Federal funds might keep BAE in Bradley-making business
Dec 20, 2012 (Menafn - York Daily Record - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --Thanks to the urging of two Pennsylvania senators, a local defense contractor might no longer face a potential break in production.
Lawmakers have earmarked 140 million for the continued production of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, manufactured at BAE Systems sites in Fayette County and West Manchester Township, according to the 2013 conference report on the National Defense Authorization Act.
The act allocates the budget for the U.S. Department of Defense.
In addition, the report calls for 62 million to be designated for the procurement of M88A2 Heavy Equipment Recovery Combat Utility Evacuation Systems, also made at BAE in West Manchester Township, said John Rizzo, press secretary for Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa.
"This report is the final national defense authorization bill," Rizzo said. "Now, the House and the Senate will vote on this bill. It's likely to be passed. We're hopeful that we could wrap this up by the end of the year."
Previously, President Barack Obama's fiscal year 2013 budget put BAE Systems -- and more than 500 jobs in York County -- in jeopardy, calling for a production break for the Bradley Fighting vehicle starting in 2014, according to a news release from Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa.
Toomey and Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., filed a bipartisan amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act requesting a study to assess the cost of the shutdown versus the cost of continued production of the fighting vehicles.
Casey voiced his support for the continued production of the vehicle with officials from U.S. Department of Defense, Rizzo said.
He further addressed the issue with lawmakers on the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services, he said.
"He made it clear that the Bradley is a priority and should be invested in," Rizzo said. "All that likely factored into the authorizing language."
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