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At the recent Marine Machinery Association meeting, Tim O'Sullivan, president of Fair- banks Morse Engine Div., Colt Industries (center), introduces the keynote speaker, Congressman Les Aspin, Chairman House Committee on Armed Services (left) as Dan Marangiello, ORI, Inc., executive director of MMA (right) looks on. innovative ideas to solve the chal- lenging demands for newer and more capable equipment, the Navy would be severely handicapped. He was quick to point out, however, that the Navy must comply with the provisions of the Competition in Contracting Act. NAVSEA, he said, is attempting to develop a contrac- tual arrangement whereby the Navy will protect the proprietary inter- ests of the OEMs, specifically on critical components, while in turn the OEMs will assist NAVSEA In obtaining competition for the non- critical components. Admiral Home is continuing to work with the Competition Advo- cate of the Navy and the legal staff to obtain a fair and equipable solu- tion to this complicated issue. Re- sponding to a suggestion by Capt. James Knorr, deputy head of NAVSEA's machinery group, that OEMs participate in Fleet H, M, & E conferences, Admiral Home in- dicated that the idea had merit and he would look into it. Following a reception and lun- cheon, Timothy V. O'Sullivan, president of Fairbanks Morse En- gine Division of Colt Industries, in- troduced Congressman Les Aspin (D-WI), the keynote speaker. The chairman of the House Committee on Armed Services, Mr. Aspin out- lined the difficulty in balancing the budget and the difficult decisions facing the Department of Defense, the Congress, and the President. In the past, Congress merely cut here and squeezed there, forcing the DoD to make programatic adjust- ments. No longer will this suffice, he explained, as serious cuts that can impact national defense policy will be required to reach the bottom line. Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger, he said, might be asked to furnish the Armed Services Committee with a priority list, which panel members will use to arrive at the final budget authority figure. Cuts of as much as $38 bil- lion may be required, resulting in a $282-billion defense budget. When asked his opinion on how the Supreme Court would rule on the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings law, Mr. Aspin felt that the Court would uphold the lower court deci- sion striking down only the auto- matic feature of the law, and leaving Congress to decide on the specific cuts to be made to remain within the deficit reduction total. During June, 1986 this question and answer session, the Congressman acknowledged the concerns of the OEMs, and ex- tended an invitation for the MMA to testify before his committee. In the afternoon session, re- stricted to MMA members, ex-Con- gressman Robert McClory pro- vided an in-depth insight on how to conduct effective communications with elected officials. Calling on his 20 years of experience as one of the most highly respected members of the House, Mr. McClory gave the members some excellent pointers and advice. The remainder of the afternoon session was devoted to organizing working committees to pursue the groundwork established at this and previous MMA meetings. At the conclusion of the meeting, attendees expressed satisfaction with the re- sults. It is apparent that MMA is making headway and being looked upon by the DoD and the Navy as a valuable ally in working out solu- tions to the problems that are plaguing both the Navy and the industry. Non-members interested in joining the Marine Machinery Association or attending the next meeting should contact executive director Daniel Marangiello at (703) 553-1821. BENDER BUILDS, CONVERTS, STRETCHES If You Can't Build New, Bender Will Upgrade By Lengthening Or Modifying Your Existing Vessels nriSr ** *> ft. Lengthening the Doc Tide and Darol Tide by 16 ft. For more information call JOHN R. LOGAN, General Sales Manager, or PETER MASCHKE in Mobile, and on the West Coast call JOE HENDRIX at (206) 282-9631 LENDER SHIPBUILDING & REPAIR CO., INC. Post Office BOX 42, Mobile AL 36601 phone: 205/433 3673, Telex 505 457 Circle 134 on Reader Service Card MEGATOR SLIDING-SHOE PUMP • Handle oily-bilge and sludge of low or very high viscosity • Exceptional suction and rapid self- priming powers • Will not be harmed if left running on empty bilge or sludge tank • Low maintenance costs due to simple construction and single cover access • No foot valve required — simple installation MEGATOR CORPORATION 562 ALPHA DRIVE, PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA 15238 TELEPHONE 412-963-9200 Circle 222 on Reader Service Card TELEX: 81-2573 105