Roanoke Times Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc. DATE: FRIDAY, July 1, 1994 TAG: 9407010097 SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A18 EDITION: METRO SOURCE: Newport News Daily Press DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Short
The House late Wednesday approved a $243.6 billion defense appropriations bill that includes $3.6 billion for the carrier's final payment. The vote was 330 to 91. The Senate, meanwhile, has endorsed building the carrier in 1995 and on Thursday was preparing to approve its own defense authorization bill following debate over provisions unrelated to the carrier, including whether to lift the arms embargo in Bosnia.
``I'm 99 percent claiming victory,'' said Rep. Norman Sisisky, D-Petersburg, who led the lobbying effort among Democrats who control the House.
Winning the carrier work will prevent the loss of another 4,000 shipyard jobs - though it will do nothing to save 7,000 already on the chopping block - and help the yard survive defense cutbacks, yard officials have said.
President Clinton, who as a candidate opposed a 12-carrier Navy fleet, now supports building another carrier and included money for a new one in his defense budget.
``It's gone through a lot of important gates,'' shipyard spokesman Jack Garrow said of the carrier. ``It has a few more to go, but so far we've been pleased with the way it's going.''
The carrier is the largest single item in the defense budget.
by CNB