BRUNSWICK, Maine — The U.S. Senate on Tuesday voted 91-3 to approve the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act, sending to President Barack Obama a $607 billion military spending bill that would authorize funding for Bath Iron Works destroyers as well as long fought-for changes to a federal economic incentive program that would benefit businesses at the former Brunswick Naval Air Station.
Although Obama vetoed the initial $612 billion version of the bill passed by Congress, a veto override vote of the new bill will not be considered by either house, according to a release from U.S. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Obama vetoed the first version of the bill because he objected to the way the bill used money meant for war spending to avoid automatic budget cuts to military programs, Reuters reported at the time. The president also objected to provisions that would limit his ability to close the military prison at Guantanamo Bay naval base in Cuba.
But those issues were resolved under a new two-year budget agreement negotiated by congressional leaders and the Obama administration, according to the release.
The agreement includes nearly $4 billion for already-awarded Navy destroyer programs, including $433 million for construction of three DDG-1000 Zumwalt-class ships under construction at BIW, and $3.1 billion for two DDG-51 destroyers, one of which will be built at BIW, according to King.
It also authorizes funding for an additional $250 million for another DDG-51 that could be awarded to BIW pending the Navy’s decision on a 2002 memorandum of understanding through which the Navy transferred to Northrop Grumman a contract for a San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship, with the understanding that should a 12th such ship be awarded, an additional DDG-51 class ship “or equivalent workload” would be awarded to BIW.
In a release late last month, King said he believes the ship “is owed to Bath Iron Works,” but that if the Navy determines it doesn’t, the funding could be used to fund future Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, for which BIW could compete.
On Tuesday afternoon, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, praised the bipartisan bill as an important step to ensure national security.
“During my time in the Senate, I have never been more concerned about instability and the challenges posed by the threats we face as a nation. This important bipartisan legislation is vital to ensuring that our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines have the critical resources needed to accomplish their national security missions around the world.
The legislation also includes an amendment that relaxes eligibility criteria for HUBZone (Historically Underutilized Business Zone) economic development incentives at former U.S. military bases, including the former Brunswick Naval Air Station.
The amendment would expand the boundaries of the HUBZone so that businesses at the former base could count employees who live up to 10 miles away toward the program’s 35 percent employee residence requirement, and gain an advantage in acquiring federal government contracts. It also would extend by three years the time period a closed base is eligible to participate in the HUBZone program.
Last year, the HUBZone amendments were included in the NDAA passed in the U.S. Senate, but they were not included in the House version.
This year, U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin, R-Maine, got a provision to expand the program into the House version of the bill. King ushered it through the Senate.
Steve Levesque, executive director of the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority, which is redeveloping the former Navy base, said in previous interviews that the current requirement makes it nearly impossible for a business on a former military base to qualify and “makes it kind of a hollow promise.”
The bill also authorizes procurement of a total of 63 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, for which Maine-based companies including Pratt & Whitney in North Berwick provide components, according to the release.