Defense Spending Includes Billions for Mississippi Shipbuilding

The massive Defense spending bill hits the House floor for debate this week. If it passes the shipyards in Pascagoula can expect billions of dollars in work. Peter Granitz reports from Washington.

The House Armed Services committee moved the military budget forward last week. Bay St. Louis Democrat Gene Taylor sits on that panel, and heads its Sea power Subcommittee.

He says the bill has money to build the D-D-G-51. Navy Secretary and former governor Ray Mabus wants these ships … Each one costs two-point-two billion dollars. The bill money for at least one ship next year, and several in the following years.

“That does a couple of things: It gets a better price for the Navy, which is great for the taxpayer. It also lets the shipyard know that they’re going to build a bunch of them. It helps them to buy materials in bulk, it helps them save money and it also lets the great men and women who work there know they’ve got work coming.”

Taylor’s comments don’t sway Laura Peterson. She’s the national security analyst for Taxpayers for Common Sense.

“Members of Congress tend to make big claims when it comes time to talk to their constituents and lobby for work in their districts.”

The Defense Department is building two kinds of destroyers … the D-D-G-fifty-one in Mississippi and the D-D-G-one-thousand in Maine. Maine Republican Senator Olympia Snowe says two ship yards are better than one.

“Knowing that there would be stability and predictability and support for an industrial base that could provide the number of destroyers necessary to maintain the Navy as a forward-deploy force.”

Watchdog groups say the real reason the ships are being built at two locations is to spread jobs and political support throughout the country. That ultimately makes it harder to shut down the program later on. On top of that, Peterson says, it costs more money.

“I am not totally convinced the number and the size of the DDG 51 program, or the way they have split this buy with the last DG 1000 is the best value for the tax payer.”

The Senate Armed Services committee takes up the bill tomorrow (TUESDAY). A final vote on the defense authorization is expected this week.

From Capitol News Connection, I’m Peter Granitz, M-P-B news.