Authorizing the Secretary of the Navy to Enter into a Contract for the Nuclear Refueling and Complex Overhaul of the USS "Carl Vinson"
AUTHORIZING THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT FOR THE NUCLEAR REFUELING AND COMPLEX OVERHAUL OF THE USS ``CARL VINSON'' -- (House of Representatives - November 16, 2005)
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Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for considering this resolution today, and let me commend my chairman (Mr. Hunter) and my ranking member (Mr. Skelton) for their quick and decisive work on this issue.
Mr. Speaker, aircraft carriers are the backbone of our naval forces. We have seen their profound impact and flexibility in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom and during tsunami relief efforts in Indonesia, and in other locations.
The bulk of our carrier force is comprised of nuclear carriers which must be refueled and refitted every 25 years. This process takes approximately 2 years, and carriers are refitted back to back.
With that said, Mr. Speaker, the minority has reviewed this bill, and I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4326. This bill is necessary because this Congress, the House and Senate both, have as of yet been unable to finish either the defense appropriations bill or the defense authorization bill. I regret to inform the House, Mr. Speaker, that today, a full 47 days after the start of the current fiscal year, we have left the Department of Defense without a budget and without an authorization from Congress. This occurs even as the men and women of our military are deployed at numerous locations around the world fighting a war.
I mention these facts, Mr. Speaker, because the bill we consider today is intended to correct just one of the thousands of problems created by our inability to complete our work. The United States Navy has long planned to begin the process of refueling the USS Carl Vinson this week. The Vinson is a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier which has served this Nation with great distinction since she was commissioned back in 1982. She is named for a fine Member of this body, a Democrat, I might say, from the State of Georgia, who chaired the House Armed Services Committee.
Possibly the Vinson's finest hour came on October 7 of 2001 when she launched the first U.S. air attacks in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Over the next 72 days, the Vinson launched over 4,000 combat sorties in support of U.S. and Northern Alliance forces in Afghanistan. It goes without saying, Mr. Speaker, that these air strikes led directly, directly to a very successful outcome.
Today, however, the Navy finds itself in a peculiar bind. It cannot proceed to refuel this ship, which will allow it to operate for another 25 years in defense of this country, without an authorization from Congress. What does this mean? Mr. Speaker, it means that up to 1,700 workers at the Newport News shipyard in Virginia could be laid off as early as next week. To give these workers pink slips would be an utter travesty, Mr. Speaker; and for this reason, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill.
It must be said, however, that the passage of this bill is an entirely inadequate substitute for passage of the fiscal year 2006 defense authorization and defense appropriations bills. As I mentioned, there are literally thousands of military programs affected in ways, both large and small, by the fact that Congress has not completed its work. While I am pleased that we can save many good jobs in Virginia today by passing this bill, I cannot be satisfied. At a time of war, we owe it to all of the members of our military and we owe it to the Department of Defense to see the defense authorization and appropriations bills completed.
Mr. Speaker, as I travel to visit our troops next week, I would like to visit our warfighters with the satisfaction of knowing that we have passed the 2006 defense budget.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
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