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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Steven Palazzo, (MS-4), applauded key shipbuilding priorities in House Armed Services Committee Chairman “Buck” McKeon’s Mark that was released this week for the House FY15 National Defense Authorization Act. The House bill, which will be taken up in the Armed Services Committee on Wednesday, includes authorization for a 12^th amphibious LPD ship and two additional DDG-51 destroyer ships.

“Congress has a responsibility to provide the shipbuilding assets the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps require to support our military’s increased focus on the Pacific region,” Palazzo stated. “I believe we must do everything in our power to support the Navy’s strategic ship numbers and, ultimately, our men and women in uniform. The ships included in the Chairman’s Mark are a reflection of our commitment to our nation’s security in a world that is not getting safer.”

Palazzo is a member of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee on the House Armed Services Committee. He has been working to raise awareness of the need for a twelfth amphibious ship since earlier this year, a proposal which has received praise from top Navy and Marine Corps officials and retired Marine Corps generals. The Chairman’s Mark would authorize a 12th LPD that the Navy originally requested.

 Palazzo also praised the authorization of two DDG-51 destroyers in the Chairman’s Mark. Based on the Navy’s request, Congress has authorized and appropriated funds for a total of nine DDG-51 destroyers.

The bill also includes language Palazzo requested supporting the U.S. maritime industry that the military relies on for its sealift strategy. Palazzo led a letter with four colleagues earlier this year, reminding the Obama Administration to consider commitments to the commercial shipping industry and merchant mariners in the face of potential trade agreements such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the TransAtlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.

On Wednesday, the FY15 National Defense Authorization Act will be marked up by the full House Armed Services Committee.

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