Schilling Named to Defense Bill Conference Committee

Press Release

Congressman Bobby Schilling (IL-17) has been appointed to the Conference Committee charged with working out the differences between the House and Senate versions of the Fiscal Year 2012 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), House Speaker John Boehner announced today. Schilling is one of 14 freshmen serving on the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), one of three freshmen on HASC's bipartisan Panel on Business Challenges within the Defense Industry, and one of three HASC freshmen named to the NDAA Conference Committee. In October the Panel on Business Challenges held a hearing at the Rock Island Arsenal located in Schilling's district, where they discussed regulatory burdens preventing small- and medium-sized businesses from contracting with the Department of Defense.

"I am humbled by the opportunity and privilege to represent the interests of the hard-working men and women of our armed services on this conference committee," said Schilling. "It is of utmost importance that we ensure our men and women in combat have the tools they need to successfully complete their mission, and that our military can prepare our warfighters for whatever threats tomorrow may bring. I thank Speaker Boehner and Chairman McKeon for their trust and confidence in naming me to serve."

As members of HASC, Schilling and Congressman Dave Loebsack (IA-02) represent the interests of the Rock Island Arsenal, the largest government-owned weapons manufacturing arsenal in the United States. The Congressmen successfully offered language in the House Armed Services Committee's (HASC) markup of the NDAA in May that would lift the cap on the number of public-private partnerships (PPPs) arsenals can enter into. Current law places a cap of eight on the number of PPPs, limiting the Rock Island Arsenal's flexibility to increase its workload.

The Schilling-Loebsack language went on to pass the House as part of the comprehensive NDAA in a bipartisan vote of 322-92. The version of the NDAA that recently passed the Senate did not fully remove the cap on the number of PPPs, instead capping them at 15. It is Schilling's hope that fellow conferees will join him in maintaining the House-passed PPP language to maximize the possibility for private-sector job growth at installations like the Rock Island Arsenal.

"The Senate has taken a step in the right direction by increasing the cap in the number of permitted public-private partnerships," Schilling said, "but unemployed Americans deserve for the cap to be lifted entirely. I see no economical reason to limit arsenals with any cap, and look forward to working with fellow conferees to enable the private sector to more easily support both the defense industry and their regional economies, to create long-term jobs, and to promote economic growth."

HASC Chairman Buck McKeon (R-CA) stated: "Congressman Schilling has been a productive member of the Armed Services Committee. The National Defense Authorization Act for 2012 is a vital piece of legislation. It ensures that our troops, who are defending us around the world, have the resources they need to keep us safe. For forty-nine years, Congress has passed the defense bill, and I am honored to have Bobby at my side as we close out the fiftieth NDAA. Over the next few days, the House and Senate will have to work through several important issues. I know Congressman Schilling will offer valuable insight as we put together the best possible legislation for our men and women in uniform."
The NDAA is comprehensive legislation that authorizes spending levels for the United States Department of Defense and additional national security programs under the Department of Energy. The House of Representatives passed its version of the NDAA in May, and on December 1 the Senate passed its version. The NDAA now moves to Conference Committee, which will address differences between the House and Senate versions of the NDAA on this and many other issues before it can become law.

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