Congress supports building two submarines per year

Reversing the president’s decision to delay the purchase of one Virginia-class submarine was the top priority this year for submarine advocates in Congress, U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney said Wednesday.

With both the Senate and House of Representatives agreeing to fund the submarine in the National Defense Authorization Act, Courtney, D-2nd District, said it’s “too early to do a victory dance in the end zone, but we’re in the red zone.”

The bill authorizes a 1.7 percent pay raise for military personnel and rejects the administration’s request for new rounds of base closures in 2013 and 2015. The Naval Submarine Base in Groton was nearly closed during the 2005 round.

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