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October 8, 2009

Langevin Statement on the FY2010 Defense Authorization Act

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the conference agreement on H.R. 2647, the 2010 National Defense Authorization Act, and I would like to thank Chairman Skelton for his leadership in bringing this bill to the floor. 

I am proud to have the opportunity to support our men and women in uniform by voting to pass this legislation.  I am especially happy to announce $6 million for the Common Command and Control System Module, nearly $4 billion for the continued and future development of the Virginia Class Submarine and over $1.5 billion for the Zumwalt class DDG-1000 Destroyer.  Funding for these important programs is critical to not only the economic health of our State, but also the national security of our country. Work on the Common Command and Control System Module will be done by General Dynamics Electric Boat at Quonset Point.  This program will streamline and standardize submarine command stations for future ships allowing for greater cost efficiencies and high quality ships that have made the Virginia program such a huge success for Rhode Island and our nation.

Funding for current and advanced procurement for the Virginia class submarines ensures that Rhode Island’s shipbuilding industrial base and our national naval dominance are secure well into the future.  The Virginia class is the most advanced and flexible submarine in the world and I am proud that our State plays such a key role in keeping our nation safe and secure.

The Zumwalt Class DDG-1000 Destroyer is a highly stealthy ship, capable of a wide range of missions and support roles.  Work on the advanced systems and technologies that make up this next generation ship are done by Raytheon in Portsmouth.  This program will help ensure the technological advancement of our nation’s Navy and will protect our men and women deployed overseas.

As Chairman of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee, I am also proud of the provisions this legislation includes to sustain and modernize our strategic weapons systems.

In the area of nuclear weapons, the conference agreement increases funding for the Stockpile Stewardship Program by $48.7 million, and establishes important new guidelines for nuclear weapons stewardship, including a new Stockpile Management Program. The Program clarifies that changes to the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile must be limited to sustaining current capabilities, and requires that any changes use weapons components that can be certified without nuclear testing.

Regarding ballistic missile defense, the conference agreement fully funds the administration’s request of $9.3 billion for missile defense programs. It authorizes $1.8 billion for Aegis BMD, adding $23 million for additional SM-3 missiles; and authorizes $1.1 billion for the Theater High Altitude Area Defense system, or THAAD.  These amounts reflect an increase in funding for these proven systems by $900 million over the FY 2009 level.

The bill also authorizes up to $309 million for the recently-announced European missile defense plan if the Secretary of Defense certifies that the system is operationally-effective and cost-effective in providing protection for Europe and the United States. 
Further, the bill includes over $1.0 billion to test, sustain, and improve the existing Ground-based Midcourse Defense system, and includes a provision requiring the department to establish a plan to maintain its operational effectiveness of the system over the course of its service life.

Within strategic intelligence programs, the conference agreement requires the Department of Energy to develop a plan to ensure our national security laboratories have sufficient funding and technical abilities to monitor, analyze and evaluate foreign nuclear weapons activities and requires the Department of Defense to assess gaps in U.S. intelligence for foreign ballistic missile programs, and prepare a plan to ensure our intelligence centers can sufficiently address these shortfalls.
 
Lastly, in addition to our national security priorities, I am pleased that federal hate crimes legislation is included in this bill to allow law enforcement to more aggressively purse individuals who commit violent crimes that are motivated by a person’s religion, disability, or sexual orientation. I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.