Efforts by local congressmen to block moving a Norfolk-based aircraft carrier to Florida and to give more clout to opponents of the Navy's proposed outlying landing field won approval in the U.S. House in Washington on Thursday.
The measures were included in the House legislation that would authorize $680 billion for defense spending in 2010, including a 3.4 percent pay raise for all service members.
The House kept intact an amendment that would cancel spending $46.3 million to dredge the harbor at Mayport Naval Station near Jacksonville, Fla., in preparation for a new carrier. The amendment was written by U.S. Rep. Glenn Nye, D-2nd District, and co-sponsored by U.S. Reps. Randy Forbes, R-4th District, and Rob Wittman, R-1st District.
Nye said Thursday that the amendment was not a hard sell in the House.
"I think we had the power of logic on our side," he said.
The three legislators have said it doesn't make sense to authorize spending money for the dredging when the Navy has agreed to wait another year to make a decision on carrier homeports.
"The Department of Defense needs to first determine whether or not moving a carrier away from Norfolk is a good idea before they start spending money on the transfer," Wittman said in a written statement after the vote.
The money for the dredging would be redirected to construction and repairs at Navy and Marine Corps Reserve facilities.
The defense bill also includes an amendment by Forbes that would give communities more control over whether the Navy could construct an outlying landing field, or OLF, in their jurisdiction.
Forbes' amendment would allow a county being considered for an OLF to have a final say on whether to accept it. The Navy would be unable to build a landing field if the local government formally opposed it within 90 days of final site selection.
U.S. Rep. Walter Jones, a North Carolina Republican, also successfully included an amendment to the House bill that would prohibit building an outlying landing field at Sandbanks or Hale's Lake in the northeastern part of his state. The Navy has considered those locations and three others in Virginia's Southampton, Sussex and Surry counties.
Forbes has said he considers his approach more reasonable and Jones' "extremist."
The Senate is considering its own defense authorization bill. Eventually, the two measures will be merged.
Bill Bartel, (757) 446-2398, bill.bartel@pilotonline.com
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Thank you, Thank you, Thank you
Please contact your Senators and have them pass the senate bill also. It's a terrible shame that we have to pass a law to protect our rights when common sense should of worked. Forbes is such a wanker, how deep does he have his hands in the pockets of the Virginia Beach council.
cont'd
I want to hear that, also, addressed by the real "experts" - not just some politician trying to bring home the bacon.
Hope we'll find out if these
initiatives were pursued for the right reasons.
I've yet to hear any Gov't official, Civ or Mil, state unequivocally what the purpose of this OLF is (is it to replicate the darkened conditions aviators will encounter on CV's {the only purpose that makes sense} or is it just a sneaky way to appease & give some relief to the residents in close proximity to Oceana?)
If it is strictly the former, I once again ask (as I have my Senators & Rep & they've not responded) why this need cannot be fulfilled using simulators, which would probably mean more jobs over time (design + mfg, maint, ops, upgrades x # of sims) as opposed to those that would be required for airfield construction; then only a handful once complete(crash crew, tower, grass cutter) & for darn sure wouldn't upset ANY residents.
As for the CV homeport, revenues should not be the reason to locate an asset here or there. The decision should be based on what's best for national security, period. At one time not too long ago, assets were purposely scattered in order to avoid having all the eggs in one basket, in case of a nuke strike. Does the danger of that potential scenario no longer exist? I want to hear
It's the right thing to do
Many thanks to Congressman Jones, Congressman Butterfield, Senator Jones, Senator Basnight, Representative Mobley, Representative Owens, Senator Hagan, and Senator Burr. They all have worked very hard to protect the people they serve and make sure their voices are heard.
It's time to correct the unfairness in this Navy excursion. It has been wrong from the beginning. The Navy has no studies supporting the selection of these sites - sites that were rejected by the Navy in 2003. The Navy has ignored the people, they are spending their time "engineering" studies and criteria to "fit" the NEPA process.
Destroying 30,000 acres, families, farms, wildlife and natural resources for 1 runway, when the
Navy has multiple underused runways at Oceana, is unconscienceable.
Glad bill passed
I am glad to see that both amendments passed the house. We all need to contact our senators and ask them to push these same amendments thru the senate version of the defense budget. It is uplifting to see our officials step forward in this process of forcing an OLF on people and communities who clearly do not participate in military operations. Maybe we could reverse the decision of the Virginia Beach developers and officials, maybe we should CONDEMN 30,000-50,000 acres of land at Oceana and Fentress and start some farming operations and state parks,and wildlife areas since Oceana doesn't use the airfields for training pilots. We should make sure our tax dollars are not being wasted by the Navy and Virginia Beach. Apparently our tax dollars are being abused everyday by not allowing flight operations and training for pilots after 11:00 pm until 7:00am at the EAST COAST MASTER JET BASE. Thanks to all the North Carolina and Virginia officials who are seeking protection for the 5 sites being studied for an OLF.
thanatos
"...allow a county being considered for an OLF to have a final say on whether to accept it."
?????????
We need a law for that?!
Sigh ................As Usual..........
VA being arrogant again.
King Forbes thinks HIS proposal is the right one and Jones' proposal is radical. Well NC doesn't feel that way Forbes so stop with the temper tantrum.