Defense Dept.

October 8, 2009 -- Rep. Slaughter spoke on the floor of the House of Representatives to support the FY 2010 Defense Authorization Bill. The bill will help protect American lives and ideals, both at home and abroad.

Rep. Slaughter's full prepared remarks are included below.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules I call up House Resolution 808 and ask for its immediate consideration.

For the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Florida, Mr. Diaz-Balart. All time yielded during consideration of the rule is for debate only. I ask unanimous consent that all Members have five legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous materials into the Record.    » read more »

Lawmaker Instrumental in Securing Funds to Increase Job Security for Michigan Workers and Troops’ Safety

October 5, 2009 -- Detroit, MI — Congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (MI-13) today announced that General Dynamics Land Systems of Sterling Heights has been awarded a $430 million contract from the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development, and Engineering Center (TARDEC).

Under the five-year contract, General Dynamics Land Systems will provide manufacturing and engineering services to assist TARDEC with its core focus areas, including system engineering, intelligent ground systems, vehicle electronics and architecture, and software.    » read more »

Measure Would Enable Family of Sgt. Carmelo Rodriguez & Others to Hold Military Accountable for Negligent Medical Care

October 7, 2009 -- Washington, DC - The House Judiciary Committee today approved a bill authored by Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) that would legislatively overturn a 1950 U.S. Supreme Court ruling known as the Feres Doctrine in order to enable armed service members and their families to hold the military accountable for medical malpractice.

Current law prevents any such malpractice lawsuits from being filed against the military regardless of the egregiousness of the situation. Hinchey will now work closely with the Judiciary Committee to bring the bill to the House floor for a vote in the coming months.    » read more »

October 7, 2009 -- (Washington, DC) -- Today, Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-Miramar) sent the following letter to Defense Secretary Gates urging him to work together with President Obama and Congress to establish a timeline within which to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and replace it with a policy of inclusion and non-discrimination. Congressman Hastings’ latest letter regarding Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell comes just days after National Security Adviser GEN Jim Jones announced that President Obama will take on the issue at the “appropriate time.”    » read more »

October 7, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. -- As House and Senate negotiators reached agreement on the 2010 National Defense Authorization Act following weeks of negotiations, the influence of Representative Neil Abercrombie is apparent in several sections of the nearly $700 billion measure that authorizes all operations of the U.S. military and the Department of Defense.

Abercrombie, who chairs the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces, added language to the bill in June to reform the hiring process for the Guam military construction project.    » read more »

MCKINNEY, Texas, Oct. 7, 2009 -- The U.S. Army has awarded Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) a $13 million contract to develop additional sensor prototypes for the Advanced Distributed Aperture System, which gives helicopter pilots 360-degree situational awareness.

The award is the first extension of the Joint Capability Technology Demonstration contract, initially funded in September 2008.

The Army launched the ADAS program to assist pilots flying at low levels. The original system provides up to six infrared sensors and a combined helmet display showing a full view of the cockpit and other parts of the helicopter, including the engines and tail rotor.    » read more »

Numerous job creating projects contained in the bill

October 6, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. – Nevada Senator Harry Reid today hailed the passage of the Department of Defense Appropriations bill that will bring the state more than $89 million for projects that will create jobs and help support Nevada’s role in keeping our country safe. Senator Reid also cosponsored an amendment that addressed contractor negligence in order to prevent further electrocutions of Service Members, and sponsored an amendment that modernizes the Nevada Test Site. Both amendments were included in the bill.    » read more »

October 7, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – By a vote of 93-7, the U.S. Senate last night approved legislation providing over $80.5 million in defense funding for Rhode Island that U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) requested as part of the Department of Defense Appropriations Bill for fiscal year 2010.

Rhode Island’s defense industry employs about 16,000 people throughout the state and contributes nearly $2 billion annually to the local economy.    » read more »

October 7, 2009 -- Washington – U.S. Senators Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor today announced that the Senate has approved the Department of Defense Appropriations Act 2010, which includes funding for several priorities critical to Arkansas’s military installations, research institutions, and defense contractors.

“A strong national defense requires the best military training, equipment, and technology,” said Lincoln. “I have continually fought for provisions that will strengthen our military and help us take better care of our brave men and women returning from battle. The state and local priorities included in this bill will boost our state’s economy and allow Arkansans to continue to play a critical role in strengthening the U.S. military.”    » read more »

Funding will create family wage jobs and help Washington state remain at the forefront of technology, research, and innovation

October 6, 2009 -- (Washington, D.C) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) announced that the $63 million in federal defense work for Washington state companies that she included in the Fiscal Year 2010 Defense Appropriations bill has passed the full Senate. Senator Murray is a senior member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.    » read more »

Bill Includes Funding for Oregon National Guard Reintegration Program

October 7, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. – The United States Senate last night passed the fiscal year 2010 Department of Defense appropriations bill, which includes over $60 million for Oregon projects. Included at the request of Oregon Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, these projects will provide research and development of clean energy technologies, equipment to help ensure military personnel land aircraft safely in severe weather conditions, and updated data and voice communications systems.

The bill also includes funding for the Oregon National Guard Reintegration Program, which helps soldiers transition back to civilian life.    » read more »

October 6, 2009 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) announced that the full Senate is expected to act quickly today to pass the Defense Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2010 as early as this evening. Johnson, a member of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, secured more than $45 million in funding for South Dakota priorities.    » read more »

October 6, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. – Tonight, the U.S. Senate failed to pass an amendment supported by Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) to strip $2.5 billion from the Defense Appropriations bill to fund the purchase of ten C-17 military aircraft that the Department of Defense didn’t want. The amendment, sponsored by Senator John McCain (R-AZ) would have saved $2.5 billion that will be spent on ten C-17 aircrafts opposed by the Department of Defense.

The Obama administration had already stated its opposition to the $2.5 billion for the additional C-17s stating that Defense Department analyses have shown that the current number of C-17s in the force and on order, along with other aircraft, are sufficient to meet the Defense Department’s needs.    » read more »

October 6, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the United States Senate has approved $52,000,000 in federal funding to assist defense related facilities and projects across Illinois.

The Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 defense spending bill includes funding for the following projects:    » read more »

October 6, 2009 -- Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Joe Lieberman (ID-CT) announced today that Connecticut will receive major federal defense funding from the Fiscal Year 2010 Defense Appropriations Bill, including $2.5 billion to produce 10 additional C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft. The funding will save thousands of jobs at the Pratt & Whitney, which produces F117 engines for the C-17s.    » read more »