Defense bill includes 24 new Super Hornets built in St. Louis

Negotiators from the U.S. House and Senate late Wednesday night agreed to a $700 billion defense bill that would fund construction of 24 new F/A-18E/F Super Hornets built by Boeing workers in St. Louis.

John LaBombard, a spokesman for Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., said several other Missouri-specific projects are in the bill, including $175 million in funding for construction of a new National Geospatial-Intelligence western headquarters in north St. Louis.

Rep. Vicky Hartzler, R-Harrisonville, was also on the conference committee.

The $700 billion is about $26 billion more than President Donald Trump requested for the 2018 fiscal year.

Read more: St. Louis Post-Dispatch