Courtney Secures Historic Funding for Submarine Construction, Workforce Development, Shipyard Recapitalization, and More in 2022 NDAA 

WASHINGTON, DC—Tonight, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02), Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces, voted to pass the final Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) (S. 1605). The vote marks one of the final milestones on the FY 2022 NDAA's path to becoming law—the House previously voted to pass the House's version of the 2022 NDAA in September, but the Senate failed to take the bill up last week. Today's bill represents a version agreed upon by the bipartisan Chairs of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees.

The 2022 NDAA includes several provisions originally authored by Rep. Courtney and the Seapower Subcommittee, including funding to sustain the two-per-year build rate of Virginia-class submarines, to grow Virginia-class production to three-per-year by 2025, and to support a second year of construction on the Columbia-class submarine program. The bill also includes Courtney's signature effort to bolster the shipbuilding supply chain and upgrade the industrial base—investments that would enable workers in eastern Connecticut and across the U.S. to take on work emerging from increased submarine production, and potentially brand-new opportunities stemming from the historic AUKUS partnership.

"At a time when America's and our allies' national security priorities are refocusing rapidly towards the maritime domain, as President Biden has made clear, the 2022 NDAA couldn't afford to fall short," said Congressman Courtney. "Today the House answered the call from our Navy, our servicemembers and combatant commanders, and our allies around the world. We crafted this bill in the House, and we came together from both sides of the aisle today to pass a 2022 NDAA that ensures America will be ready to overcome tomorrow's challenges, and to help our allies do the same.

"It's no surprise that the 2022 NDAA focuses heavily on boosting our naval and maritime fleets, and on our submarine capabilities. On the Seapower Subcommittee, we led the effort to build on President Biden's budget request and deliver the largest combined investment in submarine procurement and development in recent history. We didn't stop there—the 2022 NDAA also includes a provision I authored to prepare our shipyards for increased attack submarine production beyond the current two-a-year build rate, whether it's to meet our own domestic demand for submarines, or to support the AUKUS alliance and help with construction of nuclear-powered submarines for our Australian allies."

Rep. Courtney continued: "We've done nearly a full one-eighty from last year, when we met the challenge to restore construction of an entire submarine in the 2021 NDAA that the Trump Administration sought to cut in its budget. Instead, the 2022 NDAA maintains stable authority for submarine construction, for domestic sealift capabilities, and for our servicemembers that our Seapower Subcommittee originally authored and authorized. This is a great bill for servicemembers, shipbuilders, and our supply chain, we've pressed hard this year to bring it all home, and I am pleased to advance it tonight on a bipartisan basis towards President Biden's desk."

The House voted to pass the 2022 NDAA by a margin of 363-70. This marks the 61^st consecutive year that the House has completed the nation's defense authorization on a bipartisan basis. Now that the House has voted in favor of the final 2022 NDAA, the bill will move on to the Senate for a secondary authorization, and on to President Biden's desk for signature.

Courtney-Led Priorities in the 2022 NDAA

Submarines and Undersea Capabilities — The House-passed NDAA provides a total of $13.4 billion for submarine procurement, repair, research & development priorities including:

• Virginia-class Submarine – supports the sustained two-per-year build rate of new Virginia-class submarines in 2022 and beyond, continuing the Block V multi-year contract and reflecting Courtney's bipartisan work to preserve the two a year build rate. The bill also authorizes $200 million to allow the Navy to support shipyard facility and industrial base improvements to enable future increases in Virginia class submarine production from two to three by 2025, a long-time priority of Chairman Courtney's.
• Columbia-class Submarine – fully supports the second year of funding for the first Columbia class submarine and supports advanced procurement to support the second, in line with the contract announced in June 2020, as well as a Courtney-authored provision providing $130 million to continue efforts to improve the nationwide submarine supplier base. The bill also directs the Navy Secretary to outline additional authorities that are needed in the National Sea-Based Deterrents Fund (NSBDF) to reduce risk, achieve cost savings, or increase flexibility in executing the program. Recent data from the Navy shows that the use of NSBDF authorities have saved $1.4 billion in the Columbia-class program, to the tune of more than $100 million per boat.
• Research and Development of Future Submarine Capabilities– the bill includes $900 million in research and development of future submarine capabilities, including a $100 million increase for developing capabilities for the next block of submarines, and about $30 million to develop the SSN(X), the planned future follow-on to the Virginia-class. These efforts are vital to sustaining the health of the design and engineering workforce at Electric Boat.
• USS Hartford repair availability – the bill fully authorizes the budget request of $710 million to support the remainder of the maintenance availability for the USS Hartford in 2022. In June, the Navy awarded the "smart start" contract to Groton's Electric Boat (EB) for initial maintenance work on the boat, one of the largest submarine maintenance availabilities ever executed by the yard. Click here to learn more.

The bill also includes other Courtney-led provisions to augment undersea priorities such as:

• Academic Partnerships for Undersea Research – The bill authorizes $16.5 million to support partnerships with academic institutions conducting research on undersea capabilities, such as the National Institute for Undersea Vehicle Technology, a collaborative program between the University of Connecticut and the University of Rhode Island.
• Increased Production Facility – The bill adopted $200 million for increased production facility that will be necessary to expand capacity to assist allies and the U.S. Navy in meeting submarine demand.
• Submarine Workforce Development – Authorizes $20 million to support training programs to help support expansion of the skilled submarine workforce as the industrial base ramps up construction of new submarines. Courtney has strongly supported workforce development efforts in the region to support hiring at Electric Boat and the supply chain through programs like the Eastern Connecticut Manufacturing Pipeline.
• Remote Acoustic Sensors – The bill includes a Courtney-authored provision to allocate $20 million towards supporting operational testing of unmanned remote acoustic sensor systems, which will help the Navy evaluate existing off-the-shelf platforms like those developed by Groton's ThayerMahan.

Seapower and Projection Forces

Shipbuilding – Courtney is the Chairman of the Seapower Subcommittee, which oversees U.S. Navy shipbuilding. Following his subcommittee's bipartisan work to examine shipbuilding industrial capacity and Navy force structure requirements, the NDAA authorizes 13 battle force ships, four more than the previous Administration's FY21 NDAA, including:

• Three DDG 51 Arleigh Burke destroyers, two more than the budget request following the subcommittee's initial action to restore a second destroyer in 2022. The measure also includes multiyear procurement another for up to 15 destroyers in the next block contract, as well as advanced procurement for a third DDG in 2023.
• Two Virginia-class submarines;
• One guided missile Frigate (FFG);
• One LHA amphibious assault ship;
• Two John Lewis Class T-AO fleet oilers;
• One T-AGOS(X) surveillance ship; and
• One T-ATS towing, salvage, and rescue ships
• Two expeditionary fast transport ships (EPF)

The bill also adopted provisions from the Seapower Subcommittee to improve shipbuilding performance, including:

• A provision that will help ensure ship designs are adequately mature at the start of construction.
• Another that requires the Navy to make sustainment a Key Performance Parameter (KPP) during the contract bidding process.
  

Sealift & Maritime – The bill includes several Courtney-led provisions to prioritize the recapitalization and expansion of critical sealift capabilities:

• John Lewis Class T-AO fleet Oilers – The bill fully authorizes the construction of two John Lewis Class T-AO fleet oilers, which will be operated by Military Sealift Command to provide critical services like underway replenishment of fuel to U.S. Navy and other vessels, allowing them to operate efficiently worldwide.
• Expeditionary Fast Transport Ships (EPF) – The FY 2022 NDAA authorizes the construction of two expeditionary fast transport ships (EPF) to be operated by Military Sealift Command, which support the rapid transit and deployment of equipment, supplies, and personnel.
• Tanker Security Program (TSP) – The bill fully authorizes the budget request of $60 million for the new Tanker Security Program, created by the Seapower Subcommittee in the FY21 NDAA to address critical gaps in at-sea refueling and logistics.
• National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) – The bill fully authorizes the fifth and final planned NSMV, a vessel first authorized by the Seapower Subcommittee to meet urgent mariner training needs at the nation's state maritime academies. Courtney recently visited the Philly shipyard where these boats are under construction and saw first-hand the potential of domestic shipyards to support recapitalization of our sealift capacity through contracting flexibility already authorized by Congress. Click here to learn more.

Other Notable Provisions

• A pay raise for servicemembers – the bill authorizes a 2.7% pay increase for American military personnel.
• Defense Impact Aid – Authorizes $50 million for the DOD supplemental impact aid program, which provides support to local school districts with high proportions of military children, including Groton public schools, and $10.0 million for local educational agencies eligible to receive a payment for children with severe disabilities and $10 million to local educational agencies determined by the Secretary to have higher concentrations of military children with severe disabilities. This program is in addition to the primary Impact Aid program funded through the Department of Education, which does not fall within the jurisdiction of the House Armed Services Committee.
• Afghanistan – The bill includes several provisions related to Afghanistan, including creation of a bipartisan commission to review the totality of the war and lessons learned. The bill requires that the Defense Department provide information and brief the committee on a wide range of concerns related to the withdrawal from Afghanistan and post-war counterterrorism strategy, reallocating of funds initially requested to support the non-defunct Afghan National Security Forces, and equipment abandoned by Afghan security forces. Finally, the bill includes provisions honoring the servicemen and women who put themselves in harm's way to support the Kabul airlift operation – especially the thirteen who lost their lives.
• Climate Resiliency – Requires the DOD to incorporate consideration of the risks of extreme weather events into certain existing Department strategies and planning documents. Also, requires the Secretary of Defense to conduct a mission impact assessment on climate resilience and the impacts of extreme weather.
• Military Justice – Incorporates many recommendations of the Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault in the Military to the Secretary of Defense, including removing the Commander from decisions related to the prosecution of special victim crimes and creating an Office of the Special Victim Prosecutor within in each Service and ensuring their independence by requiring they directly report to the Service Secretary.
• ESOPs – Creates a new incentive for business owners to consider selling their businesses to their employees and helps companies secure their existing revenue streams following the transition from limited ownership to full employee ownership.
• More Support for our National Guard – the bill requires the military to provide Reserve and National Guard servicemembers incentive and special duty pays at the same rate as their active-duty counterparts.
• Childcare for military families – the House-passed NDAA expands the in-home childcare pilot program, providing financial assistance for military families utilizing in-home childcare.
• More support for families with special needs – the bill establishes an Exceptional Family Member Program Advisory Council to better support military families who have members with special needs.
• Improving Mental Health Resources – the bill directs the Department of Defense to create a program to provide direct assistance for mental health appointment scheduling at military medical treatment facilities and clinics, with a reporting requirement to the Armed Services Committee.

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