Tim Kaine: “today, I wish to discuss the importance of strengthening the defense industrial base, particularly as it relates to…”

“today, I wish to discuss the importance of strengthening the defense industrial base, particularly as it relates to shipbuilding. On July 21, 2017, the President signed Executive Order 13806, directing the Department of Defense to lead a whole of government assessment of the health of the manufacturing and defense industrial base of the United States. The report was released on October 5, 2018, and outlines current risks in the defense industrial base. Within the military shipbuilding sector, concerns range from an overreliance on single and sole source suppliers, to a capacity shortfall for maintenance and modernization work, to insufficient competition and unstable demand. The DoD report said: ``Industries involved in the manufacturing of shipbuilding components were among the hardest hit by the global shift in the industrial base over the last 20 years. Of the top ten highest grossing industries in Navy shipbuilding, six are in the manufacturing sector. Since 2000, these industries experienced a combined decline of over 20,500 establishments.'' We cannot afford to shrink our military shipbuilding industry any further. These issues are particularly acute in my State of Virginia. Not only is Virginia home to Newport News Shipbuilding and Norfolk Naval Shipyard, we have hundreds of military shipbuilder suppliers, a number of which are considered by the Department of Defense to be fragile.…”