[StBernard] Landrieu Secures $1.6 Billion for Louisiana Defense Projects

[Westley Annis]

Landrieu Secures $1.6 Billion for Louisiana Defense Projects Secures funds
for new Avondale ship and nearly doubles funding for troop protection from
IEDs.

 

WASHINGTON - From her seat on the powerful United States Senate
Appropriations Committee, Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., today secured
more than $1.6 billion in the Defense Appropriations Bill for projects in
Louisiana.  The bill is now headed to the Senate floor for a vote by the
full body.

"Louisiana provides essential vehicles, troops and support for our men and
women serving in uniform," Sen. Landrieu said.  "I am proud to have secured
necessary funding to keep ou

In the bill, Sen. Landrieu secured nearly $129 million more than the
President's budget request for Armored Security Vehicles (ASVs) to be
produced by Textron, Inc., in the New Orleans area.  The total appropriation
for ASVs is $293.9 million.  Sen. Landrieu also secured $3.5 million for the
ASV Turret Upgrade Kit.

"I am proud to have secured the funding to keep Armored Service Vehicles
rolling out of the Textron plants in Louisiana, even as Pentagon
shortsightedness threatened the whole program," Sen. Landrieu said.  "These
vehicles are saving lives every day, protecting our soldiers from roadside
bomb attacks that leave even the most armored of Humvees unacceptably
vulnerable."

Sen. Landrieu also secured $1.4 billion to build LPD-26, the tenth ship of
the LPD-17 Class Expeditionary Warfare Ship.  The ship would be built at
Avondale Shipyard near New Orleans.

"The LPD-26 is the Navy's highest priority in need of funding," Sen.
Landrieu said.  "Avondale is one of Louisiana's biggest employers, and this
funding will help grow jobs in Louisiana while we work to provide for our
Sailors in the Navy."

Sen. Landrieu helped to secure $1 billion for National Guard and Reserve
equipment after no funding had originally been included in the budget
submitted by the President.

"Our Reservists and Guardsmen are fighting on the frontlines in Iraq and in
the Global War on Terror," Sen. Landrieu said.  "This funding will ensure
that they have the equipment they need to keep us protected at home."

Sen. Landrieu also secured funding for the following projects:

*	$10 million for the SPAWAR Systems Center/ITC;
*	$4 million for the Alternate Carbon Stationary Fuel Cell
Demonstrator;
*	$7.5 million for the Air Force Minority Leaders Program;
*	$5 million for Advanced Nano-Engineered Composities;
*	$2.5 million for Biosensors for Defense Applications
*	$2 million for a Lightweight Water Purifier;
*	$2 million for the Afikim Holocaust Education Project;
*	$7 million for the Procurement Technical Assistance Program;
*	$150 million for the Peer Reviewed Breast Cancer Research Program;
and
*	$19 million for B52 upgrades.

- 30 -