Defense Dept.

Boxer Requests for C-17s and $31 Million in Critical Defense Projects Included in Appropriations Bill

October 7, 2009 -- Washington, DC – The U.S. Senate late Tuesday passed the Department of Defense Appropriations Bill, which includes $31 million requested by U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) for key priorities throughout California.

The bill also includes funding for the production of 10 C-17 aircraft. Senator Boxer has consistently championed efforts to continue production of the C-17.

These investments include:

Military Burn Trauma Research and Clinical Trials Program

Location: nationwide

Amount: $6,000,000    » read more »

October 6, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today voted to approve a spending bill that contains more than $45 million dollars to support national defense efforts, including work at White Sands Missile Range and various New Mexico universities.

The Senate passed the fiscal year 2010 Defense Spending Bill (93-07); the measure must now be reconciled with the bill passed by the House of Representatives.

"This spending bill funds projects in our state that are critical to our nation's defense. I'm especially pleased that we are providing $6 million to support the National Guard's effective counter-drug activities along the border," Bingaman said.    » read more »

Bill moves to the Senate floor with ATG language, support for Locality Pay

October 7, 2009 -- Successfully making the case that members of Alaska Territorial Guard (ATG) who defended Alaska and the interests of the United States during World War II earned and deserve retirement pay, U.S. Senator Mark Begich today announced the language supporting the retirement benefits is part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 as it moves to the Senate floor for a final vote.

Working with Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Begich succeeded in keeping language supporting the benefits in the bill after a Statement of Administration Policy (SAP) came out from the Obama administration late last month opposing the benefits.    » read more »

October 7, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. - The final conference agreement on the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (NDAA) released today contains important Federal workforce provisions, including the Non-Foreign Area Retirement Equity Assurance Act (S. 507), sponsored by Senator Daniel K. Akaka and cosponsored by Senators Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawai'i), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Mark Begich (D-Alaska), which would provide fairness in retirement pay for the roughly 50,000 Federal workers in Hawai'i, Alaska, and the Territories.

After sponsoring the original legislation, Senator Akaka spoke in support of the provision on the Senate floor and advocated for it during the Armed Services Committee conference.    » read more »

FY2010 Defense Appropriations Bill

October 6, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - Defense projects in Hawaii will receive $207.5 million in federal funds during the coming fiscal year for an array of projects including satellite deployment, space surveillance, improvements to the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and the development of tactical technology, Senate Appropriations Chairman Daniel K. Inouye announced today.

The spending measure passed by a vote of 93-7.

The bill must now face a joint House-Senate Conference and final approval by the Senate and House, before it is transmitted to the White House.    » read more »

Amendment would require contractors to fix dangerous deficiencies, such as improperly grounded electrical wires, they discover that threaten the safety of military personnel and contractor employees

October 2, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC- Last night, the U.S. Senate passed an amendment by Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) to hold contractors accountable for the safety of their employees and U.S. service members overseas. This legislation was introduced after shoddy electrical work lead to the deaths of soldier and contractors    » read more »

WASHINGTON, October 2 – The Senate last night passed an amendment by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) that would require the Department of Defense to calculate how much the Pentagon pays companies that committed fraud.

The measure, added to a defense appropriations bill, also would make the Pentagon recommend how to penalize contractors that repeatedly cheated the government out of hundreds of millions of dollars.    » read more »

Addresses Electrocutions and Other Risks to Safety

October 1, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC-U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) spoke on the Senate floor and introduced an amendment to the FY2010 Department of Defense Appropriations Bill that would hold contractors accountable for the safety of military personnel while serving abroad. Senator Casey introduced this legislation after shoddy electrical work lead to the deaths of a soldier and a contractor with ties to Pennsylvania while showering in Iraq.    » read more »

October 01, 2009 -- Washington, DC – Senator Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., today announced that the Defense Department’s Inspector General will investigate the U.S. Army’s response to the 2003 exposure of hundreds of U.S. soldiers to the deadly chemical sodium dichromate in Iraq.    » read more »

Investigation requested by Bayh to examine handling of exposure of Indiana National Guard soldiers in Iraq

October 1, 2009 -- Washington -- At the request of Senator Evan Bayh, the Department of Defense Inspector General (IG) announced that it will initiate an investigation into the U.S. Army’s response to the exposure of hundreds of U.S. soldiers—including 142 members of the Indiana National Guard—to the deadly chemical sodium dichromate in Iraq.    » read more »

Senator expressed concerns regarding oversight of contractors and security risks in war zone

September 15, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Continuing her fight for better oversight of federal government contracting, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill today questioned Admiral (ADM) Michael G. Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on whether lessons learned from Iraq are being applied to contracting practices in Afghanistan.    » read more »

August 25, 2009 -- WASHINGTON—Lee William Dubois, a former Department of Defense (DoD) contractor, was sentenced today to three years in prison for his participation in a scheme to steal fuel worth approximately $39.6 million from the U.S. Army in Iraq, announced Assistant Attorney General of the Criminal Division Lanny A. Breuer and U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Dana J. Boente.    » read more »

July 1, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – A retired U.S. military official pleaded guilty to bribery and conspiracy charges relating to Department of Defense (DOD) contracts in Afghanistan, the Department of Justice announced today.    » read more »

Senate hearing on Alaska Native Corporations planned for July 16th

June 23, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the Subcommittee on Contracting Oversight continues its investigation into Alaska Native Corporations (ANC) and contracting policies that favor them, Chairman Claire McCaskill today released a preliminary analysis of publicly-available data about contracts awarded to ANCs from 2000 through 2008.

This information shows that federal government contracts to ANCs have increased dramatically and that ANCs have received a disproportionate share of small business loans. The preliminary analysis also indicates many ANCs are not based in Alaska and most of the work awarded to ANCs, which primarily contract through the Department of Defense, is not performed in Alaska at all.    » read more »

June 22, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC- U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) today sent a letter to Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn asking for an update on and an estimated timeline on completing investigations into the electrocution death of Staff Sergeant Ryan Maseth in Iraq in January 2008. Senator Casey’s letter was prompted by concerns over the slow pace of the inquiries from Staff Sergeant Maseth’s mother, Cheryl Harris.    » read more »