Defense authorization bill

By U.S. Sen. Angus King
(I-Maine)

For the 55th year in a row, Congress has passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The NDAA is sweeping and important legislation that sets our nation’s military priorities, authorizes funding for the Department of Defense, and, among many other things, provides for the pay and benefits earned by members of the military and their family.

As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I worked on the bill closely with my colleagues and am proud to say that it represents a broad, bipartisan consensus about America’s national security goals, resources, and policies.

I am also pleased to say that the bill recognizes the important role Maine plays in supporting our country’s national defense, and as result, includes several provisions that will benefit the people of Maine and benefit our state’s economy. For example, the bill authorizes a significant investment in Navy destroyer programs, including ways to fund two DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, one of which will be built by the hardworking and highly-skilled men and women at Bath Iron Works.

The bill also includes a provision I secured that authorizes an additional $400 million for another DDG-51 that the Navy could pursue in the coming years and that could potentially be built at BIW. With conflicts and ongoing tensions across the globe reaching new heights, it’s important that the U.S. continues to strengthen its fleet of naval ships, and no other shipyard in the country contributes to that work like Bath Iron Works.

Furthermore, the NDAA includes a measure I championed that will strengthen a federal program called the Historically Underutilized Business Zone, or HUBZone program, which is used in part to revitalize former military installations, like Brunswick Naval Air Station, that have been closed through the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process. The HUBZone spurs economic development by offering businesses that relocate to former bases preferential access to government contracts. Unfortunately, the current structure of the program is not well-suited to the reality of closed bases, as the program requires that at least 35 percent of a HUBZone business’s employees live on the former base itself in order to qualify for the program. Because very few people live on closed bases, it makes it difficult  — if not impossible  — for businesses to attract the workers they need to meet this requirement.

With my new provision, businesses will be able draw employees from the area surrounding the base to meet this 35 percent requirement, and can therefore hire from a larger pool of workers, helping to build economic opportunities for the local community. Military bases are often the economic engine of the towns and cities they call home, but when they shut down, it doesn’t mean a town has to as well.

Defending this country involves the collective efforts of millions of people, from the servicemembers on the front lines to the community members working in defense-related industries. I’m proud to say the NDAA passed this week recognizes those contributions, continues to support Maine’s prominent role in defending our country, and bolster’s both our state economy and our national security in the process.