McDonnell Country

U.S. Navy playing Politics with a Carrier?

The Navy announced its final decision Wednesday to move a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to Mayport Naval Base in Florida, but the political battle over where to station the carrier may be far from over.

The ship would be the first nuclear-powered carrier based at Mayport, which was home to conventionally powered carriers from 1952 until the retirement of the USS John F. Kennedy in 2007. Since the retirement of the Kennedy, all East Coast carriers have been stationed at Virginia's Norfolk Naval Base.

In a statement, Senate Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee Chairman Bill Nelson, D-Fla., stressed the importance of the Navy spreading out its Atlantic-based carrier fleet.

"Keeping all the carriers in just one port is too great a risk," he said.

Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., said the Florida delegation's next step is to secure funding in the fiscal 2010 budget to upgrade Mayport to accommodate the carrier.

"National security demands we move this project forward," Martinez added.

Virginia lawmakers could stand in the way of the Navy's decision. Each carrier brings about 3,000 military jobs to a base -- making it a strong economic engine to an area.

Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., an Armed Services Committee member and former Navy secretary, said after the announcement that he wants a "fully-justified cost/benefit analysis" and other information before Congress considers providing the funding to implement the decision.

"I intend to bring full scrutiny to this decision in the coming months as it makes its way through the appropriate congressional process," Webb said. "I have yet to receive a proper, intelligence-based assessment from the Navy on this matter, despite the fact that as late as Jan. 12, the chief of naval operations confirmed that he could not identify a threat-based requirement for this proposal."

The Navy announced its preference to move a nuclear-powered carrier to Florida in November, prompting Virginia lawmakers and Gov. Tim Kaine to urge that a decision be postponed until after President-elect Obama's inauguration.

Now that the Navy has made its decision, Obama and his national security team will be under considerable pressure by lawmakers from both states -- each of which were important to his election -- to respond to their competing concerns. Kaine, whom the president-elect tapped last week to lead the Democratic National Committee, is likely to continue to press the issue.

Webb penned a 24-page paper this month opposing efforts to move a carrier to Mayport, arguing that it would cost as much as $1 billion at a time when the Navy has more pressing fiscal priorities.

"If I were serving as secretary of the Navy today, I would be very worried about where I would be finding $4.6 billion to pay for unfunded requirements in the Navy's existing budget," Webb said Wednesday.

"I would also be worried about where I would be finding the billions of dollars needed to fund procurement for the Navy's lamentably mismanaged aircraft programs, and the billions that the Navy would need to grow its fleet by more than 25 ships, to its announced goal of 313 combatants," he said.

Webb added that he would "not be proposing an additional $1 billion on top of these shortfalls for a nonessential, redundant facility in Mayport."

We need a few Eric Cantor in Oklahoma !

With the financial crisis affecting everyone, it is reassuring to know that Eric Cantor is continuing to fight each day to protect taxpayers. We need a few Eric Cantor like Congressman in Oklahoma !

American Minute - May 13 - Jamestown, Virginia

American Minute with Bill Federer


The first permanent English settlement in the New World began at Jamestown, Virginia, MAY 13, 1607.

Plagued by hunger, malaria, exposure and Indian attacks, many of the 100 settlers sent out by the London Company died, including their minister Robert Hunt, of whom they wrote:

"1607. To the glory of God and in memory of the Reverend Robert Hunt, Presbyter, appointed by the Church of England. Minister of the Colony which established the English Church and English Civilization at Jamestown...

His people, members of the Colony, left this testimony concerning him. Rev. Robert Hunt was an honest, religious and courageous Divine. He preferred the Service of God in so good a voyage to every thought of ease at home.

He endured every privation, yet none ever heard him repine. During his life our factions were ofte healed, and our greatest extremities so comforted that they seemed easy in comparison with what we endured after his memorable death.

We all received from him the Holy Communion together, as a pledge of reconciliation, for we all loved him for his exceeding goodness."

Ending their tribute to Rev. Robert Hunt, Virginia's first settlers wrote:

"He planted the first Protestant Church in America and laid down his life in the foundation of America."