Bartlett Statement for Armed Services Committee Markup of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009

May 13, 2008
Press Release

Josh Holly (HASC), 202-226-3988 

Bartlett Statement for Armed Services Committee Markup of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 

Washington, D.C. – Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD), Ranking Republican on the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces, released the following opening statement for the House Armed Services Committee’s markup of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009: 

“Thank you, Mr. Chairman.  I would like to lend my support to the Seapower and Expeditionary Forces Subcommittee mark of the fiscal year 2009 National Defense Authorization Act.  Chairman Taylor has done an excellent job of balancing the competing needs of our sailors, aviators, and marines.  I commend his willingness to set a strong vision for the Department of the Navy.  It is a genuine pleasure to continue to work so closely with you, Chairman Taylor.  I have the greatest respect for your leadership of this subcommittee.  I also want to thank and acknowledge the irreplaceable contributions your staff.  

“The subcommittee mark that we see before us provides the Navy and Marine Corps with much of the legislative support and funding they requested.  For example, the mark accelerates the planned refueling and complex overhaul for the USS Theodore Roosevelt and authorizes the Secretary to adjust the Littoral Combat Ship program cost cap for the effects of inflation.  While we strongly desire that the Navy utilize the cost cap as a tool to keep the costs for LCS down, we also recognize that the reality is that there have been significant increases in the price of commodities such as steel, nickel, and aluminum.  The chairman’s mark also fully funds the next generation carrier, the fiscal year 2009 VIRGINIA class submarine, and the T-AKEs requested in the National Defense Sealift Fund.  Finally, although the mark reduces the funding available for the Littoral Combat Ship due to availability of residual materials from LCS 3 or 4, the mark does, in fact, support the President’s request for 2 LCS vessels.  

“Nevertheless, the mark provides a course correction in certain areas where the subcommittee disagreed with the President’s budget request.  The mark would not allow the Navy to terminate the LPD-17 production line, while they remain short of fulfilling their stated requirement.  The Navy and Marine Corps both support funding for a tenth LPD on their respective unfunded requirements lists.  More importantly, it makes absolutely no sense to shut down a production line when we know that we will have to build more.  The mark also slows the pace of the DDG 1000 program, while providing the Navy with the flexibility to re-evaluate its options for surface combatants and reduce risk for the next generation cruiser.   

 “On the aviation side, the mark supports the alternative engine for the Joint Strike Fighter, which Congress has supported for several years in order to ensure that the JSF will not be limited to a single technological option.  We also understand that additional funding will be provided, as part of the bridge fund, to address emergent P-3 repair issues.  

“With regard to ground programs, the chairman and I are both on the record expressing concern about the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle and its survivability.  While I support the chairman and we are in agreement regarding the desired end state for the EFV, I am less confident that the $40 million cut to the EFV program, although relatively modest, will result in the outcome we want.  I have asked the Chairman if we can continue to look at this issue going forward, to make a recommendation to the committee about whether this is the right design for our Marines.  With that said, I am pleased to say that the Marine Corps has made design changes to the EFV that will improve survivability by 50% over the baseline.  This is good news. 

“I am also pleased to see that the mark extends the subcommittee’s prior work on nuclear propulsion for shipbuilding.  In the fiscal year 2008 National Defense Authorization Act, we required the Navy to include integrated nuclear propulsion for the next generation cruiser.  This year, the chairman’s mark would require that future classes of amphibious assault vessels also include nuclear power.  The Navy’s 2007 study on alternative energy for ship propulsion indicated that the breakeven price for nuclear propulsion for amphibious ships was higher than that for combatants.  They estimated that the breakeven cost for amphibious ships was a market price of $178 dollars per barrel of crude.  And guess what – oil hit a new record of over $126 a barrel this week and Goldman Sachs stated, ‘The possibility of $150-$200 per barrel seems increasingly likely over the next 6-24 months…’  My fellow members, there is no more appropriate time for us to act. 

“I will conclude by applauding the remaining provisions in the subcommittee mark, including the authorization of appropriations for the Maritime Administration.  Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for your partnership and for your hard work in this mark.” 

### 

https://republicans.armedservices.house.gov