Rep. Courtney Earns Backing From House Armed Services Committee For Billions In Key CT Defense Programs

Press Release

At approximately 2:30 AM Wednesday morning, Congressman Joe Courtney and the House Armed Services Committee completed its work on H.R. 2647, passing the Fiscal Year 2010 National Defense Authorization Act, which now heads to the full House of Representatives for a vote as early as next week.

The NDAA sets the federal budget for the Department of Defense for the next fiscal year beginning on October 1, 2009. Congressman Courtney's advocacy for Connecticut's defense industry has resulted in billions of dollars of investments for Electric Boat and millions of dollars in new investments for SUBASE New London.

"The House Armed Services Committee has prepared a budget that makes a significant investment in the future of Connecticut's defense industry and in the future security of our nation," stated Courtney. "This bill continues to make a strong commitment to the submarine force that I have fought for since my first day in Congress, and I thank my colleagues for their support."

"The recently passed Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform Act emphasized the importance of having a reliable design phase before construction begins on any new program. By authorizing the design funding for the Ohio-class replacement ship, we ensure that the same dedicated workforce that designed the Virginia-class submarine will also be responsible for our next generation submarine. I am grateful to Rep. Courtney for his hard work on this issue, and look forward to continuing to work with him as we support the new Ohio-class replacement for many years to come," stated House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton.

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