a statement. “But wrapping three separate appropriations bills into one package, with no opportunity for amendments, is irresponsible and unacceptable. Moreover, this bill provides funding to continue the war in Iraq, when we should be bringing that war to a close.”

U.S. Rep. Thomas Petri, R-Wis., also voted against the bill due to unhappiness with the House of Representative’s procedure in dealing with the bill, according to his legislative assistant Richard Markowitz.?

In addition to the millions of dollars in defense funding for the Madison area, $6.3 million would be given to build a new Air Force and National Guard Communication and Audio Training Facility at Truax Field in Madison.?

The Communications and Audio Visual Facility currently shares with the Air Sovereignty Alert mission, causing overcrowding. This funding will allow the alert aircrews to have the current building and will build a new facility for the Communication and Audio Visual Training. ?

The bill would grant funding for two Wisconsin companies, with Oshkosh Corporation receiving $10 million and Appleton Paper Inc. receiving more than $3 million for military equipment.

Oshkosh Corporation would use the money to upgrade military transportation equipment.

Appleton Paper Inc. is waiting on the funding in order to begin a project to create materials for military combat uniforms that would protect soldiers from being severely burned.?

“The proposal being funded uses Appleton Paper’s expertise to add microcapsules into material that would make them more flame retardant, but not add weight to the uniforms,” said Bill Van Den Brandt, manager of corporate communications at Appleton Paper. ?

The bill also provides federal funds to Southeastern Wisconsin and Eau Claire for defense projects and gives money to Grantsburg for upgrading military equipment.