He was previously the representative for Mississippis 1st. One of AUKUS's most public backers in congress, Democrat Joe Courtney, argued the US legislative body was "not built for speed" but he remained optimistic of overcoming the issues raised by Republicans. Wicker is next up for reelection in 2024 and serves until Jan 3, 2025. They include legislation to approve the sale of the subs, to allow Australia to make a promised $3 billion contribution to US shipyards, and to facilitate the sharing of sensitive technology. The AUKUS agreement will see Australia obtain up to five Virginia-class submarines from the US before eventually building its own nuclear-powered boats.īut two years after the deal was first announced, the US Congress still needs to sign off on several legislative proposals to progress it. "That work includes immediately delivering to congress a major submarine industrial base study and working with congress to build a plan to fix our submarine production and maintenance problems." Push for speed amid prospect of another Trump term "But the Biden administration must complete significant work before I can be convinced that it has a comprehensive vision for how AUKUS can be implemented fully in the near term. "AUKUS presents a generational opportunity to strengthen deterrence in the Indo-Pacific, and there is strong bipartisan support for the agreement," Senator Wicker said in emailed comments to the ABC. In a letter to the president last month, he and 24 other Republicans argued selling submarines to Australia without a clear plan to replace them would "unacceptably weaken" the US fleet at the same time that China expands its military power. State Departments of Transportation in the 25 eligible states were invited to apply under the program.Ĭlick here for more information on the program.Senator Wicker insists he supports the AUKUS agreement but has refused to back legislation in congress authorising the transfer of the submarines, arguing substantial new investments are needed in America's shipbuilding capacity first. “They are examples of how to achieve time and cost savings through innovation.”Ĭongress funded the CHBP grant program in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018, from the U.S. “The projects funded under the program will serve as models for similar bridge improvement projects throughout the nation,” said Federal Highway Administrator Nicole R. The 20 projects selected significantly demonstrate these benefits and support the Department’s priorities. It allows the opportunity to address many projects facing similar needs using innovative replacement and rehabilitation strategies in a cost-effective manner. ![]() Bundling offers cost and time savings, which are beneficial to reducing the transportation project backlog. The funds must be used for highway bridge replacement or rehabilitation projects on public roads that leverage the efficiencies associated with "bundling" at least two highway bridge projects into a single contract. Twenty-five states met program qualifications. ![]() The bridges are all vital connections to the region’s economic activities and are in poor condition or load restricted.īy law, the funds were restricted to states with population densities of less than 100 people per square-mile based on census data. The Mississippi project will use $10.1 million to replace four bridges in Tallahatchie, Yalobusha and Attala Counties and $6.6 million to replace eight bridges in Lincoln, Marion, Jefferson Davis and Walthall Counties. “This $225 million in federal funding will enable 18 states to make vital upgrades to select bridges in rural areas,” said U.S. Secretary Chao delivered the news during the Coastal Region Transportation Summit in Biloxi, noting that $225 million in total grant funding through the program will be awarded to 20 projects in 18 states to fund a variety of bridge improvements, including replacement and rehabilitation. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., is holding up the AUKUS amendments unless Congress injects additional funding into the. Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) today announced $16.8 million for Mississippi to fund bridge improvements in seven rural counties through the Competitive Highway Bridge Program (CHBP). The Senate is currently debating the NDAA, but Politico reported last week that Sen.
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