[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 153 (Thursday, September 25, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1917-E1918]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          EARMARK DECLARATION

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. GUS M. BILIRAKIS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 24, 2008

  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership 
standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information 
regarding earmarks I received as part of S. 3001, the Duncan Hunter 
National Defense Authorization Act:
  Requesting Member: Representative Gus M. Bilirakis.
  Bill Number: S. 3001.
  Account: Aircraft Procurement Army.
  Names and Addresses of Requesting Entities: Sikorsky Aircraft 
Corporation, 6900 Main Street, Stratford, CT 06615; Pall Aeropower 
Corporation, 10540 Ridge Road, New Port Richey, FL 34654.
  Description of Request: This earmark provides an additional 
$5,000,000 to modernize the National Guard H-60 Black Hawk helicopter 
fleet. The UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter is an essential capability of 
the National Guard. It provides units in every State with a multi-
mission aircraft for search & rescue, utility lift, disaster relief and 
medical evacuation. The Army National Guard (ARNG) is authorized 782 
Black Hawk aircraft but is short of this authorization by almost 100 
aircraft. This shortage requires ARNG units to loan or transfer Black 
Hawks in support deployments, training or state missions, resulting in 
a higher usage rate of available airframes. Additionally, more than 500 
of the 782 National Guard aircraft are older UH-60A models, with an 
average age of approximately 25 years.
  The Army is procuring over 1,200 UH-60M Black Hawks for utility, 
special operations and MEDEVAC missions to replace the aging UH-60A 
from operational units by 2016. The Army acquired 33 UH-60M Black Hawks 
by the end of FY07, and from FY09 to FY13, the Army plans to procure an 
additional 300 UH-60M Black Hawks (70 of those aircraft are programmed 
for ARNG units). However, without an accelerated procurement of the UH-
60M, the Army National Guard will be operating more than 400 UH-60A 
helicopters beyond 2020.
  The ARNG and the Active Army developed a program to support the 
continued modernization of the ARNG Black Hawk fleet. Unfortunately, 
this program is not fully funded. The ARNG plan is to accelerate the 
fielding of UH-60M Black Hawks by 10 aircraft per year. Although the 
Active Army has programmed UH-60A recapitalization for the ARNG with 
Operations and Maintenance (O&M) funds, which includes an airframe life 
extension, fleet-wide product improvements, and the replacement of 
components, the UH-60A to L upgrade is not funded.
  The UH-60L Black Hawk is more economical to operate and has 1000 lbs 
of additional lift than the UH-60A. The desired rate of UH-60A to L 
upgrades is 38 per year. Funding the UH-60A to L upgrade will 
significantly improve the Black Hawk fleet and assure that ARNG units 
are ready, deployable, and available to protect our national interests 
both abroad and at home.
  This ARNG aviation initiative has been identified by the Chief of the 
National Guard Bureau (CNGB) as a FY09 Essential 10-Top 25 unfunded 
priorities.
  Requesting Member: Representative Gus M. Bilirakis.
  Bill Number: S. 3001


      Domestic Production of Polycrystalline Laser Gain Materials

  Account: Defense Production Act Purchases.
  Names and address of Requesting Entity: VLOC Incorporated, 7826 
Photonics Drive, New Port Richey, FL 34655.
  Description of Request: This earmark provides $5,200,000 for the 
domestic production of transparent polycrystalline laser gain materials 
for defense critical materials required for the Department of Defense's 
next-generation tactical laser systems. The Department of Defense is 
funding the development of laser platforms that generate 100 kilowatts 
of output power in an all-solid-state design with field testing 
starting within the next 12 months. In order to generate this level of 
operational power, new and unique laser materials must be produced 
domestically in commercial quantities. Recent laser demonstrations 
utilizing polycrystalline materials manufactured exclusively overseas 
indicate that transparent polycrystalline laser gain materials, that 
use nano-particle powders, do in fact allow laser designers to 
demonstrate these higher levels of output power (the DoD/JTO-mandated 
100 kW). Under previous forward-leaning research funded by the AFRL, 
U.S. industry was able to research and test innovative growth 
technologies, infrastructure improvements, and advanced materials 
analysis of these new ceramic laser gain materials. By leveraging this 
previous R&D funding, it is expected that full domestic production with 
volumes to meet all of the current DoD needs will be completed within 
36 months.
  These funds will be used for infrastructure improvements, labor and 
overhead, nano-powder testing and production, production hardening of 
the domestic manufacturing of the polycrystalline laser gain materials, 
fabrication, characterization and dielectric coatings of the laser gain 
slabs.


                  Information Systems Security Program

  Account: Procurement
  Names and address of Requesting Entity: Green Hills Software, 34125 
US Hwy 19 North, Suite 100, Palm Harbor, FL 34684.
  Description of Request: This earmark provides $2,000,000 for the 
Information Systems Security Program which would be spent over the 
course of the fiscal year. As the Department of Defense moves to full 
deployment of the Global Information Grid (GIG), the need for High 
Assurance Secure capabilities becomes more critical and more pervasive. 
Simply put, increased sharing increases network vulnerabilities; and 
compromise of US or coalition resources could have serious consequences 
to our nation's security. This project would implement high assurance 
software to achieve more security with higher levels of access control 
across security domains from Unclassified to Top Secret. Without this 
capability, the Global Information Grid's functions cannot be fully 
exploited. In addition, creating an architecture that allows classified 
and unclassified resources to be combined will result in a significant 
cost savings to the government as redundant classified and unclassified 
systems are eliminated.


                      Optic Band Control Program:

  Account: Materials.

[[Page E1918]]

  Names and address of Requesting Entity: Eclipse Energy Systems, 2537 
Ham Blvd, Suite 1, Clearwater, FL 33764.
  Description of Request: This earmark provides $800,000 for the Optic 
Band Control Program (OBC) which focuses on advanced infrared filter 
technology for a wide range of Department of Defense interests. There 
is an urgent need for advancement of technology necessary for blocking 
certain wavelengths while allowing other wavelengths to pass though a 
filter. This is necessary for laser threat protection as well as more 
precise chemical and biological sensors and camera/reconnaissance 
systems. The funds will be used for equipment purchases, software 
modeling and design, machine operation and related engineering tasks.


                  National Functional Genomics Center

  Account: Medical Advanced Technology.
  Names and address of Requesting Entity: Moffitt Cancer Center, 12902 
Magnolia Drive, Tampa, FL 33612.
  Description of Request: This earmark provides $6,000,000 for the 
National Functional Genomics Center which conducts applied research for 
the Department of Defense for the discovery of molecular signatures for 
cancers and the accelerated development of new personalized drugs based 
on each individual's molecular fingerprint to treat cancer. This 
research directly translates into reduced financial costs and morbidity 
associated with cancer treatment in the military and results in reduced 
disruption to the active duty soldier.
  Name of Requesting Member: Congressman Gus M. Bilirakis.
  Bill Number: S. 3001.
  Account: FEMA Predisaster Mitigation.
  Legal Name/Address of Requesting Entity: Pinellas County, Florida, 
315 Court Street, Clearwater, Florida 33756.
  Description: This funding will complete the infrastructure hardening 
of the existing Pinellas County facility housing Emergency Medical 
Services (EMS) equipment, supplies, and operations. The EMS facilities 
serve as a countywide base-of-operations during and post-disaster for 
more than 80 emergency personnel as well as the County's radio 
communications, Fire and EMS dispatch, 911 dispatch, Fire and EMS 
administration, and EMS response.
  Funding will support roof analysis and installation of new roof 
systems, installation of fastening/bracing equipment, strengthening 
sections of walls with additional structural steel, and upgrading of 
the generator and mechanical systems to assure continuance of emergency 
activities during storms and other emergency events.
  I believe that the use of these federal funds are justified because 
this project advances the goals of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Public Law 100-107) for 
implementation of pre-disaster mitigation measures in states and 
localities that are cost effective and designed to reduce injuries and 
loss of life.
  The project also advances the goals of FEMA's Predisaster Mitigation 
Fund, which finances projects for infrastructure improvements, 
analysis, and other activities for disaster mitigation.
  Spending Plan: These federal funds will support exceptional one-time 
construction costs. Pinellas County will provide fifty percent 
($1,000,000) of total project cost ($2,000,000). Pinellas County 
provides ongoing service and operational costs.

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