Congress Sets Course for Strong National Defense

Press Release

Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (CT-3) praised the two bills passed by the U.S. House of Representatives that are responsible for the policy and funding of the Department of Defense. Together they ensure that we restore military readiness; take care of the troops and their families; increase focus on the war in Afghanistan; and improve interagency cooperation, oversight, and accountability.

While the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act determines our main policy objectives, the Department of Defense Appropriations bill provides $487.7 billion to fund our troops and military operations for the upcoming year.

"Today we ensure that we provide the men and women of our Armed Forces with the resources, equipment and support they need to do their jobs, as well as make a critical investment today in our military's future," said DeLauro.

Of particular interest in the Defense Authorization bill applies additional pressure on the Department of Defense for the cost over runs and schedule delays on the VH-71 Presidential Helicopter Program. As a result, the bill requires the completion of the Nunn-McCurdy certification, which requires notification to Congress because of excessive cost growth and rationale from the Secretary of Defense as to why the program should continue. It also requires the report to include, "an analysis of the potential advantages and disadvantages of conducting a re-competition."

Additionally, the Authorization bill codifies into law that no funds may be used for propaganda purposes, and to direct the Department of Defense Inspector General to issue a report and a legal opinion on whether or not the defense analysts program uncovered earlier this year violated propaganda provisions of the Defense appropriations bills for Fiscal Years 2002 through 2008. DeLauro has pressed for the DoD's propaganda program to be investigated from a number of different angles - wrote with House Energy and Commerce Chairman John Dingell to the Federal Communications Commission to urge an investigation; led a delegation of her colleagues to request a DoD Inspector general investigation; and wrote the television news networks for answers regarding their standards for military analysts.

Key investments in the Defense Appropriations bill to keep our commitments to our troops and their families:

Addressing Equipment Shortfalls: $750 million specifically set aside to ensure the National Guard and Reserve have all the tools they need after years of irresponsible shortfalls. The President did not request funding specifically for Guard and Reserve.

Quality Training: $23.6 billion, $1.2 billion above 2008, so that our troops are prepared to successfully perform their missions.

Compensation for Stop Loss: $72 million, not requested by the President, for a new initiative to pay troops $500 for every month their term of service will be involuntarily and arbitrarily extended in 2009.

First Class Medical Care: $25.8 billion, $1 billion above the President's request and $2.4 billion above 2008, to provide our troops with top of the line medical care. This includes $300 million for traumatic brain injury and psychological health.

Supporting Military Families: $2.8 billion, $102 million above the President's request, for family advocacy efforts, dependents' education and daycare programs.

Barracks and Military Hospitals: $3 billion, $734 million above the President's request to improve army barracks, military hospitals, and other facilities.

The FY09 Defense Appropriations Bill included funding for the 3rd Congressional District:

Sikorsky Aircraft, Stratford

63 Black Hawks: $927.45 million

18 MH-60S Navy Knight Hawk Helicopters: $470.46 million 31 MH-60R Navy Sea Hawk Helicopters: $1.05 billion

Navy CH-53K Heavy Lift Helicopter Research & Development: $570.48 million

Pratt and Whitney, Middletown

F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Lightning II: $2.9 billion for the Air Force and Navy to procure 14 aircraft

F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Research and Development: $3.5 billion for the Air Force and Navy.

F-22A Raptors (each of which uses two P&W engines): $3.4 billion for 40 aircraft (including advanced procurement of 20 aircraft)

C-17 Globemasters (each has 4 Pratt and Whitney engines) Research and Development: $236 million

United Technologies Corporation

Video and Water Mist Technologies for Incipient Fire Detection on Ships: $3.2 million for the Navy to develop video technologies that can detect incipient fires.

Helicopter Vulnerability Reduction: $2.4 million for the Army to study helicopter vulnerability reduction.

Cerus Corporation-Yale University-New Haven, $1.6 million: to develop prototype blood safety and decontamination technology for use in military hospitals.

Invitrogen, Branford, $800,000: for the further development of immunorrays for precise and accurate recreation and assessment of thousands of pathogen-human immune system responses.

Oxley, Branford, $2.4 million: for final modifications to the Future Medical Shelter System (FMSS) for a deployable medical shelter system that uses lights provided by Oxley, Inc.

Precision Combustion, North Haven, $2.4 million: to develop a liquid fuel reformer that will reform Navy logistics fuels into reformate suitable for use in fuel cells.

VaxInnate-New Haven, $800,000: to complete pre-clinical testing of a broad spectrum mosquito-borne malaria and dengue fever vaccine candidate.

Waterbury Industrial Commons Redevelopment Project, $15 million: for the City of Waterbury to remediate the site.

Yale-New Haven Hospital Systems, $3.2 million: to continue to develop with the U.S. Northern Command a National Center for Civilian-Military Medical Response that will plan and coordinate military and civilian responses to homeland security disasters.

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