WASHINGTON, DC – The Senate Appropriations Committee today approved a $574.6 billion defense funding measure for Fiscal Year (FY) 2017.  The bill includes several provisions and initiatives backed by U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), a member of the Defense Subcommittee, that will enhance our security and benefit Rhode Island.

Reed, who also serves as the Ranking Member of the Armed Services Committee, authored key sections of the spending bill designed to strengthen our naval readiness and boost submarine manufacturing, which is a vital part of Rhode Island’s defense industry.  Today, Reed announced that the bill provides $5.04 billion for the Virginia-class submarine program.  This includes an additional $85 million above the budget request for the advance procurement of two ships planned in 2018.  This will ensure the program stays on track as the Navy begins buying supplies for the first submarines to be equipped with the Virginia Payload Module.

Reed noted this funding would allow workers at Electric Boat’s facilities at Quonset Point in North Kingstown to continue making significant contributions to building these submarines and defending our nation.

“These submarines are absolutely vital to the U.S. Navy’s global undersea dominance and the security of our nation. They are force multipliers and an indispensable element of our deterrent strategy. Their capacity for stealth and strike make them a unique, unmatched strategic asset,” said Reed.  “I commend the highly-skilled, hardworking men and women of Electric Boat for their craftsmanship, innovation, and outstanding contributions to building these submarines. At a time when other nations are expanding their own undersea forces, Congress must continue to make cost-effective investments to ensure our submarine force has superior technology to retain our undersea advantages.”

A number of other Rhode Island-related projects and priorities, championed by Senator Reed, were included in this legislation, now set to be considered by the full Senate, such as:

  • $1.47 billion for the Ohio Class Submarine replacement program
  • $97.92 million for the Virginia Payload Module
  • $624.53 million for a Moored Training Ship
  • $271.76 million for the DDG-1000 destroyer program
  • $150 million in Facility, Sustainment, Restoration and Modernization funding to address pressing maintenance needs at military facilities
  • $144.4 million for the air and missile defense radar program
  • $126.3 million in undersea warfare applied research
  • $25.88 million in undersea warfare advanced technology
  • An additional $915.4 million for DoD medical research, a five percent increase to the Senate’s fiscal year 2016 funding level
  • An additional $20 million for submarine acoustic equipment
  • An additional $20 million for the Beyond Yellow Ribbon program, which supports National Guard members, Reservists and their families throughout their deployments
  • An additional $11.7 million for the Procurement Technical Assistance Program
  • An additional $11.3 million for the Civil Air Patrol

The Defense Appropriations measure also contains other key priorities backed by Senator Reed to sustain and improve the quality of life for our men and women in uniform and their families.  The bill funds a 1.6% across-the-board pay raise for servicemembers; maintains a strong commitment to taking care of our troops and their families by providing $60 million for Traumatic Brain Injury and Psychological Health research, an additional $25 million for the continuation and expansion of the Special Victims’ Counsel Program that provides legal assistance to victims of sexual assault, and $30 million for Impact Aid and an additional $5 million for Impact Aid for children with disabilities.

Reed also noted that the bipartisan bill responsibly meets our national security needs without resorting to Overseas Contingency Operation (OCO) gimmicks.

Now that the bill has been advanced out of the Appropriations Committee it must be considered and passed by the full U.S. Senate and then conferenced with a version making its way through the U.S. House of Representatives before it can be sent to the President to be signed into law.