As Appropriations Chair, Murray Secured $195 million for Electrical Backbone and $130 million for dry docks at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in funding bills signed into law this year
Senator Murray: “These projects are not only important to our national security, but they are important to ensuring that servicemembers, civilians, and their families here at the Shipyard can do their jobs safely.”
***PHOTOS of Puget Sound Naval Shipyard Visit HERE***
Bremerton, WA – Last week, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, visited Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (PSNS) in Bremerton to tour the facilities and discuss funding for two major projects at the Shipyard she secured in the appropriations bills signed into law in March: $195 million for the Shipyard Electrical Backbone project and $130 million to seismically mitigate the dry docks. Navy leadership in attendance on the visit included Captain J.D. Crinklaw, Commander, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard; Captain John Hale, Commander, Naval Base Kitsap; Ms. Jennifer Herbig, Executive Director, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard; Rear Admiral Mark Sucato, Commander, Navy Region Northwest; Captain Patrick Fitzpatrick, Commander, Naval Hospital Bremerton; and Master Chief Travis Brown, Command Master Chief, Naval Base Kitsap.
Murray first toured the dry docks at the PSNS and heard from officials about how the $130 million she secured in the Defense appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2024 will be put to use on short- and long-term seismic mitigation and repair efforts at the dry docks. They also spoke about issues like submarine and aircraft carrier maintenance and upgrades to support Ford class aircraft carriers. Murray then had a discussion at Naval Base Kitsap headquarters with Navy leadership about quality of life issues for servicemembers, civilians, and their families at PSNS including child care, housing, family support, the reduction of services at the Naval Hospital in Bremerton, and resources off-base that provide support for families.
“In writing this year’s spending bills under very tough caps, I made clear that supporting needed repairs at military facilities across Washington state was crucial—and I’m proud to have delivered the resources needed for the critical electric backbone project and seismic mitigation of the dry docks at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard,” said Senator Murray. “These projects are not only important to our national security, but they are important to ensuring that servicemembers, civilians, and their families here at the Shipyard can do their jobs safely. It was great to have the opportunity to see these projects up close and talk with Naval Base Kitsap leadership about how we can better address the challenges facing military and civilian families at PSNS, from child care to housing to health care.”
In the Military Construction-VA funding bill for Fiscal Year 2024, Murray secured over $582 million in funding for specific veterans and military construction projects across Washington state–including $195 million for the electrical backbone project at PSNS.
In the Defense funding bill for Fiscal Year 2024, Murray secured a 5.2 percent pay raise for servicemembers, increased funding for the Basic Needs Allowance, and funding for bonuses and new resources to help military families make ends meet. In addition, the bill provides new funding to help survivors of sexual assault and prevent sexual assault in the military, and to support suicide prevention efforts. Murray also secured key investments for military families, including new funding for child care: the legislation provided $167 million to fully fund the Department of Defense’s child care initiatives and improve recruitment and retention of staff, and $94 million—a $66.5 million increase—to support full-day universal pre-K and double enrollment among children of servicemembers, alongside $20 million in new funding for the renovation and repairs of DOD Child Development Centers.
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