Kagen and Stupak Secure Funds For Research in Marinette

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:        
July 30, 2009

Contact:  Jake Rubin
(202) 225-5665

(WASHINGTON, D.C.)  Congressmen Steve Kagen, M.D (WI-8) and Bart Stupak (MI-1) secured $4,000,000 in the recently passed The Defense Appropriations Act for Bow Lifting Body ship configuration research at Marinette Marine.  This project is estimated to create 45 jobs.

“The ships that come out of Marinette Marine have been essential to our military and these funds for research of new hull technology will allow them to continue to create cutting-edge vessels to protect and transport our brave soldiers.” said Kagen.  “I am working hard to invest our hard earned tax dollars in Northeast Wisconsin – creating the jobs that sustain our communities.”

“This project will help sustain the local workforce and will further strengthen Marinette Marine’s position as an integral supplier to the United States military, hopefully leading to more contracts and more jobs down the road,” Stupak said.  “The men and women of our Armed Forces who put their lives on the line deserve the best equipment we can provide.  The work being done at Marinette Marine will help ensure they receive just that.”

This research will help develop new hull technology for ships to enable them to travel at faster speeds with greater fuel efficiency.  This will be an important reference point for scaling the technology to much larger ships including ships twice its size and eight times its displacement.  Previous tests also demonstrated a significant reduction in ship motions that make for a more sea- kindly and comfortable ride.

The Defense Appropriations Act provides for our troops and their families with a 3.4% pay raise for our military and the best medical care and strong support for military family advocacy programs. It also continues efforts to end the practice of “stop loss” and pays our troops an additional $500 for every month their term of service is involuntarily extended by that practice.

This legislation also makes a commitment to fiscal responsibility by reigning in outsourcing and putting Defense personnel, not contractors, in charge of critical department functions. At the same time, it will allow the Inspector General to hire additional investigators to ensure proper oversight of Department of Defense acquisition and contracting.

On July 16, 2009, Secretary of the U.S. Navy Ray Mabus visited Marinette. Kagen and Stupak have been staunch advocates of the great ships built by the workers at Marinette Marine and their continued relationship with the Navy and Coast Guard.