[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 11 (Thursday, February 12, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S752-S754]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. LAUTENBERG (for himself, Mr. Torricelli, and Mr. Bumpers):
  S. 1646. A bill to repeal a provision of law preventing donation by 
the Secretary of the Navy of the two remaining Iowa-class battleships 
listed on the Naval Vessel Register and related requirements; to the 
Committee on Armed Services.


                THE HISTORIC BATTLESHIP PRESERVATION ACT

  Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I rise to introduce legislation to 
repeal a 1996 law that requires the Navy to maintain two antiquated 
battleships in its reserves, even though they will never again see even 
one more day of battle. This provision requires the Navy to maintain 
two Iowa-class battleships as mobilization assets, even though the Navy 
will never again rely on them to protect American interests.
  The Iowa-class battleships were commissioned during World War II. 
They were built at the request of President Franklin Roosevelt to be 
the American Navy's fastest battleship, and their 16-inch guns were 
designed to pummel our adversaries' shores. There is no doubt that 
these battleships are of significant historical importance to the 
American military heritage. They represent America's pride in its Navy. 
They symbolize our admiration for those who worked so hard to build and 
serve aboard our battleships.
  In 1995, the Navy determined that all four of the World War II era 
Iowa-class battleships in its arsenal--the USS Iowa, USS New Jersey, 
USS Missouri, and USS Wisconsin--were no longer essential to our 
national defense. Subsequently, the Navy struck these four ships from 
the Naval Vessel Register. The laws governing the disposal of ships 
stricken from the Register allow the Navy to donate these ships to 
states, local communities, and non-profits for display as memorials and 
museums. Thus, in 1995, the Navy was set to begin the process of 
donating all four ships.
  But the Senate Armed Services Committee disagreed with the Navy's 
decision to release these ships, the Committee included a provision in 
the fiscal year 1996 Defense Authorization Act mandating that the Navy 
maintain at least two of the Iowa-class battleships on the Naval Vessel 
Register. The Navy subsequently chose the USS New Jersey and the USS 
Wisconsin to comply

[[Page S753]]

with this provision. The bill I am introducing today would repeal this 
requirement, enabling the Navy to once again strike these ships from 
the Register and make them available for donation to interested 
communities.
  Mr. President, I hope the members of this distinguished body will 
approve my proposal to repeal this law. It makes sense from a national 
defense perspective. Navy Secretary Dalton has said that the Navy has 
no plans to reactivate these ships. In a recent letter to the 
Appropriations Committee, he wrote, ``the Navy does not intend to 
return the ships to service. . .'' They will never again fire their 16-
inch guns to support an amphibious landing or operation ashore. They 
will never again serve as a platform for surface fire-support. Instead, 
they will only continue to sit, mothballed at Naval ports, awaiting a 
call to duty that they will never hear.
  This bill also makes sense from a fiscal perspective. According to 
Navy estimates, the cost of maintaining these ships is approximately 
$200,000 per ship per year. To date, the Navy has already spent close 
to $1 million to mothball ships that will never again be reactivated 
for purposes of national defense. I see no sense in the federal 
government's paying for the Navy to keep ships ready for a war in which 
it will never call them to serve. The American taxpayer deserves a 
better deal.
  Although these ships have been deactivated for good, they can still 
continue to be of immense public benefit. On the eve of the twenty-
first century, many of our nation's waterfront cities are struggling to 
resurrect their economies. The federal government spends millions each 
year on projects to help revitalize blighted waterfront communities. 
Since the laws governing the disposal of former Navy assets allow their 
donation, we are presented with a unique opportunity to contribute to 
the economic development of our cities--at no further cost to the 
federal government. Many of our communities want to compete to berth a 
ship on their shores, as a museum and memorial, to anchor a waterfront 
development project. But the 1996 law is depriving these communities of 
a chance to undergo major revitalization efforts.
  The citizens of New Jersey recognized the economic development 
potential of these battleships many years ago. My constituents have 
been preparing for the return of the USS New Jersey as the only Iowa-
class battleship which may be berthed as an educational museum and 
memorial in her namesake state. Tens of thousands of volunteers have 
devoted countless hours to this long-standing, state-wide project. The 
New Jersey legislature created the Battleship New Jersey Commission, 
which has undertaken an ambitious fundraising effort to obtain the USS 
New Jersey. To date, the Commission has secured approximately $3 
million for this effort through sales of a ``Battleship New Jersey'' 
license plate, a state income tax check-off, and private donations. But 
New Jersey's efforts are hamstrung by the 1996 law requiring the Navy 
to maintain the Iowa-class battleships on the Naval Vessel Register.
  Repealing this law will have a three-fold public benefit. First and 
most obvious, we will no longer need to provide funding in our defense 
budget for ships that will never be reactivated. This alone warrants 
the support of my proposal. Second, we will contribute to the economic 
development of our cities at no further cost to the federal government. 
And third, we will enable generations of Americans to honor the history 
of our battleships by facilitating their display as memorials and 
museums.
  Forcing the Navy to keep the Iowa-class battleships ready for war is 
the equivalent of forcing NASA to keep the Apollo rockets ready to 
blast off into space. As we all know, the Apollo project was undertaken 
to send Americans to the moon. Will we ever want to send an American to 
the moon again? Probably--but not in an Apollo rocket. Even though 
advances in technology have rendered the Apollos relics of the American 
determination to succeed, their preservation at locations throughout 
the country allows the public to admire and appreciate their legacy. 
And NASA doesn't have to keep paying for them.
  Mr. President, I look forward to working with the members of the 
Armed Services Committee to pass this bill. It is good for the American 
taxpayers and our national defense, and I hope my colleagues will join 
me in this effort.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of this bill be 
placed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 1646

         Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 
     of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Historic Battleship 
     Preservation Act''.

     SEC. 2. REPEAL OF REQUIREMENT FOR CONTINUED LISTING OF TWO 
                   IOWA-CLASS BATTLESHIPS ON THE NAVAL VESSEL 
                   REGISTER.

       Section 1011 of the National Defense Authorization Act for 
     Fiscal Year 1996 (Public Law 104-106; 110 Stat. 421) is 
     repealed.

  Mr. TORRICELLI. Mr. President, I rise today with Senator Lautenberg 
in introducing legislation that will make the dream of bringing the 
battleship U.S.S. New Jersey home to New Jersey a reality. I want to 
thank Senator Lautenberg for his hard work and commitment to this 
issue, and look forward to working with him to ensure that this symbol 
of freedom returns to her namesake-state in the near future.
  The U.S.S. New Jersey is one of the most notable battleships in the 
Navy's history. She has been protecting and defending democracy since 
World War II in almost every region of the world. Launched on December 
7, 1942, one year after the infamous attack on Pearl Harbor, the ship 
proceeded to the Pacific where she was involved in many historic 
campaigns, including the battles for the Marshalls, Marianas, 
Philippines, Iwo Jimo and Okinawa. A particular highlight of the New 
Jersey's career was service as flagship for Commander Third Fleet, 
Admiral ``Bull'' Halsey, during the Battle of Leyte Gulf in October 
1944.
  Once the Japanese surrendered in 1945, the New Jersey settled into a 
peacetime routine, and was decommissioned in 1948. The ship was 
recommissioned in 1950 for the Korean war, in 1968 for Vietnam, and 
again in 1982 when former President Reagan ordered the re-activation of 
all four Iowa-class battleships as part of a massive naval buildup. In 
February 1991, because of end to the Cold War, another victory which 
she helped to secure, the New Jersey was decommissioned for a final 
time and is now in Bremerton, Washington.
  Following the removal of the U.S.S. New Jersey from the Naval Vessel 
Register, the New Jersey legislature created the Battleship New Jersey 
Commission, which applied for donation of the ship to the State of New 
Jersey. The Commission, and tens of thousands of volunteers, have 
undertaken a massive fundraising effort to pay for the costs of 
transporting the U.S.S. New Jersey home, and have already secured 
approximately $3 million for this effort. Together with the people of 
our state, the Commission has been actively preparing for the return of 
the U.S.S. New Jersey as the only Iowa-class battleship which may be 
berthed as an educational museum and memorial in her namesake state.
  None of this hard work and sacrifice will make a difference though, 
without the repeal of Section 1011 of the fiscal year 1996 Defense 
Authorization Act, which requires the Navy to maintain at least two of 
the Iowa-class battleships that have been stricken from the Naval 
Vessel Register. This provision was included to ensure that the Navy 
would have the necessary firepower to support Marine Corps' amphibious 
assaults and operations ashore. In accordance with this requirement, 
the Navy is currently maintaining the U.S.S. New Jersey and the U.S.S. 
Wisconsin and neither ship is available for distribution to the states.
  However, the Navy does not want nor do they need these ships. It is 
my understanding that the Navy can effectively support the Marines 
through the use of other platforms, and does not require the U.S.S. New 
Jersey for this important task. Secretary Dalton has said that the Navy 
has no plans to reactivate these proud ships, and is forced to spend 
$200,000 per ship, per year to mothball ships that will never again be 
reactivated for the purposes of national defense.
  Senator Lautenberg and I have also sent letters to Secretary Dalton 
and

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the Senate Armed Services Committee regarding this matter, but have 
decided that the most effective way to proceed is with a legislative 
remedy. Our bill would eliminate Section 1011, and remove one of the 
last obstacles preventing the U.S.S. New Jersey from making the long 
journey home to our state.
  During New Jersey's final decommissioning ceremony, her last 
commanding officer, Captain Robert C. Peniston remarked, ``Rest well, 
yet sleep lightly; and hear the call if again sounded, to provide 
firepower for freedom.'' It is only just that the U.S.S. New Jersey 
rest well in the welcome waters off the coast of her namesake state, 
and enjoy the company of the people that she fought so hard to protect 
throughout her time in the active duty fleet.
  America is profoundly thankful for the service of the U.S.S. New 
Jersey and the patriotism of the courageous men and women who served 
aboard her. For the reasons I stand today to recognize the Battleship 
New Jersey Commission, and the generations of Americans who went to war 
with the U.S.S. New Jersey. I am proud to offer this legislation with 
Senator Lautenberg.
                                 ______