Hartford Courant: House Panel Backs Sub-Building Speedup

May 11 2007 - U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney's office announced some headway Thursday in the attempt to increase submarine construction rates at Groton's Electric Boat, in his 2nd District.

The House Armed Services Committee, of which Courtney is a member, passed a late-night authorization bill Wednesday that would include $588 million to buy the initial power and propulsion components for an additional Virginia-class submarine. Instead of waiting for the Navy's existing shipbuilding plan, which calls for the U.S. submarine production rate to double to two boats a year in 2012, this authorization would allow the Navy to get that increase sooner.

But this week's progress is only one step toward that goal. Last year, the district's previous congressman, Rob Simmons, won such an authorization, but couldn't manage the next step - an appropriation. Spending has to be authorized, meaning it's approved as a proper expense, but it also has to be appropriated, meaning the money is actually found to pay for it.

Still, authorization is a necessary step in the campaign that Courtney and others in Congress have been leading to disregard the Navy's plan and the Bush administration's recent budget proposal to pay for only one submarine in 2008. Courtney and officials at Electric Boat have expressed concerns that the specialized industry of southeastern Connecticut might, because of a lack of work, suffer losses to the workforce that won't be easily replaced.

A statement from Courtney's office Thursday, which called this a "first major hurdle cleared," said that the authorization bill should go before the full House by next week.

It's unclear when an additional submarine might be built. The $588 million will cover only about the first quarter of the sub's overall cost.