House passes 2017 National Defense Authorization Act
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a $610 billion defense policy bill that provides strong support for Connecticut's defense industry.
The 2017 National Defense Authorization Act, passed by the House on Wednesday, would authorize:
[naviga:ul]
[naviga:li]$5 billion for the procurement of two Virginia-class nuclear powered submarines.[/naviga:li]
[naviga:li]$1.9 billion for the development and design of the Ohio-class replacement program. Of that, $773 million would be shifted into the National Sea Based Deterrence Fund, which U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, helped to create as a way to pay for the costly program without suffocating the Navy's regular shipbuilding budget.[/naviga:li]
[naviga:li]$97.9 million for the continued development of the Virginia Payload Module. Starting in 2019, the Virginia boats will be built with the VPM, an added 80- to 85-foot-long section intended to provide additional Tomahawk missile capacity.[/naviga:li]
[naviga:li]$11.6 billion for 74 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters. Pratt & Whitney is the sole engine maker for the F-35.[/naviga:li]
[naviga:li]$1.4 billion for the continued development of the B-21 Long Range Strike Bomber, which will be powered by Pratt & Whitney engines.[/naviga:li]
[naviga:li]$1.2 billion for 72 UH-60M Blackhawk helicopters used by the Army National Guard.[/naviga:li]
[naviga:li]$82 million for the modernization of the C-130H aircraft cargo fleet. The "Flying Yankees" of the 103rd Airlift Wing of the Connecticut Air National Guard are close to transitioning to their new C-130H flying mission.[/naviga:li]
[naviga:li]$6.3 million for the construction of a small air terminal at the National Guard base at Bradley International Airport.[/naviga:li]
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"As the ranking member of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee that played a key role in crafting the bill, I am proud that this bill makes a sizable investment in Connecticut's industrial base while meeting the security needs of our nation," Courtney said in a statement.
"I look forward to working with my colleagues from both the House and Senate during the conferencing process where I hope the bipartisan nature of this bill will be preserved, and the highly controversial provisions will be removed," he said.
President Barack Obama is threatening to veto the bill over a number of major provisions.
The administration says the House's bill underfunds the Overseas Contingency Operations fund, or so-called war fund, and gives defense contractors the ability to discriminate against workers on the basis of sexual orientation, among other issues.
The Senate is expected to take up its $602 billion version, passed recently by the Senate Armed Services Committee, as early as next week.
House and Senate lawmakers will have to work out any differences between their two versions before submitting a final version to the president for his review.
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