LIEBERMAN ANNOUNCES HIGHLIGHTS AND CONNECTICUT DEFENSE PROJECTS WITHIN FY2011 DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Joe Lieberman (ID-CT ), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Chairman of the Airland Subcommittee, strongly supported the Committee’s approval on Thursday of the fiscal year 2011 Defense Authorization Bill.

 

“This bill will provide the men and women of our Armed Services with the resources they need to win our nation’s wars and protect our freedom,” Lieberman said.  “I am proud that Connecticut workers do so much for our nation’s defense and will fight for the final passage of this bill.”  

 

Committee votes to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”

 

In a 16-12 vote, the committee adopted an amendment offered by Lieberman to repeal the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” statute, a discriminatory law that prevents gay men and women from serving openly in the U.S. military.  The Lieberman Amendment puts in place a mechanism to repeal the statute, but only after the President, the Secretary of Defense, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff certify that they can implement repeal consistent with our military’s standards of readiness and effectiveness.  The House of Representatives adopted an identical measure yesterday evening:

 

“The Senate Armed Services Committee took a historic step forward to strengthen our military effectiveness and to begin to end a discriminatory policy that dishonors those patriotic Americans who are willing to defend our country,” Lieberman said.  “With the effective leadership of Chairman Levin, my colleagues adopted this amendment which carefully accommodates the recommendations of the Pentagon working group and is consistent with the military’s standards of readiness, effectiveness, unit cohesion, recruiting and retention. 

 

“My strong belief is that if Americans seek to put their lives on the line to serve this blessed country of ours, we should not deny those patriots that opportunity because of their sexual orientation.  The action that the Committee took today makes our country stronger and better.”

 

Lieberman defeats wasteful alternate engine

 

As chairman of the Airland Subcommittee, Lieberman successfully ensured that the committee’s bill does not include any funding for a wasteful, unnecessary alternate engine for the Joint Strike Fighter.  President Obama and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates have repeatedly expressed their opposition to this program, which would disrupt the successful development of the Joint Strike Fighter.  The bill also includes a restriction, introduced by Lieberman, which would prevent any additional funds from being spent on the development of the Joint Strike Fighter unless the Secretary of Defense certified that it would benefit the Joint Strike Fighter program and the U.S. airmen who will fly it.

 

“A a time when our troops are deployed fighting wars, we cannot afford to waste $3 billion over the next six years on a program that the Department of Defense does not want and does not plan to use.  It is time that we show our support for the troops by only spending our defense dollars on programs that actually help to keep us safe.”

 

Lieberman applauds funding for submarines

 

The bill authorizes the procurement for two Virginia Class submarines in fiscal year 2011, and advanced funding to prepare to build two each in fiscal years 2012 and 2013.  The bill also includes $672.3M in Research and Development Funding for the SSBN(X), which will eventually replace the Ohio class strategic deterrence submarine.  “My colleagues and I are unanimous in our support for the nation’s undersea warfare programs.  Every submarine that leaves the piers at Groton reaffirms the unmatched skills of the designers and workers at Electric Boat.”  Lieberman said

                                                                                                                                                                      

Funding for Sikorsky helicopters

 

Lieberman praised the bill for supporting the President’s budget request for helicopters.  The bill authorizes the procurement of 74 Army UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters and 42 Naval Helicopters: 18 MH-60s and 24 MH-60Rs.  “Full funding for the helicopters built by Sikorsky will help get our troops to the battle and home safely, while supporting jobs in Connecticut.”

 

C-27J Spartan aircraft for the Connecticut National Guard 

 

The bill includes $351 Million to procure eight C-27J Spartans.  This level of funding will keep the program on schedule and provide the first aircraft to arrive to the 103^rd Airlift Wing of the Connecticut Air National Guard in fiscal year 2013.  “The Flying Yankees have defending Connecticut and the United States for more than eighty years,” Lieberman said.  “The delivery of these aircraft will keep the 103^rd Airlift Wing flying for many more decades to come.”

 

Lieberman amendment in support of the U.S.-South Korean alliance

 

The committee adopted an amendment introduced by Senator Lieberman that expresses the Senate Armed Services Committee’s condemnation of North Korea’s March 26 attack against the Republic of Korea Ship Cheonan and solidarity with the people of South Korea in the wake of that tragic incident.  In light of the threats we face on the Korean Peninsula, the provision would direct the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with his South Korean counterpart, to submit to Congress a report on steps that may be taken to strengthen the U.S.-South Korean alliance. 

 

“The Senate has expressed its unequivocal support for South Korea in the wake of this tragic attack, and I believe that it is now time that we work together to build an even stronger alliance,” Lieberman said.

 

Lieberman Amendment to Improve Mental Health Services for Military Families

 

Lieberman, along with Senators McCaskill and Collins, fought for the inclusion of the TRICARE Mental Health Care Access Act.  This legislation will provide licensed mental health counselors with the same status as all other major groups of mental health counselors currently working in the TRICARE system, which provides health services for active duty military, military retirees and their families. By granting this status, these licensed mental health counselors will be able to help meet the military’s demands for more comprehensive services, while eliminating current administrative hurdles. 

 

“The TRICARE Mental Health Care Access Act will help our troops obtain vital mental health care services with fewer administrative hurdles,” said Lieberman.  “Now is not the time to hinder access to health care.  With increasing rates of PTSD, suicide, and other mental health conditions among our service-members, we have an obligation to provide timely and accessible health care services to our brave men and women in uniform.”

 

Other Lieberman initiatives:

 

-Lieberman joined Senator Collins and other to introduce an amendment requiring companies that are applying for Department of Defense contracts to certify that they do not conduct business in Iran and prohibit the provision of contracts that cannot provide this certification.

 

-Lieberman joined Senators Sessions and Inhofe to introduce a pair of amendments in support of U.S. missile defense programs, including one that requires an independent review of the lifecycle plan for sustaining and improving the Ground-based Missile Defense system to protect the homeland from long-range threats.

 

-Lieberman joined Senator Thune to introduce an amendment requiring the Pentagon to study the emergent threat of “anti-access” weapons in the hands of adversarial countries.  The amendment also commends the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy for initiating a recent study on how to overcome such threats.

 

Additional authorizations benefiting Connecticut:

 

-An addition of $102.5millionto support JSTARS re-engining.  This program will enhance the ability of the Air Force to provide the best wide area surveillance data to our troops on the ground.  Pratt and Whitney a division of United Technologies, located in Middletown, CT will support this effort

 

-An addition of $1.5 million to support a project that would optimize the current Reactive Armor solutions to reduce weight, defeat emerging threats, and develop multi-threat capability enhancements for U.S. Military vehicle survivability programs.  Ensign Bickford located in Simsbury, CT will lead this effort

 

-An addition of $2.5M to support  a project  that develops water generation technology that can provide water by dehumidifying air in a dry, dusty desert environment using entirely renewable energy sources.  Funding would provide for a full-scale demonstration program.  Hamilton Sunstrand a division of United Technologies, located in Windsor Locks, CT will lead this project

 

-An addition of $20 million for a project that provides the capability to integrate unmanned vehicles into submarines via their large volume payload tubes.  General Dynamics located in Groton, CT will lead this effort

 

-An Addition of $9 million for a project that will develop a Common Command and Control Systems Module for Virginia Class Submarines (Block IV), SSGN and OHIO replacements, significantly improving combat effectiveness on all classes of submarines .  General Dynamics located in Groton, CT will lead this effort 

 

-An addition of $10M to allow the initiation of 4 new industry led high-impact programs, as well as the sustainment of ongoing programs.  The consortium includes the Air Force Research Laboratories and 19 companies form the entire Specialty Metals Aerospace supply chain and they enable metal process technology development from proof of concept through insertion into military systems.  Several Connecticut companies will likely benefit from this to include United Technologies, Ladish Machining Operations,  Acceleron, Budney Machining,  and Materson’s manufacturing

 

-An addition of $2.5M to support the development of a 150 Shaft Horsepower Scalable UAV Engine that would be used to develop and demonstrate the advanced cycle and materials technologies.  United Technologies Research Company located in East Hartford, CT will lead this effort

 

-The bill authorizes $41 million to construct a new Aviation Transformation Readiness Center, which will enhance the ability of the Connecticut National Guard to execute peacetime missions.

 

 

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