Groton - Politicians praised the Navy's decision to award Electric Boat a $14 billion contract to build the next eight Virginia-class submarines Tuesday, calling it an economic stimulus that will help Connecticut, Rhode Island, Virginia and states across the country that build submarine parts.

Electric Boat, with facilities in Groton and North Kingstown, R.I., and the Northrop Grumman Newport News shipyard in Virginia will jointly build one ship per year in 2009 and 2010, and two ships per year from 2011 through 2013 - a production increase that starts a year earlier than the Navy had originally planned.

A new $14 billion contract with General Dynamics Corp.'s Electric Boat unit and Northrop Grumman Corp. will double submarine production to two annually and save and create thousands of jobs amid the recession, officials said Tuesday.

Representatives of the U.S. Navy and the two companies, along with labor union leaders and members of Connecticut and Rhode Island's congressional delegations, hailed the contract at Electric Boat's shipyard in Groton. They called it critical to the region's economy and for national security as China and other countries build submarines..

Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) today responded to the Department of Labor’s (DOL) announcement of new Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) regulations.  Dodd and Clinton are the authors of a provision signed into law last year that allows the family of wounded military personnel to take up to 6 months of unpaid leave, expanding on the 12 weeks of unpaid leave provided by the FMLA. 

Senator Chris Dodd visited Norden Systems in Norwalk on Monday to announce new funding that will allow this defense contractor to continue building critical radar equipment for the U.S. Military. Dodd made the announcement in a meeting with company employees and also toured the plant.

Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Joe Lieberman (ID-CT) today announced they secured more than $19.2 billion for the Connecticut defense industry and $106 million for military construction projects in the state.  The funding, which was approved by the Senate today as part of the Defense and the Military Construction/Veterans Affairs Appropriations Acts, will boost Connecticut’s economy and help ensure that soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen - active duty, national guard, and reserve forces, have the resources and support they need to successfully perform their missions. 

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), released the following statement today after the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense approved a preliminary version of the Fiscal Year 2009 Defense Appropriations Bill.  If passed by the Congress and signed into law by the President, the bill will provide critical funding for Connecticut’s defense industry, particularly in the areas of submarine and aircraft purchases, as well as critical radar technology research. 

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) today responded to the announcement by the Department of Defense that the Air Force will hold a new competition to select the manufacturer of the next generation of air refueling tankers.  This decision comes shortly after the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) decision to uphold a protest by the U.S.-based Boeing Corporation that the Air Force improperly awarded the $35 billion contract to Northrop Grumman and European aircraft manufacturer Airbus. 

Connecticut Senators Chris Dodd and Joe Lieberman today issued the following statements in response to the Government Accountability Office’s decision to uphold Boeing’s protest of a $35 billion Air Force tanker contract:

“This review by the GAO vindicates my initial concerns over the awarding of the air refueling tanker contract,” said Dodd.  “This entire process provides yet another example of this Administration’s refusal to adhere to the law and their own evaluation criteria, to say nothing of their continued failure to support critical defense manufacturing here at home.  Boeing was right to protest the decision, and the GAO is correct to uphold it.  I remain absolutely committed to ensuring that the Air Force conducts the contract competition in accordance with the law, and that our workers at Pratt & Whitney get a fair shake.”

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) responded to the recent announcement by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates of the President's decision to nominate General Petraeus to the position of Commanding Officer, Central Command, replacing the outgoing Admiral Fallon.

"Today's nomination of General Petraeus to head Central Command demonstrates once again this administration's stubborn commitment to its failed strategies in Iraq. Even more disturbingly, I am concerned that this nomination might also signal increased saber-rattling toward Iran. That would stand in stark contrast to the more measured approach to international engagement the previous commander, Admiral Fallon, brought to the post.”

At today’s Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) questioned Ambassador Ryan Crocker and General David Petraeus about what the Administration’s strategy for Iraq will be following the troop surge that began in January 2007.