Contact: Antonia Ferrier (202) 224-5344
Wednesday, November 16, 2005

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) today lauded Senate passage of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 Defense Authorization Act for taking a responsible approach to the nation’s defense priorities by prohibiting the Defense Department from proceeding with a winner-take-all strategy for the nation’s two shipyards that build major surface combatants. Snowe is also pleased that this legislation provides essential support for the Navy, including the next generation destroyer program, the DD(X), and critical funding for Maine’s Bath Iron Works (BIW). The DoD Authorization bill passed the Senate by a vote of 98 to 0.

“I am pleased that the Senate today took a reasonable and balanced approach to the nation’s defense priorities in the FY 2006 Defense Authorization bill. This legislation prohibits a winner-take-all competition for building the DD(X), which would jeopardize our essential shipbuilding industrial base,” said Snowe. “The Senate has also spoken that the Navy’s next generation destroyer, the DD(X), is an essential component of a modern Navy allowing our nation to combat the threats of this century – not last century. The fact that this legislation also contains $100 million in advanced procurement funding for the DD(X) is a testament to the quality of work and craftsmanship that are the hallmark of BIW.”

A critical component of the bill is $9.1 billion for the nation’s shipbuilding, a long-standing priority of Snowe’s, including $100 million in advance procurement funding for BIW for advance design work.

Snowe continued her fight to provide relief to local communities that were hurt in this latest Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) round by offering three different amendments.

Snowe joined by her colleague Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) put forward an amendment to require the Department of Defense (DoD) to offer to transfer the property of bases closed by the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process to local redevelopment authorities (LRA) free of charge. This amendment failed by a vote of 36 to 62.

“Despite the fact that this effort was an uphill fight from the beginning, I am deeply disappointed that our amendment was rejected,” said Snowe. “This legislation would have put the decision-making power squarely in the hands of communities affected by base closures.”

Snowe’s other two BRAC related amendment were included in the final bill. The first calls for a DoD investigation under the Superfund statute of the environmental condition of the property, including groundwater for the entire military installation, to be completed no later than May 31, 2007. The amendment also states that DoD shall consult with the Environmental Protection Agency, other federal agencies, and State, tribal and local governments.

The second is a Sense of the Congress that the Secretary of Defense should not transfer any unit from a military installation closed or realigned due to the relocation of forces under the Integrated Global Presence and Basing Strategy or the 2005 round of base closure and realignment until adequate facilities and infrastructure necessary to support the unit’s mission and quality of life requirements for military families are ready for use at the receiving location.

Snowe and Collins successfully worked to have included a provision that will help preserve the jobs of workers at the Maine Readiness Sustainment Maintenance Center’s Maine Military Authority in Limestone. The Senators’ Sense of the Senate provision reaffirms the Senate’s position that was signed into law last year, that was also sponsored by both Senators, that provides the Secretary of the Army the authority to waive competition requirements when providing financial assistance to a State’s National Guard. The Maine Readiness Sustainment Maintenance Center is funded through the National Guard bureau. This provision, for example, would enable the Maine Military Authority to be eligible for a renewed sole source contract for work on refurbishing Humvees for the Army.

Snowe also voted today for an amendment by Senator John Warner (R-VA) and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) which calls on the White House to begin consideration of an exit strategy from Iraq. This provision states that U.S. forces should not stay in Iraq any longer than required, but it does not set a specific timetable for withdrawing. This amendment passed by a vote of 79 to19.

“This legislation the Senate passed today will move us one step closer to the day when we can begin to bring home our honorable men and women in uniform, who have continued to serve at the highest level despite lengthy deployments,” said Snowe.

Snowe also supported an amendment by Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Carl Levin (D-MI) to ensure that military tribunals remain in charge of determining the status of military detainees, but provides for review by a federal court of convictions handed out by those tribunals.

“I believe the Graham-Levin compromise, which I voted for today, strikes the proper balance between preserving the right of detainees to live without fear of inhuman treatment without granting these enemy combatants unprecedented access to challenge their detentions in our federal courts,” said Snowe.

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