Dayton, OH: Today, Congressman Mike Turner toured the Lima Tank Plant facility. Congressman Turner chairs the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land forces, which has direct oversight of the acquisition of the M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank Program. The Lima Tank Plant is the only facility that modernizes Abrams tanks for the military services.
This year, for the first time in his presidency, President Obama did not propose cuts or program cancellations that would have shutdown the Abrams Tank plant. Specifically, President Obama’s FY2016 budget proposal included more than $445 million to accelerate the next major upgrade to the Abrams Tank and to sustain the Lima tank production facility.
“Despite a yearly effort from President Obama to cut critical funding, Congress has been able to work successfully in a bipartisan and bicameral way to protect the industrial base and keep the Lima Tank plant open. This year’s turn-around from the Administration is a clear victory for the Abrams Tank and a confirmation that our work and advocacy has been effective,” said Turner.
Congressman Turner has long fought to prevent any production break of the Abrams Tank and consistently been a voice for both the plant and it’s workforce. This year, Congressman Turner authored and fought to include language in the FY2015 NDAA that recognizes the necessity of the Abrams Tank to our national security and encouraged the Army to consider acceleration of the next series of major upgrades for Abrams Tanks. The language also authorized an additional $120 million for these critical upgrades for Abrams Tanks.
“Keeping the production lines open here in Lima, Ohio is critical to maintaining the defense industrial base. This critical resource cannot be turned on and off like a light switch; any production break or temporary shutdown at the Lima Tank Plant would not only result in the loss of technical expertise that might never return, but would threaten the national security of the United States,” said Turner.
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