Joe Lieberman: “I rise to laud the Senate's unanimous approval of a $517.6 billion blueprint for the Nation's Armed Forces that…”

“I rise to laud the Senate's unanimous approval of a $517.6 billion blueprint for the Nation's Armed Forces that expresses Congress's support for the necessary tools for our military fighting throughout the world. It is critical that our military invest more resources for training, weapons, and technology to meet the new demands placed on it by the war on terror. We need to keep investing in our defense programs that have worked well in the past. We must also make sure that we provide enough resources for research and development, which will ensure that our servicemen and servicewomen are equipped with the best weapons possible. I wish to express my pride in the many Connecticut defense companies and skilled workers that meet both of these critical demands. Last year, I successfully fought efforts to close Submarine Base New London, because closing the base would have been a threat to our national security and would have put the most skilled defense workers in the world out of work. These irreplaceable workers are key to promoting our national security and developing important innovations that will help protect the lives of our military personnel. I would like to highlight several provisions of the bill that I believe merit emphasis. Particularly important are additions to submarine design programs and construction at U.S. Submarine Base New London.…”