MASCOUTAH, Ill. (AP) — A building at southwestern Illinois Air Force base will bear the name of late former U.S. Sen. Alan Dixon, if a federal lawmaker from Illinois gets his way.

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin says the latest defense appropriations bill being considered in Congress includes his directive that the Air Force chief designates a Scott Air Force Base building in Alan Dixon’s honor.

Dixon died July 6 at age 86. The Democrat’s political career spanned more than 40 years. He was in the U.S. Senate from 1981 to 1993 and chaired a subcommittee of the Armed Services Committee.

Durbin heads the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, which on Thursday passed the spending bill calling for the building to be named in Dixon’s honor. The bill heads to the full committee.

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