In the House Armed Services Committee recently, something very terrible, very damaging and very Washington happened.
During the committee’s consideration of the National Defense Authorization Act – the legislation that specifies what the federal government will spend on defense in the next fiscal year – Rep. John Garamendi, California Democrat, offered an amendment.
His amendment would have narrowed the exemptions to the Buy America laws and rules, which require the Navy to build as many parts of its ships as possible in the United States. So far, so good.
In advocating for his amendment, Mr. Garamendi asked: “Are we capable in the United States to produce the key elements of a Naval ship? Presently the answer is ‘not really.’ But if we adopt this amendment, these key elements will be made in America.”
Unfortunately, the U.S. Navy must have objected to the amendment. One Republican member of the committee, who represents a district near Newport News Shipbuilding in the commonwealth of Virginia – moved immediately to reject the amendment and instead “study” the issue.
The committee, loath to cross the Navy and, as always, looking to avoid conflict, ultimately voted for yet another study about why the Navy won’t build ships using American labor and American parts.
The terrible part of this story is, of course, that Mr. Garamendi’s amendment would have encouraged the reshoring of the supply chains that the military needs. It is a national embarrassment and may soon become a lethal problem that we cannot supply our own military with American-made goods. How will that turn out in the event of a genuine conflict with a superpower competitor over...
During the committee’s consideration of the National Defense Authorization Act – the legislation that specifies what the federal government will spend on defense in the next fiscal year – Rep. John Garamendi, California Democrat, offered an amendment.
His amendment would have narrowed the exemptions to the Buy America laws and rules, which require the Navy to build as many parts of its ships as possible in the United States. So far, so good.
In advocating for his amendment, Mr. Garamendi asked: “Are we capable in the United States to produce the key elements of a Naval ship? Presently the answer is ‘not really.’ But if we adopt this amendment, these key elements will be made in America.”
Unfortunately, the U.S. Navy must have objected to the amendment. One Republican member of the committee, who represents a district near Newport News Shipbuilding in the commonwealth of Virginia – moved immediately to reject the amendment and instead “study” the issue.
The committee, loath to cross the Navy and, as always, looking to avoid conflict, ultimately voted for yet another study about why the Navy won’t build ships using American labor and American parts.
The terrible part of this story is, of course, that Mr. Garamendi’s amendment would have encouraged the reshoring of the supply chains that the military needs. It is a national embarrassment and may soon become a lethal problem that we cannot supply our own military with American-made goods. How will that turn out in the event of a genuine conflict with a superpower competitor over...
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I wholeheartedly agree with building our ships in America. So what if some workers in California lose their jobs, they can learn to code.
ReplyDeleteAt this point i wouldnt be surprised that if we went to war with anyone the DC Cartel would just give our warships to our enemies.
ReplyDeleteOriginally I am from California and me and my wife lived in Stockton and Garamendi was our State Senator (D). We never trusted him. His wife came to the bakery my wife worked at often and my wife felt like she was acting like the people were lower class. His is likely getting paid off by foreign companies as is most of Congress, Admin, and the Deep State.
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