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Romney, Lee Working to Ensure Program at Utah’s Hill Air Force Base Stays on Track

Senators urge Defense Secretary to prevent delays for GBSD Program, secure increased funding to keep effort ahead of schedule

Senators Romney and Lee joined a bipartisan group of colleagues in urging the Secretary of Defense to prevent any delays for the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD), which will replace the Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM). The Senators highlighted the continued nuclear ambitions of the nation’s adversaries, stressing that whether or not there are any modifications to the GBSD acquisition approach, the program must be delivered on time to ensure the U.S. nuclear forces remain a credible deterrent.

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Mitt Romney (R-UT) and Mike Lee (R-UT) joined a bipartisan group of colleagues in urging the Secretary of Defense to prevent any delays for the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD), which will replace the Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM). The Senators, led by Senator John Hoeven (R-ND), highlighted the continued nuclear ambitions of the nation’s adversaries, stressing that whether or not there are any modifications to the GBSD acquisition approach, the program must be delivered on time to ensure the U.S. nuclear forces remain a credible deterrent. The full text of the group’s letter can be found here.
                           
Related:

  • In August, Senators Romney and Lee attended the groundbreaking of a new facility near Hill Air Force Base to serve as a future headquarters for the Northrop Grumman team supporting the GBSD program, which will add 2,500 jobs in the state of Utah.
  • In July, Senators Romney and Lee joined Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), and David Perdue (R-GA) in introducing legislation to repeal the 180-day waiting period that a military retiree must wait until he or she can enter a civilian job at the Department of Defense (DoD) for which he or she is qualified. The issue of losing quality candidates for important defense positions because of a six-month mandatory cooling off period was raised at several military installations around the country, including Utah’s Hill AFB.
  • In April, Senators Romney and Lee urged Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick M. Shanahan and Secretary of the Air Force Dr. Heather Wilson to reject the potential diversion of funds away from planned military construction projects in Utah as a result of the February 15, 2019 emergency declaration.