[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 100 (Tuesday, July 15, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H5213-H5214]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
AUTHORIZING TRANSFER OF NAVAL VESSELS
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 2035) to authorize the transfer of naval vessels to certain
foreign countries, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 2035
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. AUTHORITY TO TRANSFER NAVAL VESSELS.
(a) Brazil.--The Secretary of the Navy is authorized to
transfer to the Government of Brazil the ``HUNLEY'' class
submarine tender HOLLAND (AS 32).
(b) Chile.--The Secretary of the Navy is authorized to
transfer to the Government of Chile the ``KAISER'' class
oiler ISHERWOOD (T-AO 191).
(c) Egypt.--The Secretary of the Navy is authorized to
transfer to the Government of Egypt the ``KNOX'' class
frigates PAUL (FF 1080), MILLER (FF 1091), JESSE L. BROWN
(FFT 1089), and MOINESTER (FFT 1097), and the ``OLIVER HAZARD
PERRY'' class frigates FAHRION (FFG 22) and LEWIS B. PULLER
(FFG 23).
(d) Israel.--The Secretary of the Navy is authorized to
transfer to the Government of Israel the ``NEWPORT'' class
tank landing ship PEORIA (LST 1183).
(e) Malaysia.--The Secretary of the Navy is authorized to
transfer to the Government of Malaysia the ``NEWPORT'' class
tank landing ship BARBOUR COUNTY (LST 1195).
(f) Mexico.--The Secretary of the Navy is authorized to
transfer to the Government of Mexico the ``KNOX'' class
frigate ROARK (FF 1053).
(g) Taiwan.--The Secretary of the Navy is authorized to
transfer to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative
Office in the United States (which is the Taiwan
instrumentality designated pursuant to section 10(a) of the
Taiwan Relations Act) the ``KNOX'' class frigates WHIPPLE (FF
1062) and DOWNES (FF1070).
(h) Thailand.--The Secretary of the Navy is authorized to
transfer to the Government of Thailand the ``NEWPORT'' class
tank landing ship SCHENECTADY (LST 1185).
(i) Form of Transfers.--Each transfer authorized by this
section shall be on a sales basis under section 21 of the
Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2761; relating to the
foreign military sales program).
SEC. 2. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS REGARDING TRANSFER OF NAVAL
VESSELS AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION WITH THE
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
(a) Findings.--The Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The United States and the Republic of the Philippines
have a long tradition of international cooperation and mutual
support.
(2) The United States strongly desires to continue mutual
cooperation as a partner in matters of international security
and scientific research.
(3) The President and the Department of Defense possess
assets which can contribute positively to international
security and scientific research.
(b) Sense of the Congress.--It is the sense of the Congress
that the President should use the authority under section 21
of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2761) to transfer
on a sales basis, subject to vessel availability, to the
Republic of the Philippines, not more than one ``STALWART''
or ``VICTORIOUS'' class ocean surveillance ship (T-AGOS).
SEC. 3. COSTS OF TRANSFERS.
Any expense of the United States in connection with a
transfer authorized by this Act shall be charged to the
recipient.
SEC. 4. EXPIRATION OF AUTHORITY.
The authority granted by section 1 shall expire at the end
of the 2-year period beginning on the date of the enactment
of this Act.
SEC. 5. REPAIR AND REFURBISHMENT OF VESSELS IN UNITED STATES
SHIPYARDS.
The Secretary of the Navy shall require, to the maximum
extent possible, as a condition of a transfer of a vessel
under this Act, that the country to which the vessel is
transferred have such repair or refurbishment of the vessel
as is needed, before the vessel joins the naval forces of
that country, performed at a shipyard located in the United
States, including a United States Navy shipyard.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Petri). Pursuant to the rule, the
gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman] and the gentleman from Indiana
[Mr. Hamilton] each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman].
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
(Mr. GILMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, this legislation provides for the transfer
by sale of certain surplus naval vessels. It would authorize the
transfer of 14 vessels, in all, to 8 countries: Brazil, Chile, Egypt,
Israel, Malaysia, Mexico, Thailand, and Taiwan.
This legislation was approved unanimously by our Committee on
International Relations on June 25.
I would like to underscore that none of these proposed transfers is a
grant. As a result of these sales, our Treasury will be receiving
$162.6 million. These 14 ships involve 5 classes: 7 Knox class
frigates, 3 Newport class tank landing ships, 2 Perry class guided
missile frigates, 1 Hunley class submarine tender and 1 Kaiser class
oiler.
It is important to note that our Navy expects that by proceeding with
these sales, our Nation will realize an additional $195 million for
training, for supplies, for support, and for repair services.
I would also like to note to my colleagues that the proposed
legislation includes language similar to that included in prior ship
transfer legislation requiring the Secretary of the Navy to the maximum
extent feasible to require that any repair or reactivation work be done
in the United States in our own shipyards. It is my understanding from
the Navy that each of the recipient countries have agreed to that
proviso with respect to these proposed transfers.
Finally, I understand that our Navy strongly supports the transfer of
these vessels to advance the valuable cooperative relationships that we
have developed with each of these nation's navies. Accordingly, I urge
my colleagues to support this legislation.
Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2035. I want to extend my
commendation and congratulations to the chairman for bringing what I
consider to be an excellent bill before the House.
{time} 1315
I believe because of the gentleman's leadership and the work of the
Committee on International Relations the Congress, over a period of
months, has been able to effect an important change in ship transfer
policy.
Now the clear emphasis, as the gentleman from New York has said, in
U.S. policy today is on the sale of naval vessels instead of grants.
All 14 naval vessels in this package are sales, and the bill will
result in $162.6 million in revenues to the United States Treasury. The
United States Navy will also save money not spent on storage or
scrapping costs. Work in the U.S. shipyards prior to ship transfer will
result in an additional $190 million in contracts for American workers.
Now this package also benefits U.S. foreign policy and U.S. defense
policy through enhanced navy-to-navy ties and improved
interoperability.
So, Mr. Speaker, I think the bill has positive benefits for the
United States
[[Page H5214]]
Navy, positive benefits for U.S. shipyards, positive benefits for the
United States Treasury, and positive benefits for U.S. foreign policy.
I urge its adoption.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from
Guam [Mr. Underwood].
Mr. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding,
and, Mr. Speaker, I wish to engage the distinguished chairman of the
Committee on International Relations in a colloquy.
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will yield, I will be
pleased to engage in a colloquy with the gentleman from Guam.
Mr. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, in section 5 of H.R. 2035 concerning the
repair and refurbishment of vessels in U.S. shipyards, the Secretary of
the Navy is compelled to require to the maximum extent possible as a
condition of transfer of a vessel to a foreign country that the country
have repair or refurbishment of that vessel performed at a shipyard
located in the United States.
Is it the gentleman's intention that in this provision territories,
including a place that the gentleman from New York lived in for a
while, Guam, is included in the definition of the United States?
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
Mr. UNDERWOOD. I yield to the gentleman from New York.
Mr. GILMAN. The answer is, yes, the committee intends that the
territories be included in a definition of the United States for
purposes of this provision.
Mr. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York for
this clarification, and both him and the ranking member for their hard
work on this issue. This will serve to clarify the legislation, and,
hopefully, we will not have to do this again in future legislation
regarding naval vessels and that this could be an important item for
the people of Guam in particular, since the ship repair facility has
recently closed down and has become privatized.
Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Petri). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman] that the House
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2035, as amended.
The question was taken.
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 5 of rule I and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
____________________