Forbes Offers Bipartisan Amendment To Fix Navy's Ship Repair Shortfall

Press Release

Forbes Offers Bipartisan Amendment To Fix Navy's Ship Repair Shortfall

Congressman J. Randy Forbes (VA-04) announced today that he offered an amendment to the annual defense appropriations bill to increase funding for ship repair. Forbes' amendment would remove $200 million from the research and development of the Presidential (VH-71) helicopter program and instead direct the funding towards the Navy's ship repair account. The Navy has identified ship repair funds as its number two priority on a list of requests that did not get fully funded in the Fiscal Year 2010 budget.

"Without proper maintenance, our ships cannot last 30 years. And if our ships do not last 30 years, we will not reach the 313-ship Navy our country needs to adequately deal with growing threats and instability around the world. There is no reason why we should spend $200 million on this over-cost helicopter program when our Navy's second most important priority has yet to be funded," said Forbes.

The VH-71 Presidential Helicopter program is intended to provide 23 new presidential helicopters to replace the current fleet of 19. In its statement of policy on the annual defense bill, the Administration said, "If the final bill were to include funds that continue the existing VH-71 program, or would prejudge the plan to re-compete the Presidential helicopter program, the President's senior advisors would recommend that he veto the bill."

The bipartisan amendment was offered by Congressman Forbes, Congressman Solomon Ortiz (TX), Congressman Glenn Nye (VA), and Congresswoman Susan Davis (CA), and championed by Congressman Pete Sessions (TX). The amendment was rejected on Tuesday by the House Rules Committee. In order for amendments to be considered on the House Floor, they must be approved by the Rules Committee.

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