Political Quotes

“Congress authorized the original National Defense Features (NDF) program in the mid-1990s in response to a report by the Department of Defense describing a shortage of sealift capacity during military contingencies. The NDF program was considered to be the most cost-effective way to augment the substantial investment that was being made in new sealift ships by the Navy. Since then, Congress has authorized and appropriated funds to install special defense features in new commercial vessels to be built in the shipyards of the United States. Last year, for example, at my request and as a result of the leadership of our colleague from New Jersey, Mr. Frelinghuysen, the House included in the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2001 a provision that would expand the Secretary of Defense's ability to fund militarily useful projects under the NDF program. I am pleased to report that our amendment was included in the final legislation signed into law by the President.”