Last week, Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) joined an effort with several members of Congress to urge the Biden Administration to prioritize funding for the Navy's Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program (SIOP) in its 2022 budget. These funds are essential to strengthening, maintaining, and modernizing America's naval fleet and readiness.
"As America's military continues to shift focus from asymmetrical threats to challenges from near-peer competitors, including Russia and China, and you align your budgetary priorities to reflect these new challenges, we urge your Administration to promote a budget which strengthens our Navy's ability to protect America's sizeable maritime interests," said the lawmakers. "In order to strengthen, maintain, and modernize America's fleet and protect these interests, we ask that you prioritize funding in your Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 budget for the Navy's Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program.
They continued, "In addition to prioritizing funding for the SIOP, we urge the administration to engage the local shipyard workforces to determine the best overall solution for modernization and optimization of the shipyards. Each shipyard has unique knowledge of their existing facilities, workforce, and challenges that should be leveraged in designing the facilities that they will continue to work in for the decades to come. A "one-size-fits-all" solution, while less costly in the short term, may not deliver the best results for the Navy or the communities in the long run. Congress has consistently supported the budget requests for the SIOP from the Navy, and we are eager to make sure that as we transition from the research and planning stages into the execution phase, the Navy has the resources needed to complete each critical step in the SIOP."
"We respectfully request that you ensure the projected SIOP funds remain consistent and predictable and support funding for the SIOP in your FY2022 budget and in future years," they concluded.
Pappas was joined by Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06), who led the letter, as well as Reps. Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Bobby Scott (VA-03), Elaine Luria (VA-02), and Ed Case (HI-01).
The full text of the letter can be found here.
Original source can be found here.
