National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012

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Mr. DENT. Mr. Chair, I rise this evening to express support for the Dent Amendment offered to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012. The purpose of this amendment is to analyze the current manufacturing capabilities available in the United States to support a Nuclear Powered Navy. More specifically, this provision would require the Secretary of Defense to conduct a study to measure the domestic capacity in accordance with the Defense Acquisition Regulations System to manufacture ship shafts and other forged components used by surface and sub-surface vessels of the U.S. Navy. On the issue of ``Forgings,'' the Defense Acquisition Regulations System restricts the production of ship propulsion shafts, periscope tubes and other forgings to domestic sources. Furthermore, this study will ensure that the Department of Defense has identified the domestic entities with the infrastructure and industrial resources to contribute to our national defense.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania continues to anchor this vital manufacturing sector. Lehigh Heavy Forge, headquartered in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, is a final remnant of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation. Today, the Forge is integral to the production of components needed for building U.S. Naval vessels. The ArcelorMittal Steelton Plant--located approximately 100 miles to the west of Bethlehem in Steelton, Pennsylvania--produces the steel ingots processed by Lehigh Heavy Forge to produce Navy ship shafts. In total, these two facilities provide over 700 jobs for Pennsylvanians, not to mention the additional 450 jobs at additional facilities across the Commonwealth with the infrastructure to meet this national need. While I am proud of the manufacturing tradition woven throughout Pennsylvania, I believe it is imperative for the Department of Defense to measure whether we have the domestic capacity to ultimately meet the challenges in the most treacherous corners of the world.

To that end, I am pleased that the underlying bill, H.R. 1540, authorized Navy shipbuilding as a permissible use of the Mission Enforcement Transfer Fund by the Secretary of Defense in FY 2012. The United States Navy is vital to our national security mission, including ongoing counterterrorism operations and irregular warfare. We need to ensure that the domestic capacity is in place to provide American sailors with the assets they need to succeed in our littoral zones, as well as on the high seas.

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