Press Releases
Senator Roberts: DOD needs to Retain Flexibility on Special Metals to Provide for Our Armed Forces
Needed to Control Taxypayer Costs and Bureaucratic Red Tape
Oct 22 2007
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts joined a bi-partisan group of Senators to send a letter to Senate Armed Services Chairman Carl Levin (D-MI) and Ranking Member John McCain (R-AZ) to urge them to reject a House provision included in the Defense Authorization bill that severely limits the Secretary of Defense’s waiver ability regarding the domestic requirement for specialty metals. These waivers reduce spending and increase efficiency.
“The Department of Defense needs to retain this flexibility so everything from new aircraft to new vehicles can be delivered to our service men and women in a timely manner,” Senator Roberts said. “Eliminating this provision will allow our Kansas businesses - both large and small - to continue to contribute to our nation’s defense.”
The following letter was sent by: Senators Pat Roberts (R-KS), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Kit Bond (R-MO), Sam Brownback (R-KS), Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), Jim DeMint (R-SC), Charles Grassley (R-IA), Tom Harkin (D-IA), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Trent Lott (R-MS), and Ken Salazar (D-CO).
“Last year, Congress provided the Secretary of Defense with limited flexibility to implement domestic specialty metals procurement policy. The adoption of the compromise language was the result of a year-long debate to reach a solution that would protect the domestic specialty metals industry and ensure that U. S. Armed Forces members were provided with proper equipment in a timely and cost-effective manner.
“Unfortunately, the House Armed Services Committee version of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (H.R. 1585), passed on May 17, includes four provisions (sections 808, 809, 845 and 846) that would remove, or substantially reduce, the limited flexibility enacted last year. We oppose these changes.
“The limited reforms to the long-standing domestic specialty metals requirements enacted by the 109th Congress were based on the realization that market conditions make it increasingly difficult for U. S. companies to comply; that the domestic specialty metals industry is robust and highly profitable; and that the defense supply system was in jeopardy unless changes were made. Those circumstances have not changed.
“The domestic specialty metals industry is experiencing a period of significant growth and profitability. There are few if any other industries that are doing so well.
“The language adopted by the HASC would create significant problems for our industrial base, including the likelihood of supply disruptions for major defense projects, and would result in increased costs to the American taxpayer. This is not the direction Congress should take. If anything, even greater flexibility is justified to ensure the warfighter is adequately supplied.
“We support the Department of Defense implementation of last year’s law and we strongly support the position taken by the Senate Armed Services Committee in their report accompanying the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008. We share the Committee’s view that the Department of Defense properly applied last year’s congressional intent regarding modest reforms and needed specialty metals flexibilities in its April 10, 2007 determination of non-availability of specialty metals in fasteners. We urge our colleagues on the Committee to hold to this position and to reject the House provisions on specialty metals.”
Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-KS) led the effort to send a similar letter from Members of the House of Representatives requesting the provision be eliminated from the bill. The Defense Authorization Bill is currently in a conference committee to iron out differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill.
Senator Roberts is a former Marine and former senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
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“The Department of Defense needs to retain this flexibility so everything from new aircraft to new vehicles can be delivered to our service men and women in a timely manner,” Senator Roberts said. “Eliminating this provision will allow our Kansas businesses - both large and small - to continue to contribute to our nation’s defense.”
The following letter was sent by: Senators Pat Roberts (R-KS), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Kit Bond (R-MO), Sam Brownback (R-KS), Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), Jim DeMint (R-SC), Charles Grassley (R-IA), Tom Harkin (D-IA), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Trent Lott (R-MS), and Ken Salazar (D-CO).
“Last year, Congress provided the Secretary of Defense with limited flexibility to implement domestic specialty metals procurement policy. The adoption of the compromise language was the result of a year-long debate to reach a solution that would protect the domestic specialty metals industry and ensure that U. S. Armed Forces members were provided with proper equipment in a timely and cost-effective manner.
“Unfortunately, the House Armed Services Committee version of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (H.R. 1585), passed on May 17, includes four provisions (sections 808, 809, 845 and 846) that would remove, or substantially reduce, the limited flexibility enacted last year. We oppose these changes.
“The limited reforms to the long-standing domestic specialty metals requirements enacted by the 109th Congress were based on the realization that market conditions make it increasingly difficult for U. S. companies to comply; that the domestic specialty metals industry is robust and highly profitable; and that the defense supply system was in jeopardy unless changes were made. Those circumstances have not changed.
“The domestic specialty metals industry is experiencing a period of significant growth and profitability. There are few if any other industries that are doing so well.
“The language adopted by the HASC would create significant problems for our industrial base, including the likelihood of supply disruptions for major defense projects, and would result in increased costs to the American taxpayer. This is not the direction Congress should take. If anything, even greater flexibility is justified to ensure the warfighter is adequately supplied.
“We support the Department of Defense implementation of last year’s law and we strongly support the position taken by the Senate Armed Services Committee in their report accompanying the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008. We share the Committee’s view that the Department of Defense properly applied last year’s congressional intent regarding modest reforms and needed specialty metals flexibilities in its April 10, 2007 determination of non-availability of specialty metals in fasteners. We urge our colleagues on the Committee to hold to this position and to reject the House provisions on specialty metals.”
Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-KS) led the effort to send a similar letter from Members of the House of Representatives requesting the provision be eliminated from the bill. The Defense Authorization Bill is currently in a conference committee to iron out differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill.
Senator Roberts is a former Marine and former senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
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