Shipyards could prosper under proposed funding plan
WASHINGTON — Pascagoula’s shipyards will prosper if the Senate Appropriations Committee’s 2015 Pentagon funding plan, which the panel approved Thursday, holds up in the final stages of Congress’ annual wrangling over military spending.
The $549 billion Senate committee bill includes funding for two vessels that are built in Pascagoula, including $800 million for an amphibious ship Republican Sen. Thad Cochran secured this week, although President Barack Obama’s budget zeroed it out.
Cochran also won inclusion of nearly a quarter-billion dollars in other procurements, not included in Obama’s budget request, that benefit Mississippi, such as $110 million to acquire MQ-8C Fire Scouts, unmanned aircraft manufactured in Moss Point. That was $70 million more than Obama requested.
Sunherald
7/17/14
