Olympia Snowe: “I draw the attention of the distinguished Chairman of the Appropriations Committee to a funding provision of the FY 2000…”

“I draw the attention of the distinguished Chairman of the Appropriations Committee to a funding provision of the FY 2000 Defense Authorization Bill that passed after the Appropriations Committee had completed its military budget mark-up last month. Title X of the Authorization Bill allows the Secretary of the Navy to expend no more than $190 million for the advance procurement of components to support the planned construction of DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers in Fiscal Years 2002 and 2003. The Navy, as the Chairman knows, has already written to Congress that it will need $371 million for this purpose by FY 2001, but the obligation of some of this amount next fiscal year may reduce programmatic risks.”