WASHINGTON, DC – After months of hearings and bipartisan negotiations, Congress is poised to pass the Fiscal Year 2015 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).  Today, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the $521 billion NDAA authorization to help maintain a strong, flexible military while providing critical support for U.S. troops and their families, as well as additional funds for conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, and countering ISIL. 

The bipartisan agreement includes a number of key provisions that were sponsored by U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), a senior member of the Committee, and recognizes the increasing strategic importance Rhode Island plays in our national defense.

As the Chairman of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower, Reed authored key sections of the NDAA designed to strengthen our nation’s naval readiness and boost submarine manufacturing, which is a vital part of Rhode Island’s defense industry.  Reed helped ensure the 2015 Defense Authorization bill includes full funding for the continuation of two Virginia-class submarines, which is critical given the cost savings achieved, the efficiencies gained in the production schedule, and the projected shortfall in attack submarines over the next decade.

“This is a balanced investment in maintaining a strong national defense and addressing future national security challenges.  The NDAA seeks to better align American military strategy to available resources and I commend Chairman Levin and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for working together on this bipartisan blueprint,” said Reed.  “I am pleased the House voted on a bipartisan basis and I look forward to the Senate debating and passing the bill next week.”

Reed noted that as part of the strategy laid out in the NDAA, submarines’ unique capability for stealth, strike capacity, and ability to deliver special forces personnel into difficult environments make them an extremely effective force multiplier and deterrent to our adversaries: “As our strategy focuses more on the Asia Pacific region, it is vital we have a robust submarine fleet.  This legislation authorizes full funding for the continuation of the Virginia-class submarine, a critical component of both our national defense capabilities and the Rhode Island economy,” said Reed.

A number of Rhode Island-related projects are set to receive federal funding under this bipartisan defense legislation now making its way through the Senate, including:

  • $5.9 billion for the Virginia-class submarine program, including two submarines in 2015, and advance procurement funding for two ships planned in 2016.  The bill supports the ten boat, multi-year contract that the Navy and Electric Boat signed in April.
  • Full funding to continue development of the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine replacement, and establishment of a National Sea-based Deterrence Fund to provide resources for ensuring that the Ohio-class replacement program is implemented at the appropriate level of priority assigned to it by the Secretary of the Navy and the Chief of Naval Operations.
  • Full funding for the continued research and development of the Virginia Payload Module.
  • $801.7 million for a Moored Training Ship.
  • $419.5 million for the DDG-1000 destroyer program.
  • $35.7 million for the Procurement Technical Assistance Program, which assists small businesses in contracting with DOD.
  • Restores $25 million in funding to STARBASE, a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math education program.
  • $5 million in Impact Aid for schools with military dependent children with severe disabilities.

The NDAA also includes the HAVEN Act, bipartisan legislation that Reed introduced last year to create a competitive pilot program allowing non-profit organizations to apply for grants administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to help make home repairs and improvements for disabled or low-income veterans.  The work would include simple repairs to help keep veterans safe, such as repairing roofs, floors, walls, electrical wiring, and plumbing; replacing leaky or damaged doors and windows; and installing wheelchair ramps and widening doorways and passageways.  In order to extend the reach of this federal funding, grant recipients would be expected to either match federal funding or make in-kind contributions, such as through encouraging volunteers to help make repairs or engaging businesses to donate needed supplies.

Other key provisions Reed supported in the NDAA include:

Sexual Assault Reform: Further improves DOD’s programs to prevent sexual assaults, assist victims, and more strongly punish offenders.  The bill includes several provisions from the Victims Protection Act, which passed the Senate by a vote of 97-0 in March.

Pay Raise for Service Members: Authorizes a 1 percent across-the-board pay raise for all members of the uniformed services, consistent with the President’s request.

Public Lands Bills: In an effort to preserve an important piece of American history and invest in Rhode Island’s future, the bill includes a number of bipartisan public lands bills, including Reed’s Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park Establishment Act to establish a new unit of the National Park System along the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor.  The multi-site park will include areas of the Old Slater Mill in Pawtucket and nearby mill towns, including Slatersville (in North Smithfield) and Ashton (in Cumberland) in Rhode Island and Whitinsville and Hopedale in Massachusetts. 

The U.S. House of Representatives voted 300-119 to pass the NDAA bill today.  The full U.S. Senate is expected to take up the bill early next week, with a vote on final passage later in the week.  Once both chambers approve the measure it will then be sent to the President to be signed into law.

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