The Senate has adopted an amendment to its version of the next defense policy bill requiring that by 2033 certain components on new ships the Navy purchases be built entirely with domestically-produced materials.
Sen. Tammy Baldwin’s (D-Wis.) measure to ramp up the “Buy America” mandate for Navy ship components was adopted to the fiscal year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act by voice vote on Thursday, with the Senate on track to take up final passage of the bill next week.
“There’s every reason in the world to get this bill done as soon as we can. As I’ve said all week, the NDAA is full of provisions both sides can celebrate,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said during floor remarks on Thursday. “Both sides will continue working today and into next week until we pass the NDAA. We’re making good progress but, of course, we still have more to do.”
The Senate began considering its version of the NDAA on Wednesday and adopted a few amendments to include one from Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) to expand beryllium tests for Department of Energy employees under the Occupational Illness Compensation program and another measure from Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) prohibiting the president from withdrawing from NATO without two-thirds of support from the Senate (Defense Daily, July 19).
A group of seven amendments were adopted by voice on Thursday, which included Baldwin’s amendment, a measure from Rep. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) barring federal agencies from buying and operating Chinese-made drones and another from Rep. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) requiring the Pentagon and State Department to provide an update on implementing the Baltic Security Initiative.
Baldwin noted the “Buy America” mandate in her amendment would cover Navy ship components such as “propulsion systems, shipboard components, couplings, shafts, support bearings and more.”
“Wisconsin has a proud tradition of shipbuilding, producing world-class products made by American workers that defend our freedom at home and abroad,” Baldwin said in a statement. “By strengthening Buy America requirements for our shipbuilding industry, we can ensure that taxpayer dollars are not only going toward keeping us safe, but also supporting American jobs, growing our economy, and maintaining a defense industrial base that is critical to our national security.”
The Wisconsin senator does note her amendment contains waiver provisions “to account for any instance in which domestic components are not reasonably available.”
The Senate Armed Services Committee previously advanced the $886 billion version of the NDAA out of committee in June (Defense Daily, June 23).
The House narrowly passed its own $886 billion version of the NDAA last week with a 219-210 vote, which followed days of debate over Republican proposals that included reversing Pentagon policies on abortion and diversity programs (Defense Daily, July 14).
After the Senate considers more amendments next week and after passing its NDAA, the two chambers will meet to conference out differences between the two bills and settle on a final version of the legislation.