By Jen DiMascio
Lawmakers yesterday signed off on a conference report for a bill to authorize defense spending in fiscal year 2008 that includes language mandating the Navy’s next-generation cruisers will be powered by nuclear energy.
The bill had stalled because of a disagreement regarding a hate crimes provision that could have eroded support for the bill in the House and triggered a presidential veto.
Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.), reluctantly withdrew the hate crimes language yesterday.
Levin said the bill’s wounded warrior provisions, acquisition reforms and major changes for contractors in the field were too important not to pass.
“We are deeply disappointed that the House has decided not even to have a vote on the conference report on the defense bill if it contains the hate crimes provision,” they said in a joint statement.
“With this decision, we’ve lost the best opportunity to enact hate crimes legislation in this Congress. This provision was adopted by the Senate with a vote of 60-39 during debate on the bill,” the statement said.
Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.), the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) said he expects the House will vote on the bill Dec. 12.
The bill was expected to be filed last night.
Rep. Gene Taylor (D-Miss.), the chairman of the HASC seapower subcommittee, credited Skelton with ensuring his pet provision on nuclear cruisers survived a difficult conference.
Taylor said the provision dovetailed well with the House’s consideration yesterday of the energy bill.
“You take that with what we’re doing today on the floor with energy I think it ties right in. We’re taking steps to reduce our dependence on foreign oil,” he said after the conference.
Taylor and Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-Md.), the panel’s ranking member, pushed hard for the provision, arguing that locking in a mandate for nuclear propulsion systems was critical to saving energy and money in the long run–even if it would require a greater investment up front (Defense Daily, Nov. 5).
The bill also authorizes funding for a third Littoral Combat Ship, giving Navy Secretary Donald Winter more discretion than he asked for, according to Taylor.
“I’m looking forward to the sail off between the vessels. I think it’s important we get moving with the program,” he said. “If the sail-off tells us that neither one of them is the right one, I’m looking forward to other options. We’ve got to get going with something that is a smaller more affordable warship.”
The bill closely tracks with the defense appropriations act that became law last month, Taylor said. It provides advance funding for the LPD-17, for a second Virginia-class submarine and for TAK-E cargo ships.
The appropriations act offered advance funding for three TAK-Es.