John Murtha

November 8, 2007 -- (Washington D.C.)- Congressman John P. Murtha, Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, joined his colleagues this week in voting to override President Bush’s veto of the Water Resources Development Act of 2007. The override vote passed the House 361-54 on Tuesday and the Senate 79-14 today. Both chambers voted to override the veto with broad bipartisan support.    » read more »

November 6, 2007 -- (Washington D.C.)- Congressman John P. Murtha, Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, praised both House and Senate conferees today on completing the final $459.6 billion Fiscal Year 2008 Defense Appropriations Bill.

“This conference agreement achieves a balance between preparing military units for near-term deployments, supporting our military members and their families, and modernizing our forces to meet future threats,” said Murtha.    » read more »

October 17, 2007 -- (Washington D.C.)- Congressman John P. Murtha, Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, held a press conference today with Congressman Alcee Hastings (D-FL), Congressman John Tanner (D-TN), Congressman Robert Wexler (D-FL), and Congressman Stephen Cohen (D-TN) to urge the House Leadership to not bring the Armenian Genocide Resolution to the House Floor for a vote.

The following are excerpts from his remarks:    » read more »

(Published 10/14/07 in the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat)

October 14, 2007 -- BY U.S. REP. JOHN MURTHA

In the past seven years, President Bush has vetoed only four pieces of legislation, fewer than any president since James Garfield occupied the White House more than 125 years ago.

Yet this month, Bush chose to veto the bipartisan Children’s Health Insurance Bill, which would provide health insurance to 10 million low-income children, because, he said, it “moves our health-care system in the wrong direction.”

I disagree.    » read more »

September 26, 2007 -- (Washington D.C.) -- Congressman John P. Murtha, Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, announced today that the Penn State Electro-Optics Center (EOC), Freeport, PA, has been awarded a $25,000,000 competitive contract from the U.S. Navy to support the development and transition of electro-optic technology.

The five year contract, awarded by the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, MD, involves development, engineering and integration of electro-optic subsystems to support Naval Air platforms.    » read more »

September 26, 2007 -- (Washington D.C.) - Congressman John P. Murtha commended the House of Representatives last night for passing the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization Act of 2007. The bill reauthorizes CHIP, which expires on September 30, 2007, for five years and provides health care coverage for more than 10 million children.    » read more »

September 17, 2007 -- (Washington D.C.)- Congressman John P. Murtha, Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, delivered the following remarks today at the National Press Club:    » read more »

17 September 2007 -- Democratic congressional leaders made new appeals Monday for minority Republicans to abandon President Bush's military strategy in Iraq. VOA's Dan Robinson reports, one of the president's harshest critics in the House of Representatives shed some more light on his party's legislative approach in coming weeks, as the Senate began consideration of defense legislation and expected Iraq-related amendments.    » read more »

September 4, 2007 -- (Washington D.C.)- Congressman John P. Murtha, Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, announced today that Washington County has received a $948,124 grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation to widen the existing runway at the Washington County Airport.

The grant will widen the current runway from 75 feet to 100 feet, bringing it into compliance with airport design standards. The project also includes updating the runway lighting and markings.    » read more »

August 23, 2007 -- (Washington D.C.) - Congressman John P. Murtha, Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, announced today that Norwegian based Kongsberg Defense has been awarded a $293 million contract from the U.S. Army for procurement of their Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS).    » read more »

August 22, 2007 -- (Washington D.C.)- Congressman John P. Murtha announced today that the Department of HomelandSecurity has released Assistance to Firefighters Grants to 12th District volunteer fire departments.    » read more »

August 22, 2007 -- (Washington D.C.)- Congressman John P. Murtha, Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, issued the following statement in response to the President’s Speech today before the Veterans of Foreign Wars:

President Johnson said in 1966, "the solution to Vietnam is patience."

President Nixon said in 1969, "As our commanders in the field determine that the South Vietnamese are able to assume a greater portion of the responsibility for the defense of their own territory, troops will come back."    » read more »

August 17, 2007 -- (Ford City, PA) - Congressman John P. Murtha, Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, announced today at the annual ARMTech Showcase of Industry & Technology that Optical Systems Technology, Inc. (OSTI), in Freeport, has received a competitive award of $7.9 million from the U.S. Marine Corps.    » read more »

August 17, 2007 -- (Ford City, PA) - Congressman John P. Murtha, Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, today commended the Penn State Electro-Optics Center (EOC) for their continued growth in Armstrong County. Murtha attended the annual ARMTech Showcase of Industry & Technology, which highlights the work of local companies and organizations in and around Armstrong County.

In the last six months alone, the EOC has received 47 contracts, grants and purchase orders totaling over $23 million for work within the Department of Defense and the defense industry.    » read more »

August 16, 2007 -- (Washington D.C.)- Congressman John P. Murtha announced today that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded Separation Design Group (SDGroup), in Waynesburg, a competing grant of $418,244 for lung diseases research.    » read more »