Disinterment of Remains of Fernando V. Cota From Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, Texas

Floor Speech

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Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, in 2025, with growing global maritime threats, it is particularly important for Congress to exercise its constitutional mandate to ``provide and maintain a Navy.'' The Seapower portion of this bill accomplished that goal.

For example, the bill includes a plus-up of $5 billion to shipbuilding above the administration's request, including $1.9 billion to address glaring OMB budget request shortfalls in the Virginia submarine account. The Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee also strengthened the industrial base by replenishing last year's wage improvement authorities with 615 million new dollars to continue progress in hiring a new generation of shipyard workers in the metal trades.

For the Columbia-class program, the Navy's number one priority, the bill again fixes another glaring OMB blunder which short-funded Columbia in both the reconciliation bill and last month's continuing resolution.

The subcommittee provides Navy with contracting authority for five new Columbia subs, with incremental funding authority, eliminating the risk of a stop-work order which came close to happening because of the Columbia omission in last month's CR.

The bill also authorizes a boost to sealift, the new Marine Corps Landing Ship program with a vessel construction manager model, and the fourth Ford-class aircraft carrier.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud of the strong bipartisan support for allies and partners in the bill, the $400 million refill of the Ukraine Security Initiative and streamlining exports to our AUKUS partners.

Last week, the Pentagon's AUKUS review endorsed that security agreement, and this bill's massive commitment to the submarine industrial base and export reforms will keep us on track to sell three Virginia-class submarines starting in 2032 to our great ally Australia.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee colleagues, particularly Chairman Trent Kelly, for their outstanding bipartisan work as well as the subcommittee staff: Phil MacNaughton, Kyle Noyes, Kelly Goggin, and Abby Snyder.

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