Legislative Report - Will Zimmerman

Defense Budget Review
The Defense Budget for the coming year is under consideration at this time. House Resolution 5658 is in the hands of the Senate for review and, after mark-up, reconciliation of the two congressional opinions of the President’s Defense request. The President has asked for a total of $515.4 billion in FY09 discretionary authority for Defense. That is an increase of over $35 billion more than he asked for last year. H.R. 5658 provides $12,917,919,000 (that’s almost $13 billion) for shipbuilding and construction. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that to achieve the Navy’s 313 shipbuilding goal, planned and requested by CNO, will require at least $20 billion annually. We have a problem!

New Ship Delivery
It is not all bad news. It was announced recently, on page 5 of the Times Free Press, that the Navy’s newest attack submarine, the New Hampshire was delivered eight months ahead of schedule and $ 54 million under budget. More prominently in the news, however, the 313 combatant ship Navy proposed by the CNO is considered by critics as a very expensive educated guess. The procurement process for the ships we do build are in need of a strong hand on the tiller as hull and technology problems for new construction either raise the cost or, reduce the number of ships we can afford.

Political Process
Unfortunately, the political process in an election year has politicians looking at the Defense Budget as a piggy bank for more politically popular social programs.

Our military, like the water and oxygen we need to sustain life, is taken for granted and won’t be missed until it’s not there. It has been said that our military is at war, our nation is at the mall. A strong military is needed and must be maintained. It is the best deterrent against future wars. Our military will not be there, manned, equipped and trained, if we don’t fund it. Without the military to defend and protect our great nation, it too can die.

Please contact your congressman and help our men and women in uniform who are defending and protecting you.