Category: Tim Heaney
Bush Hosts Patriots Again
By Tim Heaney
WASHINGTON, April 13 -The World Series champion Boston Red Sox were rewarded with a trip to the South Lawn of the White House last month. This month, the two-time defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots earned themselves a visit to the Rose Garden.
President George W. Bush Wednesday welcomed to the White House more than 30 members of the football team for the third time during his presidency.
“You know, the commentators would say, well, they’re not the flashiest bunch, they’re not the fanciest bunch, they just happen to be the best team,” Bush said. “They’re the team that showed that when you play together, when you serve something greater than yourself, you win.”
The Patriots have won three of the last four Super Bowls, the first team to accomplish that feat since the Dallas Cowboys in 1993, 1994 and 1996. The Patriots have won nine straight playoff games dating back to 2002.
Bush said the Patriots’ leadership of quarterback Tom Brady, head coach Bill Belichick and owner Robert Kraft exemplified what it entails to win while maintaining a serious tone.
“I’m pretty impressed with the way you handle yourself,” the president said.. “I think some of us involved in the political arena could — could spend a little time getting tutelage on how to handle the mike like you do,” Bush said, referring to Belichick’s notoriously curt postgame interviews.
The Patriots also spoke of their visits to wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington and the Naval Medical Center in suburban Bethesda, Md. The team said that the experience put their accomplishments into perspective, and made them realize the sacrifices the soldiers made for their country.
“To go in there and see the troops, it makes what we do seem so unimportant,” Brady said in a press conference following the White House ceremony. “We admire them more than we could ever express.”
Bush honored linebacker and fan favorite Tedy Bruschi for his courage on and off the field. Bruschi joined the team for the visit after suffering a stroke in February. Bruschi was smiling while greeting invited guests, and Brady said he was in good spirits.
“It was the same old Tedy,” he said. “We were all scared when it initially happened, but it was good to see him back there.”
All of the Patriots’ Super Bowl victories came by a margin of 3 points, with kicker Adam Vinatieri gaining celebrity with last-second field goals against the St. Louis Rams in 2002 and the Carolina Panthers in 2004. Vinatieri did not make the trip because of the birth of his second child.
While acknowledging the New England congressional delegation in attendance, Bush said that the region’s sports presence at the White House was becoming redundant. “I’m surprised more of the delegation hasn’t come, but, you know, Red Sox one week, Patriots the next — it’s getting to be old hat here,” he said.
Kraft presented the president with a “Bush 1” white home jersey. Belichick presented Bush with a hooded gray Patriots sweatshirt like the one the coach has consistently sported during the Patriots’ run.
Kraft promised Bush the team would return, while taking advice from Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy.
“I hope we keep this reunion going, and next year if we’re blessed to be here, we’ll follow Sen. Kennedy’s advice and bring the cheerleaders,” Kraft said.
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Maine and New Hampshire Delegations Continue Support for Portsmouth
By Tim Heaney
WASHINGTON , April 12 - Members of the Maine and New Hampshire congressional delegations received thousands of constituent letters Tuesday opposing any attempt to close the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.
The Seacoast Shipyard Association, under the slogan "Save Our Shipyard," presented the two delegations with approximately 10,000-12,000 letters of support for the endangered base. The lawmakers said they would deliver the letters to the Defense Department.
New Hampshire Sens. Judd Gregg and John Sununu and Reps. Jeb Bradley and Charles Bass and Maine Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins and Reps. Tom Allen and Mike Michaud continued their campaign to save the yard, which is in danger of being shut down in the latest round of military base closings.
Portsmouth escaped closure attempts in 1991, 1993 and 1995, and supporters argue that the shipyard has vastly improved since then. Portsmouth is the only nuclear naval base in operation, Bass said, and its roles in the military and in the local community justify its preservation.
"It has its own unique contributions to make to national defense, and, as we did back in 1995, we will make the same cases again," he said. "Clearly, the community is galvanized and it is united on this; there's no element of partisanship around here."
Seacoast Shipyard Association members and the two congressional delegations said that the shipyard is the most efficient in the country and that shutting it down would hurt the Navy's efficiency.
Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce official Ginny Griffith said the association has recently faxed 10-12 letters a day to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld as "little reminders" of the community's commitment to the yard.
The two states have planned a joint rally for April 23 at Prescott Park in Portsmouth, N.H., and John Paul Jones Park in Kittery, Maine. Portsmouth is one of 426 national military installations under review as part of the base realignment and closure process, which the Defense Department says was intended to save billions of dollars.
"This needs to be underscored. It's a record of performance and quality and a set of skills that just can't be duplicated by any other yard," Sununu said.
On May 16, Rumsfeld will reveal his recommendations for base closings. A nine-member presidential Base Realignment and Closure Commission will review the list and submit its recommendations to President Bush, who in turn sends his recommendations to Congress. The legislative branch must then accept or reject the recommendations on an all-or-none basis.
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“Pig Book” Attempts to Fry Earmark Spending
By Tim Heaney
WASHINGTON, April 6 - New Hampshire is living high off the hog again this year-though not as high as a year ago. That's the conclusion of Citizens Against Government Waste, which issued its annual Congressional Pig Book at a press conference Wednesday.
Pork, as the nonpartisan organization defines it, is money tucked into congressional appropriations bills that lawmakers earmark for local projects without routinely going through the full appropriations process.
In its 15th and current edition, the Pig Book identifies 13,997 such "wasteful" projects, up 31 percent from last year. These projects will cost $27.3 billion, or 19 percent more than in fiscal 2004.
"This is legalized bribery in its worst form, and it's with our money," said Tom Schatz, the organization's president.
The non-partisan, non-profit private advocacy group, founded in 1984, analyzes the 13 annual appropriations bills and picks what it calls "the most glaring and irresponsible" projects passed each year.
According to the report, New Hampshire ranks 15th among the 50 states in pork-per-capita-$65.07 this year, or almost double the national average of $33.03. The state is to receive $84,555,000 for projects that meet the organization's definition of pork.
But that's much better, in the group's view, from New Hampshire's fourth-place finish just a year ago.
Vermont has the highest pork-per-capita rating among New England states, with its $56,522,000 in earmarks translating into $90.96 per capita. Last year, it ranked 12th.
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), who attended the press conference, plan to introduce legislation in the coming weeks to restrict the earmarking procedure. Their proposal would eliminate last-minute earmarks.
"Most congressmen want pork that they can cut a ribbon on," Flake said. "It looks better than directly putting money toward helping something important, like a highway. That's not very sexy."
According to the Pig Book, New Hampshire received $8 million for the Great Bay Partnership to protect the Great Bay Estuary, and a total of $5.6 million in various programs for the University System of New Hampshire to develop environmental research facilities.
Sen. Judd Gregg (R), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and, since January, chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, worked on the legislation for each of these programs.
"I am very proud of my work on the Senate Appropriations Committee to secure needed funds' for those programs, he said. "These projects were all funded within the spending caps set forth for each appropriations bill."
Rep. Charles Bass (R), said in a statement: "One of my highest priorities in Congress is reining in our increasing deficit and slowing the growth of government spending. However, the projects that receive federal funds in New Hampshire bolster the economies of our state and local communities and improve the lives of our citizens. As in the past, I will continue to work closely with state and local officials to make sure New Hampshire's valuable programs get their fair share of funds available."
Citizens Against Government Waste's Schatz said the Senate and House negotiators on the congressional budget resolution need to address earmark abuses in the Department of Homeland Security. Spending for the department jumped from $423 million last year to $1.72 billion in 2005, a 306 percent increase. President Bush, he added, needs to reject any budget with such an extensive list of earmarks.
"It's accepted as commonplace," Schatz said. "You can call it 'greasing skids,' but it is still buying votes. This adds to the cynical views Americans have of Congress. How can we get a hold on entitlement spending when we can't control this?"
Alaska was the highest-ranking state on the pork list for the fourth consecutive year, bringing home $645.5 million in bacon, or $984.85 per capita.
The organization also handed out its "Oinkers of 2005" awards, citing appropriations of $6.3 million for wood utilization research; $100,000 for the Tiger Woods Foundation and $100,000 for a Punxsutawney Weather Discovery Center Museum in honor of the well-known groundhog.
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Sox Meet and Greet Bush on South Lawn
By Tim Heaney
WASHINGTON, March 2 - While the expansion Washington Nationals were winning their first spring training game in Florida, Beltway baseball fans got a taste of the game's apex Wednesday as President George W. Bush honored the 2004 World Series champion Boston Red Sox at the White House.
"I want to welcome the world champs. and I'd also like to welcome Red Sox Nation," Bush said in front of hundreds of Sox fans who had been invited by the White House for the ceremony. "Some have said it would be a cold day when the Red Sox made it here."
The team that broke an 86-year World Series championship drought took a break from its Florida training camp to travel to the cold winter weather of Washington for the South Lawn ceremony.
CEO/President Larry Lucchino and chairman Tom Werner, both longtime friends of the president, stood with the players as Bush commended the Sox' teamwork and skill during their storybook championship run.
"I appreciate the way this team played baseball. It took lots of guts, and lots of hair," Bush added, referring to the famously shaggy look worn by Red Sox centerfielder Johnny Damon throughout the season.
The Red Sox performed the greatest comeback in baseball postseason history, becoming the only team to win a seven-game series after losing the first three games. The Sox won four straight games in the American League Championship Series against archrival New York Yankees, then swept the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series.
"No one really expected the answer to the curse of the Bambino would come from a group of players that call themselves 'idiots,' except for maybe idiots who don't understand baseball," Bush said. "This is a heck of a team."
Pitcher and playoff hero Curt Schilling gave the 43 rd President a white home jersey reading "Bush 43." Schilling, a major Bush supporter who campaigned for the President days after the Sox won the Series, sported a periwinkle blue tie similar to Bush's choice.
Catcher and new team captain Jason Varitek gave Vice President Dick Cheney a red away jersey reading "Cheney 2." Varitek said that the players were honored to meet with Bush,and that they appreciated the support they received during their championship season.
"In Boston, things are different," Varitek said after the ceremony. "Everywhere else people would say 'congratulations,' there, they'd say 'thank you.'
Bush, former owner of the Texas Rangers, commended the charitable work of the Red Sox players, including designated hitter David Ortiz, whom Bush labeled "Mr. October" in Spanish for his many clutch performances in last year's playoffs.
The President, who grew up in Midland, Texas, also praised relief pitcher and Midland native Mike Timlin, saying, "Someone from Midland finally amounted to something."
Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), Boston mayor Thomas Menino and Major League baseball commissioner Bud Selig attended the event. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) arrived at the event late, scurrying into the front row. He had come straight from a Capitol ceremony in which the Congressional Gold Medal was posthumously awarded to baseball legend Jackie Robinson.
Bush wasted no time in greeting Kerry.
"Senator, welcome. Good to see you.. I like to see Sen. Kerry, except when we're fixing to debate," Bush quipped.
Fans displayed their love for the Sox and their hatred for the rival Yankees, with one fan sporting a sign saying "Jeter and A-Rod Wish They Were Here," referring to Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter and third baseman Alex Rodriguez. Chants of "Who's Your Papi?" and "Here We Go, Red Sox, Here We Go" echoed throughout the crowd before the ceremony started.
In addition to relishing the moment, the players said the team's pitching staff had improved and guaranteed this would not be their last trip to the White House.
"We're definitely going to try to get back here next year," Damon said.
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Bass Thrifty in Largest Victory
By Tim Heaney
WASHINGTON, Feb. 24 - Rep. Charles Bass won reelection by his largest margin last November while spending less money than in his slightly tighter 2002 race, according to Federal Election Commission campaign finance reports filed earlier this month.
Based on the annual reports listed at opensecrets.org, the Web site of the Center for Responsive Politics, the six-term Republican congressman raised the least of the three New Hampshire members of Congress who ran for reelection last year but nevertheless defeated Democratic candidate Paul Hodes, 59 to 38 percent.
Bass campaign spokesman Scott Tranchemontagne said that candidate recognition and a financially weakened opponent put less pressure on the Bass campaign to break the bank.
"Part of the reason it worked out to be his greatest margin of victory is because people recognized that the promise met the premise," Tranchemontagne said. "He has taken hard positions that have sometimes not been locked up with party, but the right thing for the people he represents. Over time, people recognize that, and this time he won by more."
Bass raised $740,299 and spent $717,749 during his contest with Hodes without dipping into his personal account, according to opensecrets.org. In 2002, Bass raised $906,760 and spent $886,765, the Web site said, in defeating Democratic candidate Katrina Swett by 57 to 41 percent, .
Hodes raised $467,164, of which $303,779 (about 65 percent) came from individual donations, and spent $465,062. The total raised includes $100,000 of Hodes' money
"Fundraising proved very challenging for us, and I thought it was fair to say that we got into the race a little late," Hodes said in a telephone interview Wednesday. "I opened my [campaign] account that April. Incumbents always have a tremendous advantage, and we understood that."
In 2002, Bass won what Tranchemontagne called a "competitive" campaign against Swett, daughter of Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Cal.), even though Swett outspent him, opensecrets.org reported, by more than $570,000.
The FEC filing said that Bass received approximately half of his funds in 2003-04 from individuals and half from political action committees (PACs). According to opensecrets.org, Bass had cash on hand of $59,513.
Hodes, an attorney at Shaheen Gordon, a Concord law firm, received $42,150 from lawyers and law firms. The Teamsters Union and the United Food & Commercial Workers Union each contributed $10,000, according to the Web site. He had $2,098 in cash on hand.
The Center for Responsive Politics is a Washington-based research group that examines and analyzes campaign finance reports. Center spokesman Steven Weiss said that 95 percent of the 2004 House races were won by the candidate who received the greater financial backing.
He added that starting with a foundation of contributions is vital to campaign success because prospective donors need to see a candidate's potential for victory.
"As usual, fundraising troubles beget fundraising troubles," he said. "If you're having trouble scraping together money, then you will have a very difficult time convincing other donors to give."
BAE systems North America, which specializes in aerospace technology and defense systems and has major installations in Nashua, was Bass' top PAC contributor for his last two elections. Bass, a member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, received $274,799 in donations from business, defense and automobile manufacturing in 2004, according to the opensecrets.org.
Two key components that were critical in Swett's campaign two years ago hindered Hodes last year. Swett raised 95 percent of her funds from outside New Hampshire. Tranchemontagne said that Swett's "war chest" worried the Bass camp. Hodes' out-of-state donations were approximately a tenth of Swett's, according to the Web site.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee also gave Swett money for advertisements that attacked Bass. Hodes did not receive such funds from the committee, and launched a weaker ad campaign that failed to challenge Bass' positions.
"In a year when much of the attention of the volunteers, donators and press was focused on presidential and gubernatorial races, we really weren't able to raise the kind of funds necessary to fully introduce me to the broadest possible audience," Hodes said.
In the other New Hampshire races, Sen. Judd Gregg received $3,324,509 and Rep. Jeb Bradley received $1,049,832.. Gregg defeated Doris R. Haddock with 66 percent of the vote, and Bradley earned 63 percent in his victory over Justin Nadeau.
Tranchmontagne said he credited Bass' victory to his experience.
"It's important to remember that campaigns aren't about fundraising," he said. "Fundraising supports the campaign, and makes possible the grassroots efforts, the media, the outreach, and so on."
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Bass, Bradley Support New Stem Cell Bill
By Tim Heaney
WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 -Representatives Charles Bass and Jeb Bradley announced their co-sponsorship yesterday of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005, which would expand the number of eligible embryonic stem cells available for federal research funding.
"The legislation introduced today is crucial to our community because it would lift some of these restrictions and pave the way for medical breakthroughs for many debilitating, painful and deadly diseases," Bass said in a statement.
The bill was introduced by Representatives Mike Castle (R-Del.) and Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) and would place tighter limits on the collection of embryos, allow donations of excess lines from in vitro fertilization clinics with patients' consent and prevent destruction of embryo samples.
The bill, which has 157 co-sponsors, would loosen a previous limit on federal spending for embryonic stem cell research to the number of stem cell lines available before August 9, 2001, when President Bush imposed a moratorium on federal funds for new cell lines.
Lines are strings of stem cells that have been manipulated to grow and replenish themselves without developing into more mature cell types. Before Bush instituted his moratorium, there were 78 lines of stem cells available for federal research funds. The National Institutes of Health currently lists only 22 lines.
"This legislation will give federal researchers access to other available stem cell lines, enabling them to conduct research on a variety of incurable medical ailments, such as juvenile diabetes, paralysis, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, as well as many others," Bradley said in a statement.
According to Bass spokeswoman Margo Shideler, Bass stresses the need for exploration of new developments in the field of embryonic stem cell research under stricter ethical guidelines.
"The global community has seen its potential, and the policy needs to be reevaluated so that the process can move ahead," Shideler said.
Castle introduced a bill in the last Congress that would have prohibited human cloning while urging additional stem cell research under tighter and more organized control. The bill failed to advance beyond the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Senator Judd Gregg's office issued a statement Wednesday saying that he believes that no expansion of embryonic stem cell study is necessary and agrees with the National Institutes of Health's policy of limiting the supply.
"Senator Gregg believes that e mbryonic stem cell research is an exciting new field of science that continues to develop and has the potential to lead to real benefits as we fight a variety of diseases," Gregg spokesman Jeff Turcotte said. "However, it is also an area that raises serious ethical issues since living embryos must be destroyed in order to pursue embryonic stem cell research."
Embryonic stem cells are primitive body cells collected from human embryos that can mutate into any cell type in the body. Researchers hope they will ultimately be able to use embryonic stem cells for human tissue replacement.
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Manchester Airport Receives $7 million in Federal Grants
By Tim Heaney
WASHINGTON, Feb. 8 - Manchester Airport was awarded $7 million in grants yesterday from the U.S. Department of Transportation to use for safety improvements and noise mitigation.
New Hampshire's largest airport, which has already spent more than $500 million on improvements since 1994, will receive $2.5 million for noise abatement and $4.5 million for revamping damaged landing strips. The airport serviced 4 million passengers last year, an 11-percent increase over 2003.
"We are always appreciative of federal assistance as we are continuing to grow and develop," Manchester Airport Director Kevin Dillon said. "These grants in particular are significant in continuing to develop a balance of local community needs as well as our own."
The grants were awarded through the fiscal year 2004 budget of the Transportation Department's Airport Improvement Program. According to its website, the program sponsors improvement for both public and private airports with rebuilding projects that are related to "airport safety, capacity, security, and environmental concerns," but does not provide money for profit-driven improvements, such as the addition of extra passenger terminals.
Since 1994, the airport has spent $30 million to reduce noise to 750 of the 1,400 houses within the airport's noise mitigation zone, according to airport spokesperson Brian O'Neil. The new $2.5 million grant will provide noise proofing insulation and air conditioning to approximately 80 more houses near the airport. Each homeowner will be receiving $30,000-to-$40,000 for the modifications.
Dillon noted that the airport's current runways were built during World War II, and have undergone extensive upheaval in foundation repairs. He pointed out the need to update the drainage facilities after extending its main runway to 9,250 feet and its secondary runway to 7,000 feet last year. The runway extensions were partially financed by federal grants.
"Combined with our ongoing reconstruction program, these grants will allow us to make further progress . in design and ultimate construction this summer," Dillon said.
O'Neil said that New Hampshire's congressional delegation - Sens. Judd Gregg and John Sununu and Reps. Jeb Bradley and Charles Bass - served an influential role in expanding the airport's physical plant for the last ten years.
"Our delegation heavily promoted the issue and its importance to the state, and we are all very thankful of them here," he said.
"This Airport Improvement Program funding - a commitment on behalf of the Department of Transportation to continued growth .will benefit travelers and the airport's neighbors," members of the delegation said in a joint statement.
Manchester Airport, which opened in 1927 and now provides 100 passenger flights daily, has undergone two major periods of renovation. A second passenger terminal was added in 1961 and two more terminals were built in 1994.
Dillon said he hopes that the project's expansion will keep pace with the airport's growth in operation.
"We have fortunately been able to maintain normal operations while conducting this extensive program, and that is a testament to employees and our airline partners," Dillon said. "The community shares and takes a lot of the brunt and the negative impact of our services, and we can now continue to deliver a significant regional benefit."
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New Hampshire Republicans Remain in Bush’s Corner on Major Address Issues
By Tim Heaney
WASHINGTON, Feb. 2 -New Hampshire's congressional delegation echoed President George W. Bush's strategy in his State of the Union address Wednesday night, supporting his plans to privatize Social Security for today's young workers, establish sound environmental legislation and continue the campaign in Iraq and against terror.
"Social Security is a huge issue for us as a nation," Senate Budget Committee chairman Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) said in a statement. "We have this large demographic shift where the baby boom generation (of which I am a member) is starting to retire, and when this generation fully retires, there's simply going to be too many of us for the young people of this country to be able to support, and it's appropriate that we address this issue."
Bush received praise for his initiative for $350 million in aid to the Palestinian government in the continuing missions in the Middle East, and his efforts against global terrorism.
"Given the success of elections and the steps we took in the Middle East in deploying Palestinian security performances, the proper response is to provide assistance now, so that those reforms can continue," Sen. John Sununu (R-N.H.) said. "We recognize that America's commitment is a real one and that it will be backed up with tangible results."
Social Security drew the most partisan hostility during the address. While Republicans across the board showed support, Democrats briefly vocalized discontent during Bush's discussions of Social Security reform. Sununu criticized the overwhelming partisanship.
"We certainly need to solve [Social Security] within our children's lifetime," Sununu said. "Democrats seem to insist that there's no problem at all. It's unconscionable to pretend that the system is not in danger. The fact that that the number of spenders per worker. went down from 30 to 2 workers presents a serious problem. That's just wrong. They looked like they were sticking their heads in the sand, like the problem didn't exist, and they refuse to offer any ideas. That's just very embarrassing."
Rep. Charles Bass (R-N.H.) sympathized with the president's emphasis on avoiding a concrete timetable on the efforts in Iraq.
"I don't think it's productive to give a false timetable," he said. "Our commitment is firm over there, and I think we're going to see marginal opposition there."
But while Bass agreed with Bush's approach to foreign affairs, he expressed some discontent with Bush's proposed Clean Skies Bill. Although Bass said he backs Bush's emphasis of the issue, he argued that his own Clean Air Planning Act would provide a more sufficient alternative to meeting the environmental needs of New Hampshire.
"His Clean Skies act isn't helpful, and it doesn't address long term automobile gas emission elimination," he said. Bass said he hopes his bill is backed by the House leadership and that "all in all, Bush's bill is not the right approach."
Rep. Jeb Bradley (R-N.H.) agreed with Bush's initiatives for his Clean Skies Act, but argued the need for addressing his district's groundwater contamination problems.
"He unfortunately hasn't touched on that issue very much, but I hope to get legislation in that direction across in the House," he said.
But New Hampshire's Republicans remained united on the main issues of the address, backing the re-elected president on Social Security.
"It's like that old ad, you can pay me now or pay me later," Gregg said in a statement. "And the sooner we get on it, the less it's going to cost the American taxpayers to make sure that our children have the same lifestyle we have, maintain the lifestyle of the entire population."
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Congressmen Arrange Final Plea for Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
By Tim Heaney
WASHINGTON, Jan. 25 - Urgency hung like a fog over the discussion table as members of the Maine and New Hampshire congressional delegations sat down with the Seacoast Shipyard Association of Portsmouth on Tuesday to arrange a final plea to the Pentagon to keep the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard open.
Under the Defense Department's Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) program, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld will recommend in May which facilities should be closed. The secretary has promised to shed up to 25 percent of the nation's military facilities.
"Time is running out," retired U.S. Navy Captain William D. McDonough said at the roundtable discussion. "I'm growing very concerned. With the pattern that this is taking, this time around is giving us every indication that they're seriously looking for our closure."
McDonough, the spokesman for Seacoast, will lead the effort to plead the case in two separate half-hour meetings Wednesday morning with Pentagon and Navy officials.
This will mark the fifth time that McDonough has fought to prevent the closing of what the Portsmouth defenders call the nation's most statistically efficient government-operated naval base. The shipyard dodged such attempts in 1988, 1991, 1993 and 1995, but McDonough said that this latest round could be the final blow.
He projects that the next round of Defense Department base closings will be bigger than the last four campaigns combined and that decreasing federal desires for submarine production and maintenance may jeopardize Portsmouth's status.
The BRAC procedure calls for weighing eight standards of performance and efficiency, including both military and non-military utility, land availability and positive community impact.
While Seacoast will argue before the Pentagon that the shipyard meets all these standards, a nine-member BRAC commission, which must be selected by March 15, will have the final say. Two of those members will each be picked by the House and Senate Majority Leaders, and one will be picked by each of the Minority Leaders. President George W. Bush will pick the final three.
The commission will report its recommendations to the President in early September. The President then can either approve all of the commission's recommendations or disapprove all of them. Congress will then have the same all-or-nothing option.
Congressman Jeb Bradley, R-N.H., echoed the sentiments of both states' congressional delegations in emphasizing the shipyard's importance in the economies of Maine and New Hampshire and stressed the base's newest role of training the other three naval shipyards in submarine maintenance.
"Portsmouth has a long record of work, quality and refurbishing, and when you compare its capital and efficiency, the numbers put it above the other three bases," Bradley said. "The case is just so compelling for the base to remain open."
Over the 20-month BRAC process, the Maine and New Hampshire congressional delegation produced 17 letters addressed to Rumsfeld, Secretary of the Navy Gordon England and Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Vern Clark showing support for the shipyard.
Bradley said that the Defense Department needs to realize that the shipyard's efficiency is superior to privately owned yards such as the Electric Boat base in Connecticut.
"The fact that the Electric Boat is 50 percent over budget and 50 percent over timeline of production, that's just an important fact," Bradley said. "You cannot ignore those facts."
Although Defense officials have doubts that Portsmouth could accommodate a large number of personnel during a "surge" in manpower, McDonough noted that while the shipyard now has only about 4,000 workers, it had as many as 25,000 within the last few years.
While the numbers speak in the group's favor, the outcome is far from certain.
"I'm not optimistic," McDonough said. "We are pleased to have the opportunity to speak with them, but that doesn't mean anything. Those people will make no commitment to us."
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