MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. – Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall hopes to move quickly on a supplemental spending bill to fund construction of a new runway at Selfridge Air National Guard Base to prepare for a new fighter mission.
The 21 F‑15EX Eagle II fighter jets are scheduled to arrive at the base in fiscal year 2028.
“The best thing we can do to ensure that happens is to make sure it happens while President Trump is president,” said Hall, who wants to get a $152 million budget supplemental to Governor Gretchen Whitmer by spring break.
President Donald Trump and Whitmer announced the new fighter mission at the base last April, ending uncertainty about Selfridge’s future after its A‑10 fighter fleet was scheduled for retirement.
“(The Trump Administration) cut through the bureaucracy. They found us the planes. They came back to give us the commitment on the mission,” Hall said. “Now we have to do our part to get this done.”
Hall said the state can’t wait on the federal government to fund the runway construction.
“We can move much faster than the federal government. So I would still expect them to build out the rest of the site, including the hangar and things like that,” Hall said.
House Bill No. 4572 passed the House on Tuesday.
The governor’s office released the following statement:
“Since day one, Governor Whitmer has been laser-focused on securing a new fighter mission at Selfridge and supporting the brave service members who step up for our communities every day. The governor will continue to work with the legislature and federal officials to secure funding to make improvements to Selfridge for the new fighter and tanker missions, secure military and civilian jobs, and cement Michigan’s status as a hub for defense and aerospace well into the future. The governor looks forward to welcoming the first planes as they land at Selfridge.”
Stacey LaRouche, Press Secretary
Local 4 is reaching out to Senate Democrats for a response.