Federal Agenda
2016
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY, ALABAMA
To the Members of the Alabama Congressional Delegation and their staff: We are grateful to the Alabama Congressional delegation for their leadership on the issues critical to the Huntsville/Madison County region, especially those concerning our Nation’s defense and space policies. With our delegation’s support, our region continues to prosper as a science and technology powerhouse. Listed below is a summary of the most critical federal issues facing our region. Additional information regarding these issues and a number of other important federal programs and issues that have significant local and national impact, is included in an accompanying Issue Book.
Thank you from the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County U.S. Human Space Flight & Exploration Policy
• Support Marshall’s leadership role in the management of the Space Launch System and its National role in enabling future government and commercial space transportation systems.
The NASA Authorization Act of 2010 calls for the development of a Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle and Space Launch System (SLS) to explore beyond Low Earth Orbit, and to serve as a backup transportation system to the International Space Station (ISS). More than 3,600 local jobs are currently supporting the SLS and ISS. A smooth transition to the follow-on Space Launch System and recognition of MSFC’s National leadership role in space transportation systems development is critical to a healthy MSFC and its surrounding Redstone community.
•Support Marshall’s leadership role in design and development of propulsion systems, including landers and nuclear-thermal in-space.
Requested Actions:
• Support continued funding and extension of the International Space Station to realize its full potential, including the MSFC mission carried out through the ISS Operations Support Center.
• Full funding for the Space Launch System and Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle at current appropriations levels will ensure that Space Launch System funding is focused toward the development of the flight vehicle. • Ensure that the Space Launch System is ultimately capable of delivering at least 130 metric tons to Low Earth Orbit, is in service by no later than 2018, develops the core and upper stages in parallel, and is focused on enabling beyond Earth orbit applications as soon as possible. • Fund the Exploration Upper Stage (EUS) at the annual levels required to ensure its readiness for EM-2 flight in 2021 • Support the SLS advanced booster and advanced development efforts as a means of bringing more affordable solutions to NASA. • Urge Congress to ensure that NASA not redirect funding from SLS/Orion to pay for commercial crew.
• Support and sustain the core capabilities of MSFC in scientific and engineering analysis, design, research, fabrication and test services to enable efficient implementation, assessment and safety oversight of assigned NASA programs and projects through funding of the NASA Cross Agency Support budget line item.
• Maintain and enhance MSFC’s critically important roles in Earth, Space, and Planetary Science research and applications.
Space, Air/Missile Defense, and Hypersonic Weapons Development America requires a robust space and air/missile defense integrated architecture composed of highly sophisticated capabilities that are networked and integrated from earth to space. Systems include: Space-based Sensors/Communications; Ground-based Ballistic Missile Defenses (BMD); Ground-based Air Defenses; and Counter-Rocket, Artillery and Mortar (CRAM) defenses. Combat experience over the past decade, combined with rapidly evolving threats, reinforce the need for a fully integrated space and air/
FEDERAL AGENDA, continued missile defense architecture that is responsive, resilient and lethal against current and future enemy threats. As potential adversaries improve their strategic strike capabilities, both qualitatively and quantitatively, the nation requires a combination of defensive and offensive capabilities. Continued investment in hypersonic weapons development will provide the nation with a complementary capability to our air/missile defenses and complicate an adversary’s concepts for employing their strategic strike systems. As we look at future missile capabilities, the ability to develop and field hypersonic weapons and defend against Advanced Hypersonic Weapons being developed by the Russians and Chinese is crucial to our National Security and our Technical Industrial Base. The Conventional Prompt Global Strike program (CPGS) addresses the need for the United States to build the newest generation of Offensive Missile Capability. Huntsville/U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC) has been a key element in the CPGS program with the Army’s Advanced Hypersonic Weapons (AHW) Program. Although OSD redirected CPGS efforts to a Navy Lead in FY 2015, with Army support, continuation of the Army Program is necessary. The Army program will act as a risk mitigation effort to ensure the Nation has a Limited Operational Capability, if required, by 2020. Community Impact: More than 8,000 local jobs are tied to various missile defense programs. While Huntsville has always been on the leading edge of Missile Development, the potential loss of the AHW program and no visible effort to develop a counter to hypersonic weapons may result in hypersonic weapon development efforts being done elsewhere. Requested Actions: • Sustain full funding for the existing air/missile defense and hypersonic weapon programs. • Support a strategy to continue the Army /SMDC AHW program to transition to an operational weapon system • Support efforts to develop defensive capabilities against hypersonic weapons.
Support Army Aviation Science and Technology The Army’s ability to apply Aviation power is paramount in the National Defense Strategy. The ability to design and integrate the latest technological advancements not only increases the Army’s combat power, but also maintains our Nation’s position of leadership in this complex scientific area. Community Impact: Alabama is the epicenter of Army Aviation. The collocation of the Program Executive Office, Aviation (PEO AVN), the Redstone Test Center (RTC), the Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center (AMRDEC), and the Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM) at Redstone Arsenal allows for the focused application of resources to maintain leadership in the Aviation arena. The full lifecycle of Army Aviation assets is managed at Redstone Arsenal. These organizations and the supporting industry account for thousands of jobs in northern Alabama. Requested Action: Increase and support Aviation S&T funding at a level that allows the Army to keep the current fleet technologically relevant as well as invest in future capabilities that maintain the Nation’s position as a leader in Aviation technology and capabilities.
Biosciences The United States must continue to lead the globe in bioscience advancements to improve human health and biological sustainability. Robust funding for scientific research is an essential economic driver in biosciences. Through the work funded by the federal entities including the National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense, the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy, we are seeing rapid advancements in biosciences, particularly in the Huntsville-Madison County region. Federal funding through these agencies have allowed for innovation and commercialization of technologies, diagnostics and medical treatments, which in turn lead to better quality of life. The impact is demonstrated in better human health but also through numerous improvements in agriculture, which is key to the sustainability of the population. Beyond the demonstrable benefit to wellbeing, there is tremendous direct economic impact of federal funding for biosciences in non-profit research and the growing community of biotechnology and pharmaceutical based companies leveraging that research in the area. The non-profit research organization, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, the companies that reside on the HudsonAlpha Biotech campus, the companies that are in the greater Huntsville area, and the colleges and universities in North Alabama, including the University of Alabama in Huntsville, all are important components of this growing innovation economy. HudsonAlpha and its expanding bioscience hub of companies are generating discoveries and applying the results in therapeutics, medical devices and equipment, scientific services and life science product development. Additionally, HudsonAlpha’s education programs are growing the next generation of scientists along with creating a genomics-literate society poised to successfully fill the roles of a bioscience-rich job force. Requested Action: The Chamber strongly supports increased scientific research funding levels for the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation, which has direct and indirect economic impact for the Huntsville/ Madison County area. Additionally, the Chamber supports legislation that furthers bioscience innovation and growth in the private sector.
Roads Our community has recently made tremendous progress funding infrastructure projects utilizing partnerships with the State, specifically, the 2014 agreement with the State of Alabama and the City of Huntsville to match funding to initiate $250 million road construction projects and the ATRIP road projects announced by Governor Bentley. The prospect of future rounds of Base Realignment and Closure however, make infrastructure improvements a continuing top priority for the community. The economic success of our region is reliant upon effective transportation networks that can efficiently move commuters, freight, and services that are vital for continued growth and development of the Tennessee Valley, inclusive of Redstone Arsenal. The Chairman of the Madison County Commission and the Mayors of Huntsville and Madison and Redstone Arsenal leadership have jointly endorsed the following key projects as the top road priorities for the region: • I-565 to I-65: Add additional lanes along I-565 from SR 255 to
I-65 to ease traffic congestion from increased passenger and cargo traffic moving along this important economic corridor. • I-565/Research Park Boulevard Interchange Modification at Gate 9: Funding these needed interchange modifications to support exponential growth in traffic at Redstone Arsenal and the adjacent Redstone Gateway development. • I-565 and Madison Boulevard (Exit 13) Interchange Modification for Resolute Way access at Redstone Arsenal: Improvements through the commercial corridor to address major traffic issues on a route critical to Redstone Arsenal and Research Park commuters. • Research Park Boulevard from I-565 to North of US 72: Provide funding to begin the design and construction of additional lanes to State Road 255 to support the recent exponential growth in traffic at Redstone Arsenal and Cummings Research Park. • Arsenal Eastern Connector: Provide support and funding for implementing a final Corridor Study and Preliminary Engineering. • US 72 East/ARC Corridor V from Shields Road eastward to the county line: Funding be allocated and appropriated through any remaining ARC dedicated monies and any eligible MAP-21 funds as soon as possible to improve this much needed corridor. • Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd/Northern Bypass: Interchange at Memorial Parkway and extending the Northern Bypass from U.S. 231 to U.S. 72. Request support and funding for this project to provide more capacity and accessibility as a result of regional workforce traffic demand.
Small Satellite and Small Launch Vehicle The operational use of nanosatellites has become a much sought after capability by both the U.S. Army and NASA. The U.S. Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command (USASMDC/ARSTRAT) has continued to demonstrate assured communications capabilities through three additional launches of the SMDC Nanosatellite Program, SNaP this past year. These launches were done as a part of a Joint Capabilities Technology Demonstration Program, performed in conjunction with the U.S. Southern Command, with focus on voice and data collection beyond line of sight. In addition, SMDC, through another JCTD, is planning on the launch of an imaging nanosatellite, Kestrel Eye in the 2016 timeframe. Kestrel Eye will demonstrate the ability to provide faster, more responsive imagery support to the warfighter on the ground in austere environments. Having a constellation of both communications and imaging nanosatellites, quickly deployed in a targeted low earth orbit provides commanders on the ground with a significantly improved mission command capability. NASA has a need for nanosatellite launch for university and scientific research payloads. In late 2015, NASA awarded seven Space Act Agreements to develop technologies related to small launch systems. In Fiscal Year 2016, NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate was funded to develop a nanolaunch capability as a part of its Flight Opportunities Program. In order to benefit from nanosatellite capabilities, a focused effort to develop a Small Launch Vehicle (SLV) is vital. Currently, virtually every nanosatellite launch is constrained by availability of rides from larger, more expensive launch systems in the $50M/launch
range. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center has taken the lead to develop the concept for SLV that would reduce cost of launch into the $30-60K/kg range for 3U to 50kg class satellites. The ability to achieve this capability is critical to the U.S. Army’s ability to be more responsive to the warfighter and NASA’s ability to move forward in space exploration. National Impact: The responsive, targeted use of nanosatellites for both the U.S. Army and NASA fundamentally shifts the paradigm of centrally controlled, strategic satellites to lower cost, dedicated capabilities for both the soldier on the ground and for space exploration. Community Impact: The SMDC/NASA Marshall Space Flight Center currently employ approximately 100 Huntsville area contractors and Government agency employees working in this area. Continued support and growth in this area will result in the identification of the Huntsville/Madison County area as a national focal point in the field of nanosatellites and small launch vehicle capability, posturing the area for continued and sustained growth. Requested Action: The Chamber requests that the delegation review and support Army and NASA budgets for the continued development of low cost communications and imaging nanosatellites and NASA’s small launch vehicle technology development efforts.
Expanding the Tennessee Valley’s Excellence in Cyber Security National Impact: Congress has been very supportive of the Chamber’s requests the past few years to improve the posture of the defense community to address ever-growing cyber and supply chain threats to our weapon systems, platforms, infrastructure, and industrial base. The National Strategic Defense systems designed and developed at Redstone Arsenal have resulted in Huntsville and the Tennessee Valley emerging as one of the nation’s top cyber targets for foreign entities. Targeting and defending against these threats is dependent upon cyber security integration, collaboration, education, research, and preparedness in this unique environment where Redstone Arsenal, local, state and Federal government organizations, the National Guard, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), the Defense Industrial Base and educational institutions have united to routinely collaborate to increase cyber resiliency. Community Impact: The incredible synergy between Cyber Huntsville and the Tennessee Valley has already created a cyber security culture and collaboration among local, state and Federal government, industry and academia rarely seen anywhere else across the nation. With the 2nd largest Research and Technology Park in the U.S., and the largest per-capita concentration of engineers, mathematicians, and scientists in the nation, the natural progression is to re-inforce the demonstrated success in workforce development, research and development, and integration of cyber capabilities across the Tennessee Valley and our nation. The overall effect is that Huntsville/Madison County continues to integrate cyber efforts to educate, share information and develop methodologies and solutions for cyber security and supply chain risk management (SCRM) activities. Increased funding and the use of existing laboratory facilities, research and preparedness centers will expand the community’s ability to provide response templates to local and regional attacks. A critical support need is for all source intelligence community cyber security and supply chain risk management threat data, which is
FEDERAL AGENDA, continued
CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION
available to the user communities: acquisition community, weapon system developers, material life cycle, commands, test community and COCOMS. The threats data must be continuously updated due to the rapidly changing nature and complexity of the threat. The threat data serves as the basis for developing weapon system requirements against which financial and manpower resources can be allocated in the POM.
Senator Richard Shelby (R)
Requested Actions: • Sustain and expand funding for the FY16 special focus areas in SMDC, PEO Missiles and Space, AMRDEC and MSIC • Provide funding for the University of Alabama-Huntsville, Southeast Region Cyber Research Center as a state of the art cyber expertise, research, and response capability. This center would also enable local schools, universities, community colleges, and technology schools to advance training, curriculum development and continuing education for cyber security. • Fund a Cyber Incident Preparedness Center (CIPC) that brings together Federal, State, and Local government, the Defense Industry, Academia, Regional and National Cyber stakeholders who are currently inextricably linked in a common mission to prepare for cyber-attacks. The CIPC will integrate all stakeholders through a continuous series of table top exercises that formalizes and documents procedures, policy, and interagency collaboration for a variety of cyber related scenarios to increase local and regional cyber resiliency. • Request support for specialized training of the acquisition workforce to improve knowledge of the complexity, importance and rapidly changing pace of these threats. The training should include recognizing the skills and qualifications of the contractor workforce required to meet contract requirements and the unusually high costs of such labor. • Support the establishment of the Regional Computer Forensics Lab (RCFL) under the Department of Justice, which will assist regional law enforcement agencies with the forensic analysis of electronic devices used in criminal activity. This requirement for the RCFL needs funding support immediately. • Support the Congressional Budget Committee direction that the RCFL’s National Program Office, which is charged with facilitating the creation of new RCFL facilities, report to the Committee within 120 days of approval of the budget with a recommendation for locating a RCFL in the southeastern United States.
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Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County 225 Church Street NW Huntsville, AL 35801 ph: 256-535-2000
www.hsvchamber.org
Washington, D.C. Office 304 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Telephone: 202-224-5744 | Fax: 202-224-3416 senator@shelby.senate.gov shelby.senate.gov Huntsville Office Huntsville International Airport, 1000 Glenn Hearn Boulevard Box 20127, Huntsville, AL 35824 Phone: 256-772-0460 | Fax: 256-772-8387 District Director: Carrie Suggs
Senator Jeff Sessions (R) Washington, D.C. Office 326 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510-0104 Telephone: 202-224-4124 | Fax: 202-224-3149 senator@sessions.senate.gov sessions.senate.gov Huntsville Office 200 Clinton Avenue NW, Regions Center, Suite 802 Huntsville, AL 35801-4932 Phone: 256-533-0979 | Fax: 256-533-0745 District Director: Lisa Montgomery
Representative Mo Brooks (R) Washington, D.C. Office 1230 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Phone: 202-225-4801 | Fax: 202-225-4392 Email available on website brooks.house.gov Huntsville Office 2101 Clinton Avenue W, Suite 302, Huntsville, AL 35803 Phone: 256-551-0190 | Fax: 256-551-0194 District Director: Tiffany Noel
Representative Robert Aderholt (R) Washington, D.C. Office 235 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Phone: 202-225-4876 | Fax: 202-225-5587 Email available on website aderholt.house.gov Cullman Office 205 Fourth Avenue NE, Suite 104, Cullman, AL 35055 Serving Blount, Cullman, Lawrence, and Marshall (City of Arab) counties.