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Press Release
June 17, 2009
Contact: Aaron Hunter 202-225-2040
Congresswoman Susan Davis Highlights San Diego Funding in Defense Authorization Bill
WASHINGTON – Working with the Department of Defense and her colleagues on the House Armed Services Committee, Congresswoman Susan Davis was able to secure funding approval for critical San Diego programs and projects in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The NDAA (H.R. 2647) was approved by the House of Representatives on a vote of 389-22.
The bill continues funding for work to replace storage tanks at the Point Loma Naval Station where a fuel leak has resulted in a large fuel plume contaminating the ground in and around the facility. The bill approves up to $92 million for continued work on the replacement project for 2010.
Since the discovery of the fuel plume, Davis, a former Point Loma resident, has made replacing the 70-year-old fuel storage tanks and cleaning up the fuel spill a priority. The spending cap for the overall project, including cleanup and tank replacement at the Point Loma facility, was increased in the bill by $55 million to $195 million.
“The funding authorization in the defense bill demonstrates the commitment by the Navy and Congress to clean up the fuel plume and replace the storage tanks,” said Davis.
Also included in the NDAA is a provision to prevent the San Diego Unified School District from losing an estimated $1.5 million in crucial Impact Aid funding.
Impact Aid funding is critical to San Diego. The region’s many military facilities don’t contribute to the state’s property tax revenues, which in turn impacts funding for local school districts.
“It’s important that we fulfill our promise to educate the children of the men and women sacrificing so much for our country,” said Davis. “This Impact Aid funding will help us keep that promise.”
H.R. 2647 also authorizes $1.12 billion for shipbuilding in San Diego. Funding for the Department of the Navy’s T-AKE cargo transport vessel and Mobile Land Platform programs will help keep thousands of well paying blue-collar jobs in our region.
As Chairwoman of the Military Personnel Subcommittee, Congresswoman Susan Davis successfully led an effort to improve the quality of life for our service members and their families in the personnel portion of the NDAA. The bill gives service members a pay increase of 3.4%, creates a pilot program for federal government internships for military spouses, and establishes a renewed focus on reducing sexual assault and harassment within the Department of Defense.
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