August S, 1970
Page 26968
DD963 CLASS DESTROYERS
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, last week I introduced for myself and Mrs. SMITH, and Messrs. AIKEN, HART, PELL, PROXMIRE, WILLIAMS of New Jersey, YOUNG of Ohio, and MCINTYRE, a bill to amend H.R. 17123. The purpose of this amendment is to provide that none of the funds authorized by H.R. 17123 may be expended for the procurement of the DD963 class destroyers unless the contract for such destroyers is entered into with two domestic shipbuilders, and that the total number of such destroyers is divided equally between the two shipbuilders.
I think that we now know of the weakness of the so-called total package procurement contract. We need only look at the C-5A and all of the various issues and problems which have resulted from a large procurement from a single source.
We have an opportunity to take corrective action on the DD963 class destroyer contract. I am sure that if we do not split this contract between two shipbuilders, we will see the same cost overruns in the next few years for the DD963 that we are now experiencing with the C-5A.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the amendment be printed at this point in the RECORD.
There being no objection, the text of the amendment was ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows:
On page 7, line 6, strike out the period and insert in lieu thereof a colon and the following: "Provided, That none of the funds authorized by this Act may be expended for the procurement of DD 963 class destroyers unless (1) contracts for the construction of such destroyers are entered into with two domestic shipbuilders, and (2) the total number of such destroyers to be constructed is divided substantially equally between such shipbuilders."