WASHINGTON – The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), an annual bill that sets authorized spending for military programs and personnel as wells as updates defense policies, passed the full Senate yesterday and will now go to President Trump to be signed into law. It included two commonsense provisions pushed by Senator Chuck Grassley and the rest of the Quad City congressional delegation that will help ensure the long term viability of the Rock Island Arsenal.
 
A 2015 Government Accountability Office report, requested by the Iowa/Illinois congressional delegation, determined that there is a lack of appropriate guidance from the Army to Program Managers regarding decisions about whether to have needed items made in house by the Army arsenals or to buy them from defense contractors. This specifically impacts the Rock Island Arsenal, located on the Iowa/Illinois border. The provision included in the NDAA will help the factory at the Rock Island Arsenal to receive a more stable workload and retain critical skills.
 
“This is part of our bi-state, bicameral, bipartisan delegation’s efforts to improve how the Army directs workload to the arsenal so that it is able to retain the skilled workforce and capabilities that may be needed at a moment’s notice in wartime.”
 
Another provision included in the NDAA would replace expired authority to lease unutilized office space at the arsenal.
 
“This legislation will provide a workable authority for the Rock Island Arsenal to continue leasing unused office space to tenants that bring value to the arsenal while offsetting costs,” said Grassley. “It reflects a lot of discussion between our bi-state congressional delegation, the Rock Island Arsenal Development Group and the Senate Armed Services Committee to achieve a solution that works for everybody.”
 
Descriptions of Grassley’s provisions included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) are below.
 
1)To provide guidance to Army Program Managers when purchasing necessary items.
 
Currently, Army Program Managers make decisions about buying items the Army needs. They are required by law to make decisions whether to buy in house at an arsenal or purchase from private contractors. This is known as a make-by decision. However, there is a current lack of appropriate guidance from the Army to its Program Managers about how they are to make those determinations. This provision provides the guidance necessary to ensure that work fitting into one of Rock Island Arsenal’s critical capabilities is directed to the arsenal instead of being contracted out to private entities.
 
2)To replace expired leasing authority at the Army arsenals for unused office space to outside tenants.
 
This provision allows the Rock Island Arsenal, and other similar arsenals, to resume their leasing authority and authorizes the Arsenal to approve 25 year leases until September of 2019. This generates jobs and income for the Arsenal, and Iowans, until 2044.
 
 
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