Rep. Bost fights to save maritime funding at Scott Air Force Base

Press Release

Today, Rep. Mike Bost (IL-12) helped lead the fight to defeat an amendment that would have stripped the U.S. Maritime industry of $500 million in funding for the Maritime Security Program housed at Scott Air Force Base. Bost authored a letter to House colleagues yesterday urging the House to reject the amendment offered by Rep. Justin Amash (R-MI) to H.R. 702, an energy security bill.

"Funding for the Maritime Security Program at Scott Air Force Base is essential in strengthening our military readiness," said Bost. "This helps fund the 60-vessel fleet of ships that are a vital element of our national defense. This was a fight not just for my home district, but for the security of our nation. I am pleased we were successful in maintaining funding."

General Darren McDew, Commander of the U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) at Scott Air Force Base, says the 60-ship fleet is necessary to meet the global cargo requirement for our deployed military.

The underlying energy security bill passed the House without Amash's amendment attached.

H.R. 702 will:

Lift the misguided de facto ban on the export of domestically-produced crude oil;

Help create thousands of new jobs in the oil and gas sector and manufacturers, such as U.S. Steel in Granite City;

Generate $1.4 billion in profits over the next 10 years from oil and gas leases;

Lower gas prices by 1.5 to 13 cents per gallon;

Support up to 964,000 additional U.S. jobs in 2018; and

Allow the U.S. to help our allies, enhance our energy security, and weaken OPEC and Russia's monopoly power.

Source