Kay Hagan: “I thank Senator Murray. I was proud to stand with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support efforts across the…”

“I thank Senator Murray. I was proud to stand with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support efforts across the federal government that will help provide our military with the strategic advantages it needs to remain atop the world's powers. A critical component to achieving this goal is to ensure that the Department of Defense is not solely dependent on one fuel source. Mr. President, the Department of Defense is committed to addressing this critical national security risk, and is taking a joint approach to do so. In August 2011, the Secretaries of the Departments of Agriculture, Energy, and Navy signed a memorandum of understanding to invest $170 million each to spur the production of advanced aviation and marine biofuels under the Defense Production Act. This joint MOU also requires substantial investment from the private sector, with at least a 1-to-1 match. Our senior military leaders understand that programs such as this MOU are critical to national security. In July, the Secretary of the Navy, the Chief of Naval Operations, and the Marine Corps Commandant expressed their concern to Chairman Levin: ``The demand for fuel in theater means we depend on vulnerable supply lines, the protection of which puts lives at risk.…”