Omnibus bill plus for MS, Gulf Coast

U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) gave his support to an omnibus appropriates bill that would fund the government through Sept. 30, the remainder of FY 2017. It would be the first government budget, beyond short continuing resolutions, since before the Obama Administration took office in 2004. The legislation is a package of 11 regular appropriations bills for the rest of FY-17; and funding sought for national defense and border security. If the bill isn’t passed by May 5, the government essentially will begin shutting down. Cochran highlighted a long list of to-be-funded programs in the legislation that would be beneficial for Mississippi. Among some of the funding includes $21.2B for Navy shipbuilding (three DDG-51 destroyers, an LHA assault and an LHD transport ship) currently being built at HII-Ingalls; $187M for 28 Lakota helicopters for the Army, built in Columbus, Miss.; $75M to the NOAA to build a new Ocean Survey Vessel to conduct research in the Gulf of Mexico; and $10.45B acquisition for a new Coast Guard cutter fleet, including post-delivery activities for a ninth National Security Cutter, and a 10th NSC. Nine are under contract with Eastern Shipbuilding of Panama City, Fla. (Source: Sun Herald 05/01/17)