Tweak of bill expected to benefit shipyard

A provision passed in haste with the fiscal 2012 defense authorization bill that could have spelled big losses for Newport News Shipbuilding instead will almost certainly be rescinded, officials said.

As written, the provision could force public shipyards to take over the job of nuclear refueling aboard aircraft carriers - work that is now done by Huntington Ingalls Industries, parent company of Newport News Shipbuilding. Less than a month after the law was enacted, though, the House Armed Services Committee is working to undo it, said Claude Chafin, a committee spokesman.

The provision probably will be reversed in the coming months by language in the next defense authorization bill, Chafin said. In the meantime, officials said, no work is expected to shift hands.

The language apparently is the result of the rushed effort late last year to get the bill to the president's desk. In an article published Tuesday, Congressional Quarterly quoted House aides who said the provision was written to codify current practices and clear up confusion, but it instead did the opposite. The aides acknowledged it was a mistake and "should not have happened."

"We're confident that this will be addressed and resolved in the next bill," Chafin said. He said the committee has heard from numerous stakeholders and has assured them that fixes are in the works.

A spokeswoman for Huntington Ingalls declined to say whether company officials are taking those assurances to heart, or whether they remain concerned. In a written statement, the company said, "We are working with our Navy customer and interested members of Congress and their staffs on a balanced, reasonable path forward."

Craig Quigley, executive director of the Hampton Roads Military and Federal Facilities Alliance, said that while he's not concerned now - he has verified with members of both Armed Services committees that the refueling provision won't be acted upon - he'll be paying careful attention to the next defense authorization bill.

"It's an issue for another day," he said.