Courtney applauds House passage of FY13 Defense Appropriations Bill

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Joe Courtney and the House of Representatives voted to pass the Fiscal Year 2013 Defense Appropriations Bill by a wide bipartisan margin of 326-90. The annual defense spending bill includes important priorities requested by the Second District lawmaker and the Connecticut delegation to Congress, including significant investments in southeastern Connecticut's defense industry and statewide defense programs. The bill includes $3.2 billion for the procurement of two submarines in 2013 and $1.6 billion in advanced procurement of additional submarines in 2014 and beyond. The latter funding solidifies measures secured by Rep. Courtney – and supported by the bipartisan Congressional Shipbuilding Caucus –in the Defense Authorization bill to ensure doubled submarine production in 2014.

"Not only does stable two-a-year submarine production provide an economic boost up and down eastern Connecticut's supply chain and manufacturing base; it also reduces the long-term costs of production and solidifies our national defense," said Congressman Courtney. "The Second Congressional District is home to tens of thousands of defense-related jobs, and during these tough economic times I am pleased to have secured funding that will protect these jobs and grow our economy."

"Congressman Courtney made a compelling case for continuing the cost savings and production efficiencies we have achieved by building two Virginia class submarines at a time," said Congressman Norm Dicks (D-WA), Ranking Member of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. "I am pleased that in this bill the Committee was able to add funding for advance procurement for a second sub in 2014."

Congressman Courtney is the sole member of the Connecticut Congressional delegation to sit on the House Armed Services Committee. He is a member of the Seapower and Expeditionary Forces Subcommittee, which has jurisdiction over the U.S. Navy, and he is the co-chairman of the bipartisan House Shipbuilding Caucus.

Below is a summary of the Fiscal Year 2013 Defense Appropriations spending bill:

SUMMARY OF DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FUNDING:

Key items

Virginia Class Submarine. The bill provides $4.8 billion for procurement of the Virginia class submarine. Of the total, $3.2 billion is for the procurement of two submarines in 2013, matching the President's budget request and the levels provided in the Block III multi-year procurement contracted signed in 2008.

In addition, the total includes $1.6 billion in advanced procurement of additional submarines in 2014 and beyond – an increase of $723 million above the President's budget secured by Congressman Courtney for the advanced procurement funding needed to build two submarines in 2014.The 2013 budget request included a proposal to temporarily drop production to one submarine in 2014. This increased funding provision matches Congressman Courtney's efforts in the 2013 Defense Authorization bill, passed earlier this year, which includes support for his initiative to boost submarine production in 2014 to maintain a stable two a year procurement rate.

Finally, the bill fully funds the President's request for $100 million in research and development funding on the Virginia Payload Module (VPM), a project that could increase the payload capacity of future submarines.

Ohio Replacement Program (ORP). The bill provides $565 million for development of the Ohio replacement Program, which will replace our aging SSBNs. Electric Boat in Groton is doing significant development work on the program, which has led to job growth and expansion into the former Pfizer building in New London.

Air National Guard / C-27J. As part of a larger reorganization of the Air National Guard, the budget request proposed terminating the C-27J Cargo Aircraft program, which the Connecticut Air National Guard expected to receive in 2014, and transitioning the force to the MC-12 intelligence-gathering aircraft. In particular, the Air Force proposed not using funding previously provided in 2010 and 2011 by Congress to last 17 aircraft planned for the C-27 program – including planes meant for Connecticut.

However, the bill includes language supported by Congressman Courtney directing the Air Force secretary to execute the existing funds provided by Congress in fiscal years 2011 and 2012 to procure up to 17 additional C-27 aircraft. Further, the bill prohibits any FY13 funds from being used to retire, divest, realign or transfer any aircraft of the Air Force, a move aimed at stopping the Air Force's flawed Air Guard reorganization plan. Instead, the bill directs the Air Force to report to Congress at the earliest practicable date, but not later than Oct. 1, providing a cost-benefit analysis for each set of aircraft retirements and realignments proposed with the FY 2013 budget request. The bill also directs the GAO to review the cost-benefit analyses and report its findings to Congress within 180 days after the Air Force's submission.

This provision mirrors a bipartisan initiative that Congressman Courtney helped pass in the 2013 defense authorization bill to block the Air Force's proposed changes to the Air Guard. In those efforts, he joined a bipartisan coalition of members, Governors – including Connecticut's Governor Dannel Malloy – and Adjutants General – including Connecticut Adjutant General Thad Martin – in opposing these misguided plans.

Base Closures – while the Defense funding bill is not used to authorize new rounds of base closures, during debate of the bill the House unanimously planned a bipartisan amendment blocking the use of any funds in the measure to conduct or plan any new BRAC rounds. Congressman Courtney has been a leading opponent of new BRAC rounds in the House, and helped pass a defense authorization earlier this year that rejected the Defense Departments requests for two new rounds in 2013 and 2015.

F35 Joint Strike Fighter. The bill provides $5.9 billion for procurement and $2.7 billion for research and development of the F-35. Of the total, the bill provides $3 billion for 19 F-35As for the Air Force, $1.2 billion for six F-35Bs for the Marine Corps, and $1.4 billion for four Navy F-35As. It also includes $400 million in advanced procurement funding, $64 million less than requested.

Helicopters:

• UH-60 Black Hawk — $1.3 billion for 69 Black Hawks for the Army and Guard, $199 million and 10 aircraft more than the president's request. The additional aircraft are for the Army National Guard, some of whose aircraft date back to the 1970s, according to the committee report.

• MH-60S Knighthawk — $377 million for 18 Navy Knighthawk helicopters, roughly equal to the president's request. The multi-mission Sikorsky MH-60S is used by the Navy for combat search-and-rescue, special-warfare support and airborne mine countermeasures.

• MH-60R Seahawk — $827 million for 24 Navy Seahawk helicopters, five aircraft that are $170 million more than the president's request. The MH-60R is an SH-60B or F that has undergone a "remanufacturing" or "R" process and will feature advanced radar, missiles and low frequency sonar.

Military Pay Raise — provides funds for an average 1.7% pay increase for military personnel in FY 2013, equal to the president's request. That would match the pay raise rate in the private sector as measured by the Employment Cost Index. It is the 13th year in a row that military pay increases would exceed or match those of the private sector.

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