Arms Control Association ∙ Campaign for Liberty ∙ Center for Defense Information ∙ Center for International Policy ∙ Citizens Against Government Waste ∙ Coalition to Reduce Spending ∙ Council for a Livable World ∙ Friends Committee on National Legislation ∙ Georgia WAND ∙ Just Foreign Policy ∙ National Security Network ∙ National Taxpayers Union ∙ NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby ∙ Nuclear Watch New Mexico ∙ Peace Action ∙ Peace Action West∙ Physicians for Social Responsibility ∙ Project on Government Oversight ∙ R Street Institute ∙ Taxpayers for Common Sense ∙ Taxpayers Protection Alliance ∙ Tri-Valley CAREs, Livermore, CA U.S. Labor Against War ∙ Women’s Action for New Directions
Dear Chairman Cochran and Vice Chairwoman Mikulski, Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Lowey:
As the Senate and House finalize the fiscal year 2016 appropriations legislation, we write to urge you to exclude Sec. 10017 of the House-passed defense appropriations act. This provision would authorize up to $3.5 billion to be transferred to the sea-based deterrence fund set up by Sec. 1022 of the fiscal year 2015 National Defense Authorization Act. The Senate defense appropriations act as passed by the Senate appropriations committee does not include a similar section.
If funded, the sea-based deterrence fund would allow the Navy to build the planned Ohio-class replacement fleet of 12 ballistic missile submarines outside of its budget and move the costs into a defense-wide account. Due in large part to the estimated $140 billion development cost of the Ohio replacement program, the Navy has stated that it cannot afford its shipbuilding goals over the next thirty years at projected funding levels and that it would have more flexibility if the new submarines were funded “from sources that do not result in any reductions to the [Department of the Navy’s] resourcing level.”
But the sea-based deterrence fund is a gimmick that would take pressure off of the Navy to set priorities among different Navy programs, which are all national programs, based on both the strategic need and affordability.
Moreover, the fund doesn’t reduce the financial burden imposed by the program, as the money still has to come from somewhere in the Defense Department budget. The bottom line is that either other vital programs will be squeezed out to pay for the Ohio replacement program or the topline Pentagon budget will need to be increased.
Use of the sea-based deterrence fund also promotes a permissive budgeting environment that could encourage other services to seek similar funding mechanisms for major procurement items, such as the next-generation bomber, especially in the next 15-20 years as the procurement costs of these new systems peak. This will further inhibit responsible budgeting and prioritization among competing programs.
Again, we urge you to reject use of the sea-based deterrence fund and not allow any transfer of funds to it in final FY 2016 appropriations legislation.
Sincerely,
Susan Shaer, Executive DirectorWomen’s Action for New Directions Gordon Adams, Professor EmeritusSchool of International Service, American University* Kingston Reif, Director for Disarmament and Threat Reduction PolicyArms Control Association Norm Singleton, Senior Vice PresidentCampaign for Liberty Mandy Smithberger, DirectorStraus Military Reform Project, Center for Defense Information William D. Hartung, DirectorArms and Security Project, Center for International Policy Jonathan Bydlak, PresidentCoalition to Reduce Spending Tom Schatz, PresidentCouncil for Citizens Against Government Waste John Isaacs, Acting Executive DirectorCouncil for a Livable World Charles D. Ferguson, President of the Federation of American Scientists* and former naval officer who served on a ballistic missile submarine. David Culp, Legislative RepresentativeFriends Committee on National Legislation Becky Rafter, Executive DirectorGeorgia WAND Robert Naiman, Policy DirectorJust Foreign Policy Jay Coghlan, Executive DirectorNuclear Watch New Mexico John Bradshaw, Executive DirectorNational Security Network Pete Sepp, PresidentNational Taxpayers Union Marge Clark, BVMNETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby Kevin Martin, Executive DirectorPeace Action Jon Rainwater, Executive DirectorPeace Action West Catherine Thomasson, MD, Executive DirectorPhysicians for Social Responsibility Danielle Brian, Executive DirectorProject on Government Oversight Andrew Moylan, Executive Director and Senior FellowR Street Institute Ryan Alexander, PresidentTaxpayers for Common Sense David Williams, PresidentTaxpayers Protection Alliance Marylia Kelley, Executive DirectorTri-Valley CAREs, Livermore, CA Reece Chenault, National CoordinatorU.S. Labor Against the War
* = Organization mentioned for identification purposes only.
CC:
The Honorable Thad Cochran, Chairman, Senate Defense Appropriations SubcommitteeThe Honorable Richard Durbin, Ranking Member, Senate Defense Appropriations SubcommitteeThe Honorable Rodney Frelinghuysen, Chairman, House Defense Appropriations SubcommitteeThe Honorable Pete Visclosky, Ranking Member, House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee