The national defense bill – good for America, great for Maine
By U.S. Sen Angus King, I-Maine
For over 60 years, the National Defense Authorization Act has passed Congress with strong bipartisan majorities – as the House and Senate come together to put America’s defense first. While the headlines from the national outlets will often talk about priorities like the Pentagon budget and protecting democracy abroad, the bill has an outsized impact on our neighbors in Maine.
Maine people are well aware of the hard work of our shipbuilders at Bath Iron Works and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard who provide our Naval fleet with next-generation destroyers and submarines. These ships are vitally important as we navigate a world that’s getting more complicated – and dangerous. In this year’s NDAA, there is authorization for two DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and a $780 million advance on another DDG destroyer that BIW can compete to build, along with a half a billion dollars for PNSY modernization efforts like its dry dock extension. So this funding is more than a win for national defense. This funding is a win for Maine people, guaranteeing jobs in our state for people providing for their families and supporting our local economy.
And that’s just the beginning of what the NDAA means for Maine. There are projects and plants and personnel located in all corners of our state that – to quote the preamble to the constitution – “provide for the common defense,” while supporting our own community.
From a big picture perspective, there are over 12,000 hard-working military personnel in Maine, and the $850 million they earn through their work is an enormous driver for the state’s economy. This doesn’t even include our biggest defense contractors like BIW and Pratt or the hundreds of small businesses in Maine that are working on a contract basis to supply parts and machinery for our national defense. Altogether, the $3.6 billion in dollars’ worth of contract work done statewide assists our country in a variety of ways – while providing an enormous boost statewide.
There are dozens of great stories of Maine businesses working to make a difference for our country– companies that unite tight-knit communities around a shared, patriotic mission. Lewiston is proud of having the largest tungsten metal factory in the nation, a refurbished Philips lighting facility, that contributes high-quality steel to the military. In Aroostook County, another business is taking strides in advancing America’s newest defense and commercial space systems. A plant in Biddeford provides parts and components that are used in every single surface-to-air missile the Pentagon has in its arsenal. A woman-owned machine shop in Gorham manufactures parts and technology that are used in high-tech platforms across the service branches. There’s even an invaluable statewide partnership at Eastern Maine Development Corporation that provides training and technical assistance to Maine small businesses so they can find, win and perform on Pentagon contracts.
Every Maine person who works at these facilities – or the dozens of other businesses statewide – are a part of the NDAA story. They are in the front of my mind as I work with my colleagues on the Armed Service Committee each year to put this bill together.
Even if you’re outside of the military, this bill will improve everyday life for all Maine people. As we continue to fight the opioid crisis plaguing our communities, the NDAA has a key provision that allows the Pentagon to assist law enforcement to fight drug traffickers to cut down on this deadly threat that’s costing too many lives.
So while I’m proud of the military investments made in this year’s defense bill, the bipartisan way it passed through Congress, and the 5.2 percent pay increase for military members, I’m also pleased by the everyday impacts it will have for the men, women and children of Maine.
Bottom line: not only is the National Defense Authorization Act a patriotic bill to strengthen America at home and abroad, it is also a source of state pride for Maine.