Senate passes defense policy bill, a windfall for Connecticut industry
The U.S. Senate has passed a massive defense policy bill that authorizes billions of dollars for Connecticut's defense industry.
The House approved the measure late last week. President Donald Trump has said he will sign it.
"It is a triumph for Connecticut's historic role as the arsenal of our democracy at a time when a lot of issues are in doubt," U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said of the Senate's vote on Tuesday.
The Senate vote came the same day the House approved two spending packages totaling $1.4 trillion, including $738 billion for the Pentagon, to avert a government shutdown. The Senate is expected to take up the measure by week's end.
Congress in recent years has approved increasing levels of military spending, and that's included the continued purchase of jet engines, helicopters and submarines manufactured in Connecticut.
Last year, Congress increased the caps put in place under the Budget Control Act of 2011, enabling defense and nondefense spending to grow by $20 billion and $27 billion, respectively. Blumenthal said there are ongoing conversations in Congress about the need to re-evaluate certain areas of defense spending and weapons platforms.
Blumenthal said this year's bill is a response to U.S. adversaries developing new undersea capability, new aircrafts and aircraft carriers, and new weapons platforms.
"They are expanding at every turn and in every domain of potential conflict, whether it's the Chinese or the Russians or other powers like the Iranians and North Koreans," he said. "These threats are multiplying and expanding and that's why this defense bill is so important."
More than $11 billion is allotted under the bill for submarine programs. Given their stealth and ability to carry out reconnaissance missions and deliver special operations forces, among a myriad of other capabilities, submarines are seeing a resurgence in U.S. national security policy.
Electric Boat, one of three major defense contractors in Connecticut, has benefitted as a result. The company and the Navy recently inked a $22.2 billion contract to build at least nine Virginia-class attack submarines over the next five years. The bill authorizes money to buy materials for a 10th submarine that could be built under the agreement.
Blumenthal applauded the bill for including funding for workforce training and education programs for new submarine workers.
The bill also includes money to replace a pier at the Naval Submarine Base in Groton.
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