{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.portman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=1a4a9358-e51c-4ac4-8e69-579abb5d41e4", "Portman Initiative to Ensure Missile Defense Agency Is Fully Prepared for Possible Missile Defense East Coast Site Included in Draft NDAA Deal", "2013-12-11", "2013", "2013-12", "Republican", "House", "OH", "Rob Portman", "P000449", "www.portman.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio) welcomed the inclusion of his bipartisan amendment (S.A.2461) language to the newly-drafted National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) deal. The amendment, cosponsored by Senator Joe Donnelly (D-IN), ensures the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) is working to complete a contingency plan to deploy a missile defense interceptor site in the event that the administration decides to build an East Coast missile defense site. The FY13 NDAA required MDA to identify a minimum of three locations for a possible third Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) site to receive Environmental Impact Studies (EIS), as well as develop a Contingency Plan to deploy the system should the administration decide to authorize an additional GMD site in the future.\u00a0 Unfortunately, however, the requirement did not establish a clear timeline or deadline to complete the Contingency Plan and the EIS and submit them to Congress.\u00a0 Portman\u2019s amendment language will strengthen and clarify this existing provision by requiring MDA to provide detailed progress reports on its efforts to complete the plan in a timely manner.\u00a0 Earlier this year, Camp Ravenna Joint Military Training Center in Portage County, Ohio was selected as one of locations being considered for this new missile defense site.\u00a0   \u00a0  \u201cI am pleased that the Missile Defense Agency is moving forward with plans to determine the feasibility of a third GMD site, and I am hopeful that my amendment language will ensure that we are adequately prepared if and when we do select an East Coast GMD site in the future,\u201d said Portman.\u00a0 \u201cI believe that Ohio\u2019s Camp Ravenna is uniquely suited to delivering this enhanced capability and am hopeful it will be selected to improve our nation\u2019s overall missile defense capabilities.\u201d\r\nIn October, Portman sent a letter to Vice Admiral James Syring, the Director of the Missile Defense Agency, thanking the Agency for its consideration of Camp Ravenna Joint Military Training Center in Portage County, Ohio for a proposed GMD site. In the letter, Portman highlighted that this GMD site would be a vital asset in protecting our nation from ballistic missile threats, particularly those posed by Iran and North Korea. While GMD sites in Alaska and California provide missile defense to the West Coast, they are poorly suited to defend against an attack launched from the Middle East.\r\nThe bill also authorizes an additional $5.2 million in Military Construction funds to improve the infrastructure around Camp Ravenna.\r\n\u201cI have long supported investments in Ohio\u2019s military facilities and am pleased that Camp Ravenna will receive these much-needed funds,\u201d said Portman.\u00a0 \u201cThe $5.2 million in infrastructure improvements will enhance the base\u2019s readiness for future missions such as ballistic missile defense, while promoting jobs and economic development throughout the region.\r\nPortman visited Camp Ravenna in October to see first-hand the unique advantages that make it an optimal location for a GMD site in the eastern United States. In his letter to Vice Admiral Syring, Portman highlighted these advantages, writing, \u201cCamp Ravenna is uniquely well-suited to delivering this enhanced capability. The base\u2019s strategic geographic location in Northeast Ohio, optimal size, access to robust regional infrastructure, as well as the cost-effective and professional Ohio National Guard staff make it a prime option for the third GMD site. Furthermore, the addition of a GMD site will not compete with existing priorities or land uses of the military services.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.portman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=1a4a9358-e51c-4ac4-8e69-579abb5d41e4"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8843289688229561, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}