Thursday, May 15, 2014

U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT CONTRACTS FOR MAY 15, 2014

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
CONTRACTS

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

Beacon Point Associates LLC,* Pembroke Pines, Florida, has been awarded a maximum $8,000,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract for the distribution of a wide range of medical surgical items to facilities within and outside the United States that participate in the electronic catalog program. This contract was a competitive acquisition with six offers received. This is a seventeen-month base contract with three one-year options and one six-month option period. Location of performance is Florida, with an Oct. 31, 2015 performance completion date. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 through fiscal 2015 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPM2DE-14-D-7602).

Vinyl Technology,* Monrovia, California, has been awarded a maximum $9,287,082 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the manufacture and delivery of advanced technology anti-gravity suit. This contract was a competitive acquisition with two offers received. This is a one-year base contract with three one-year option periods. Location of performance is California, with a May 14, 2015 performance completion date. Using service is Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-14-D-1042).

NAVY

CasePro Inc., San Antonio, Texas (N62645-14-D-5019); Professional Performance Development Group Inc., San Antonio, Texas (N62645-14-D-5020); Chesapeake Educational Services LLC,* Vienna, Virginia (N62645-14-D-5021) and InGenesis Arora Healthcare LLC, San Antonio, Texas (N62645-14-D-5022), are each being awarded a six-month base period and three-month option period for physician services and 12-month base period and three-month option period for ancillary services under a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award task order bridge contract in support of the Naval Medical Center, Portsmouth, Virginia. The aggregate not-to-exceed amount for these multiple award contracts combined is $70,000,000. Work will be performed in Portsmouth, Virginia, and its associated branch clinics located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and work is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2015. No funding will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued. Funding will be predominantly from the Defense Health Program; however, other funding initiatives such as psychological health/traumatic brain injury, overseas contingency operations and wounded, ill, and injured may be used. These are all one-year funding types. These contracts were issued as sole-source requirements in accordance with 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1) - only one responsible source or only a limited number of responsible sources. The Naval Medical Logistics Command, Fort Detrick, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
Lockheed Martin Mission Systems & Training, Owego, New York, is being awarded $38,530,708 for delivery order 4003 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-14-G-0019) for non-recurring engineering in support of the MH-60 integration and testing of the Advanced Data Transfer System, including mission system and common cockpit suite. These services are in support of the U.S. Navy, and governments of Australia and Denmark. Work will be performed in Owego, New York (95 percent) and Farmingdale, New York (5 percent), and is expected to be completed in February 2017. Fiscal 2014 aircraft procurement, Navy and foreign military sales funds in the amount of $38,530,708 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract combines purchases for the U.S. Navy ($34,850,684; 91 percent); and the governments of Australia ($3,190,012; 8 percent); and Denmark ($490,012; 1 percent) under the Military Sales Program. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

Astro Machine Works Inc.,* Ephrata, Pennsylvania, is being awarded a $25,162,500 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with firm-fixed-price delivery orders to provide for the delivery of gun weapon systems (GWS) components in support of the battle management systems programs. Specific tasking includes fabricating and delivering GWS components in accordance with a government qualified technical data package. Manufacture, assembly, inspection and delivery of GWS components such as: ammunition handling system, gun mounts, trainable gun mounts, gun computer cabinets assemblies, and all future redesigned and upgraded assemblies that derive from research, prototyping, and development stages of battle management systems. Work will be performed in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, and is expected to be completed by May 2019. Fiscal 2013 and 2014 procurement, Defense-wide contract funds in the amount of $572,350 are being obligated for the first delivery order, and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with three offers received. The Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, Dahlgren, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N00178-14-D-1003).

PAE Applied Technologies LLC, Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $20,712,232 modification to previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee level of effort contract (N00421-13-C-0007) to exercise an option for range engineering and operations and maintenance services in support of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Divisions’ Atlantic Test Range and Atlantic Targets and Marine Operations Division. The estimated level of effort for this option is 228,767 man-hours. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland, and is expected to be completed in September 2014. Fiscal 2014 Navy working capital funds in the amount of $18,275,000 are being obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

ARMY

EADS-NA, Herndon, Virginia, was awarded a $55,361,816 sole-source modification (P00780) to contract W58RGZ-06-C-0194 to procure ten UH-72A Lakota helicopters with ARC-231 radios. Fiscal 2014 other procurement funds in the amount of $55,361,816 were obligated at the time of the award. Estimated completion date is June 30, 2015. Work will be performed Columbia, Mississippi. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.

AIR FORCE

Global Ground Support LLC, Olathe, Kansas, has been awarded a $38,073,233 firm-fixed-price requirements type contract for truck mounted and extended reach deicers. This requirement is for a best estimated quantity of 52 truck mounted deicers and 22 extended reach deicers over the course of six years. The requirement includes pre-production units, production units, testing, and associated data deliverables. Work will be performed at Olathe, Kansas, and is expected to be completed by July 13, 2020. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition. Small business offers were solicited, and one offer was received. Foreign military sales may be fulfilled by order under this contract, but the origin of the sale is unknown at this time. No funding is obligated at this time. Fiscal 2014 other procurement funds will be obligated upon availability of funds. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center/WNKBBB, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA8533-14-D-0003).

Jacobs Technology Inc., Bedford, Massachusetts, has been awarded a $23,547,235 cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost-reimbursable contract to provide engineering and technology acquisition support services which consists of disciplined systems/specialty engineering and technical/information assurance services, support, and products using established government, contractor, and industry processes. Work will be performed at Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, Lackland AFB, Texas, Schreiver AFB, Colorado, Eglin AFB, Florida, and Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, and is expected to be complete by Nov. 30, 2015. This award is the result of a sole source acquisition. Fiscal 2012, 2013 and 2014 procurement, aircraft procurement, missile procurement, and foreign military sales (for Oman and Taiwan) funds in the amount of $2,826,951 will be obligated at time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center/PZM, Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, is the contracting activity (FA8721-14-C-0016).

Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, Orlando, Florida, has been awarded a $10,330,445 modification (P00003) to FA8682-14-C-0084 to exercise option contract line numbers 3101(cost-plus-fixed-fee) Lots 12 and 4 systems engineering joint air to surface standoff missile baseline and extended range program support, and 9101 (firm-fixed-price) JASSM BL Lot 12 and JASSM-ER Lot 4 program tooling and test equipment. Work will be performed at Orlando, Florida, and Troy, Alabama, and is expected to be completed by March 31, 2017. Fiscal 2014 missile procurement funds in the amount of $10,330,445 are being obligated at time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center/EBJKK, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity.

DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AGENCY

Xtera Communications, Inc.*, Allen, Texas, was awarded a $31,220,394 firm-fixed-price contract for the delivery of an undersea fiber optic cable. This contract has an 18-month base period and five one year option periods. Work will be performed in the Southern Command area of responsibility, with an estimated completion date of December 2015. The solicitation was issued as a competitive, total small business set-aside, and eight offers were received. Defense Working Capital Funds in the amount of $31,220,394 are being obligated at award. The Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization-National Capital Region is the contracting activity (HC1047-14-C-4018).

*Small Business

PARATROOPERS TRAIN UNDER ARCTIC CONDITIONS IN ALASKA

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Right:  Army paratroopers jump from a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft above the Arctic Circle as part of Arctic Pegasus near Deadhorse, Alaska, May 1, 2014. The paratroopers are assigned to the 2nd Engineer Brigade. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Mylinda DuRousseau.









Left:  Army paratroopers provide security after exiting a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter during Arctic Pegasus near Deadhorse, Alaska, May 2, 2014. National Guard photo by U.S. Army Sgt. Edward Eagerto.

DEFENSE SECRETARY HAGEL PROMOTES EXPANDED COOPERATION WITH GULF STATES

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
Hagel Urges Expanded Cooperation in Gulf Region
By Claudette Roulo
American Forces Press Service

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, May 14, 2014 – The importance of expanded cooperation in the Gulf region was the theme of Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel’s remarks here today at the Gulf Cooperation Council defense ministerial conference.

Defense ministers from all six member nations -- Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates -- joined Hagel at the meeting, which was hosted by Saudi Arabia.

Noting that this is his third trip to the Gulf in a little over a year, Hagel said the visits all have been aimed at encouraging greater collaboration in the region.
“I hope [this meeting] becomes an annual security consultation, and the backbone for renewed cooperation among all the nations of the GCC,” he said. And despite setbacks and challenges, he added, the Gulf Cooperation Council has fostered a common identity and common interests in the region.

“And it has helped protect your common security,” Hagel noted.

The United States is determined to support the Gulf countries as they continue to develop their roles on the world stage, the defense secretary said.

“This has been demonstrated by the United States Central Command’s continued forward military presence, which includes 35,000 personnel; our Navy’s 5th Fleet; our most advanced fighter aircraft; our most sophisticated intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance assets; and a wide array of missile defense capabilities,” he said. “It has also been demonstrated by recent defense sales agreements, including some of the largest in American history.”

But bilateral ties with the United States and American military presence are not enough to guarantee regional security, the defense secretary told the council’s defense leaders. “As I said at the Manama Dialogue last December, America’s engagement with Gulf nations is intended to and facilitate, not replace, stronger multilateral ties within the GCC.”

The most pressing security challenges threaten the whole region and demand a collective response, the defense secretary said. By strengthening the GCC, he added, the member nations will ensure their collective defense is more than the sum of its parts.

“You will strengthen your ability to prevent and deter aggression,” the defense secretary told the ministers. “You will strengthen, not weaken, each of your nations’ sovereignty. And you will expand your common interests –- not just in defense, but in a more stable and prosperous future.”
This approach is also how the region must address threats posed by Iran, he said.
Today also marks the start of discussions in Vienna between Iran and P5-plus-1 member nations regarding Iran’s nuclear program, Hagel noted. “We got to Vienna thanks to our collective efforts to isolate Iran diplomatically and economically, and to deter it militarily,” the defense secretary said.

As negotiations in Vienna progress, he said, two things should be clear.

“First, these negotiations will under no circumstances trade away regional security for concessions on Iran’s nuclear program,” Hagel said. U.S. commitment to Gulf security and stability is unwavering, he added.

“Second, while our strong preference is for a diplomatic solution, the United States will remain postured and prepared to ensure that Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon -- and that Iran abides by the terms of any potential agreement,” the defense secretary said.

“No one nation can address these threats alone,” Hagel said. “Our efforts must be coordinated and complementary.”

Hagel made proposals today in several areas, each focused on this coordinated approach -- including integrated missile defense, maritime security and cybersecurity:

-- He proposed designating the Gulf Coordination Council’s Air and Air Defense Chiefs Conference as the GCC’s primary military forum for regional air and missile defense policy.

-- He called on the GCC to assume and maintain command of the Combined Maritime Force’s Gulf operations, Combined Task Force 152, and to commit to a regular heads-of-navy conference.

-- He proposed the establishment of a U.S.-GCC cyber defense cooperation initiative to jump-start collaboration.

-- He suggested that the GCC develop a Foreign Military Sales case, which could “advance regional defense priorities by accelerating the GCC’s progress toward greater interoperability and more sophisticated multinational force development.”
In addition, proposals to expand joint exercises and activities were part of a discussion led by Army Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, commander of U.S. Central Command.

“At the conclusion of our dialogue,” Hagel said, “we should publicly declare our shared resolve, our shared goals, and our shared vision for stronger U.S.-GCC multilateral defense coordination. We must demonstrate our unity at a critical time. And we must send a message of strength to adversaries.”

WHITE HOUSE FACT SHEET ON BEING PERMITTING TO HELP BUILD INFRASTRUCTURE

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 

FACT SHEET – Building a 21st Century Infrastructure: Modernizing Infrastructure Permitting

Building a 21st century infrastructure is a critical component of President Obama’s effort to accelerate economic growth, expand opportunity, and improve the competitiveness of the American economy. 
With the Highway Trust Fund projected to run out of money before this fall, President Obama has laid out his vision for a long-term infrastructure bill that would provide certainty for our state and local partners, support millions of jobs, and position our economy for lasting growth. The President is calling on Congress to pass a robust multi-year transportation bill before funding runs out and puts hundreds of thousands of jobs at risk.
The President has also been clear that he is committed to making 2014 a year of action and that while he wants to work with Congress wherever they are willing, he will not hesitate to use his power as President to act on his own to promote American economic growth and opportunity.
That is why, as part of its commitment to ensuring America has a first-class transportation infrastructure, the Administration is taking action to modernize the federal infrastructure permitting process, cutting through red tape and getting more timely decisions, while protecting our communities and the environment.  For projects that are approved, this means states, local and tribal governments, and private developers will be able to start construction sooner, create jobs earlier, and fix our nation’s infrastructure faster. 
Over the past 3 years, federal agencies have worked to expedite the review and permitting of over 50 major infrastructure projects, including bridges, transit, railways, waterways, roads, and renewable energy projects, and over 30 of those projects have completed the permitting process.  For example, federal agencies completed the permitting and review for the Tappan Zee Bridge in 1.5 years for a process that normally takes 3-5 years. 
Today, the Administration is releasing a comprehensive plan to accelerate and expand permitting reform government-wide.  The Administration’s plan adopts the best practices learned from the initial focus projects and calls on federal agencies to apply those practices going forward.  By turning best practice into common practice, we can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the federal permitting and review of all major infrastructure projects.  These reforms include:   
  • Improving Interagency Coordination to Increase Decision Making Speed.  Major infrastructure projects often require multiple permits and reviews from federal agencies and bureaus responsible for ensuring projects are built safely.  To improve interagency coordination, the Administration will institutionalize best practices, including:
    • Requiring early coordination with the identification of a lead agency for each project.
    • Requiring a single coordinated project plan across all federal agencies.
    • Strengthening dispute resolution mechanisms to quickly resolve conflicts and make sure that interagency disputes do not hold back valid projects or quick decision making.
  • Synchronizing Reviews.  Federal agencies will also be moving from separate, consecutive reviews to synchronized, simultaneous reviews.  For example, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the Department of Transportation have launched a new partnership to synchronize their reviews for transportation projects.  By developing one environmental analysis that satisfies all three agencies, project timelines can be significantly reduced. 
  • Driving Accountability and Transparency through the Online Permitting Dashboard.  The Administration’s Federal Infrastructure Projects Permitting Dashboard supports coordination and synchronization of projects among federal agencies, and can also help create a more predictable process for project applicants.  The Administration is expanding the Dashboard to include additional projects, as well as new capabilities to track project schedules and metrics, increasing overall accountability and transparency.  As a first step, today we are adding 11 more Dashboard projects.  Each project will have a lead agency, a coordinated project plan across all federal agencies, and public tracking of progress to ensure milestones are met.  The Administration’s goal is for all major infrastructure projects to be included on the Dashboard to institutionalize and broaden the reach of this tool.
  • Launching an Interagency Permitting Center to Institutionalize Reform.  The Administration is standing up an interagency infrastructure permitting improvement center dedicated to implementing these reforms across agencies, as well as looking for new ways to modernize infrastructure permitting and reviews.  The President’s 2015 Budget includes funding for the center and the expansion of the Permitting Dashboard.
This effort to modernize infrastructure permitting is part of the Administration’s broader commitment to increase investment in U.S. infrastructure, as well as the President’s Management Agenda, which is dedicated to driving efficiency within government, spurring economic growth, and unlocking the full potential of the federal workforce. The Administration has also recently released the GROW AMERICA Act, a four-year, $302 billion transportation plan to modernize our nation’s roads, bridges, and public transportation, spur economic growth, and allow states and localities to make sound multi-year investments.  The GROW AMERICA Act includes reforms to further accelerate the approval and delivery of projects.  Together these efforts will help create the transportation infrastructure we need for the 21stcentury.
Background:
Modernizing Infrastructure Permitting
As major infrastructure projects are proposed, federal, state, local, and tribal entities work to consider and minimize potential impacts on safety and security, and environmental and community resources such as air, water, land, and historical and cultural resources.  For the majority of projects, these environmental review and permitting requirements are accomplished effectively and efficiently. However, for particularly large and complex infrastructure projects, multiple permits and approvals can lead inefficiencies and delay.
To begin addressing this challenge, the President issued a Presidential Memorandum on August 31, 2011 and an Executive Order on March 22, 2012 to add more transparency, accountability, and certainty into the permitting and review processes for major infrastructure projects.  Since then, federal agencies have worked to expedite the review and permitting of over 50 major projects, including bridges, transit, railways, waterways, roads, and renewable energy projects; over 30 of those projects have now completed the permitting process.  Progress on these projects is tracked publically through the Administration's online Federal Infrastructure Projects Permitting Dashboard.
Building off this work on specific projects, agencies have identified a set of best practices for efficient review and permitting, ranging from expanding information technology (IT) tools to synchronizing reviews for improving collaboration.  On May 17, 2013, the President issued aPresidential Memorandum charging an interagency Steering Committee with developing a plan to put these best practices to work in a systematic and permanent way across the government.  The Steering Committee is comprised of 12 agencies including the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP), Department of Agriculture (USDA), Department of the Army (USACE), Department of Commerce represented by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Homeland Security represented by the U.S Coast Guard (Coast Guard), Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Department of the Interior (DOI), Department of Transportation (DOT), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation (Udall) as well as the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ).    
An Implementation Plan to Guide Further Reforms
Today, the Administration’s Steering Committee on permitting issued an Implementation Plan, which identifies four over-arching strategies, 15 specific reforms, and nearly 100 near-term and long-term milestones to institutionalize and drive these reforms across Federal agencies.  The full plan will be available HERE following the President’s remarks.
The strategies are:
  • Strategy 1: Institutionalize Interagency Coordination and Transparency by formalizing interagency coordination, including: early identification of a lead agency; synchronizing separate federal review and permitting processes and decisions; standardizing the use of the Permitting Dashboard; and identifying best practices for early engagement with state, local, and tribal governments.
    Implementation of key reforms is underway.  For example, for the proposed Great Northern Transmission Line (GNTL), the Department of Energy initiated monthly meetings with other Federal agencies, Minnesota Power, and non-federal agencies to ensure early coordination, and Minnesota Power has held several public meetings.  Through these early coordination meetings, the company was able to narrow down potential corridors to two routes in their application which address agency concerns and will facilitate a more efficient review process.  Similarly, the Lynwood Link Extension project north of Seattle, WA and Federal Way Extension Light Rail Transit in South King County, WA have been working closely with state, local, and tribal governments and all involved federal agencies on the projects’ permitting and reviews to identify issues early in the process and avoid unnecessary delay.  These three projects, as well as eight others, were added to thePermitting Dashboard today.
  • Strategy 2:  Improve Project Planning, Siting, and Application Quality by developing tools to assist project applicants in planning for a major infrastructure project and support effective and timely decision-making by agency staff once the federal process begins.  For example, agencies are expanding access to data and map-based IT tools so that applicants have information about potential sensitive areas, such as the location of an endangered species- in advance of selecting a site.
  • Strategy 3: Improve Permitting Reviews and Mitigation by supporting agency staff in effectively implementing existing regulations, policies, and guidance, as well as identifying barriers. This strategy also includes policies to facilitate advance planning for the mitigation of project impacts and landscape- or watershed-level approaches to mitigation, where appropriate, as well as changes to cost-recovery authority for specific agencies as proposed in the President’s FY 2015 Budget. 
    For example, a number of agencies have recently expanded their use of programmatic environmental analyses, improving efficiency by leveraging a single analysis for multiple projects, and improving environmental outcomes by making it possible to plan for nearby projects with a better understanding of how they fit within a single landscape. For example, in 2012, the Department of the Interior released a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement to provide a single blueprint for utility-scale solar energy permitting in six states.  Additionally, on April 10, 2014, the Secretary of the Interior issued a Department-wide landscape-scale mitigation strategy to encourage infrastructure development while protecting natural and cultural resources.  As part of the strategy, Interior will work closely with states, tribes, other federal agencies, and other stakeholders to identify regional conservation priorities that can benefit from coordinated landscape-scale mitigation.
  • Strategy 4: Drive Continued Improvement by establishing a team dedicated to implementation of the reforms across agencies, further analyzing agency processes, identifying additional reforms, and developing reliable metrics to track timeframes and outcomes for communities and the environment.
    To support these efforts, the President’s FY 2015 Budget includes funding to establish an Interagency Infrastructure Permitting Improvement Center (IIPIC) to be housed at the Department of Transportation.  The IIPIC will report to the interagency Steering Committee chaired by OMB in coordination with CEQ to ensure a government-wide perspective.  The Budget also includes funds to expand the Permitting Dashboard to track schedules for more major infrastructure projects, improving transparency and accountability.
    Additionally, the Administration established a Cross-Agency Priority (CAP) Goal on infrastructure permitting to drive progress, ensure transparency, and promote interagency coordination.  As a CAP Goal, this effort will receive regular, senior-level reviews, and progress will be tracked publicly on Performance.gov.
Building on Past Success:  Examples of Expedited Projects
The Implementation Plan builds on lessons learned from projects that the Administration has successfully expedited in recent years, at the President’s direction.  Some examples include: 
Replacement of the Tappan Zee Bridge will improve mobility, reduce congestion, and make travel safer on one of the east coast’s busiest routes.  This critical Hudson River crossing north of New York City carries approximately 138,000 vehicles per day between Westchester and Rockland counties, approximately 20 miles north of New York City.  The current bridge is nearly 60 years old and traffic volumes on the bridge have increased by about 30 percent since 1990.  Using the process established under the Presidential Memorandum in 2011, federal agencies completed the permitting and review in 1.5 years for a process that might otherwise take 3-5 years.  A number of key strategies contributed to agencies successfully working together to cut up to three years off the project.  These strategies included:  development of a coordinated timeline; use of concurrent, rather than sequential review – with a particular focus on increased coordination between the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE); identification of aggressive targets; and increased transparency and accountability.
Other examples of infrastructure project permitting reviews that that have been accelerated under this initiative include:
The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority's Little Italy – University Circle Rapid Stationproject involves the relocation of an existing station at E 120th Street and construction of a new rail transit station along with the rehabilitation of two transit track bridges at Mayfield Road. The project will integrate the station with the dense, high employment areas of Little Italy neighborhood and University Hospitals. The project replaces an obsolete station with a new, energy efficient building, while focusing on reusing existing community resources. The Department of Transportation worked closely with the Greater Cleveland Transit Authority to develop a streamlined and focused environmental assessment in line with the Council on Environmental Quality's guidance.
The Kennebec Bridge Replacement project replaces an 80 year-old moveable bridge at the end of its service life connecting Richmond and Dresden in Maine.  The new bridge will eliminate the need for a movable span, and will provide reliable access and regional mobility for both highway and marine traffic.  Through early and frequent collaboration, open dialogue to quickly resolve disputes, and negotiating and maintaining a project schedule across all Federal agencies involved, the agencies cut up to a year off the anticipated timeline for the permitting and review of the bridge.
Additional examples of projects can be found on the Administration's Permitting Dashboard.
Investing in a 21st Century Transportation Infrastructure
Transportation is a critical engine of the nation’s economy.  Investments in the national transportation network over the country’s history, and especially the last half-century, have been instrumental in developing the world’s largest economy and most mobile society.  The President proposes increasing infrastructure investment in order to create jobs, grow our economy, attract private investment, facilitate American exports, reduce commute times and increase access to jobs, make our roads and bridges safer, cut red tape, and increase the return on investment of transportation infrastructure for American taxpayers.  Just weeks ago, the Administration submitted to Congress the GROW AMERICA Act, a four-year proposal designed to achieve those objectives.  
GROW AMERICA ACT – Before this fall, the Highway Trust Fund – which funds a significant portion of the construction and repair of our surface transportation system – will be insolvent and just a few weeks later the authorities that establish our surface transportation programs will expire.  Without action, many states and communities may be forced to slow or stop work on critical transportation projects that our nation depends upon to move people, energy, and freight every day, putting jobs at risk and slowing investment in our future.  The Generating Renewal, Opportunity, and Work with Accelerated Mobility, Efficiency, and Rebuilding of Infrastructure and Communities throughout America Act, or GROW AMERICA Act, is a $302 billion, four year transportation reauthorization proposal that provides increased and stable funding for our nation’s highways, bridges, transit, and rail systems. The Administration’s proposal is funded by supplementing current revenues with $150 billion in one-time transition revenue from pro-growth business tax reform.  This will prevent Trust Fund insolvency for four years and increase investments to meet the transportation priorities and economic needs of communities across the country.  The proposal also includes a series of legislative proposals to improve project delivery and the federal permitting and regulatory review process
Building on Past Accomplishments – The President’s proposal builds on a series of major accomplishments in infrastructure over the past five years. Since the President took office, American workers have improved over 350,000 miles of U.S. roads and repaired or replaced over 20,000 bridges. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was the most significant transportation public works program since the New Deal, providing $48 billion to more than 15,000 projects across the country. Earlier this year, the President announced $600 million in competitive TIGER grants to fund innovative transportation projects around the country.  Notably, the President’s FY 2015 Budget proposes a new America Fast Forward (AFF) bonds program that would build upon and expand a successful program created in the Recovery Act to attract private capital for infrastructure investments.
Leveraging Private Sector Investment – In addition to the need for smart public investment in our shared transportation system, the Administration is committed to leveraging private sector investment to further expand infrastructure investment.  The GROW AMERICA Act proposes a range of measures to attract more investment in infrastructure, including expanding financing options under the TIFIA Program, which leverages federal dollars by facilitating private participation in transportation projects and encouraging innovative mechanisms that help advance projects more quickly.  As part of the FY 2015 Budget, the Administration has also proposed a National Infrastructure Bank, as well as changes to tax rules to encourage greater private investment. 

U.S. OFFICIAL'S BACKGROUND BRIEFING ON P5+1 TALKS

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

Background Briefing on P5+1 Talks

Special Briefing
Office of the Spokesperson
Senior U.S. Official
Washington, DC
May 13, 2014


MODERATOR: Hi, everyone. Welcome back. Thanks for bearing with us and being patient tonight. I think we’re ready to get started.

Welcome to tonight’s backgrounder. For attribution rules, this is all on background, attributable to a senior U.S. official – no names, no titles. Please keep us all honest on this so we can keep doing these for all of you.

I’m going to turn over now, so you know, to [Senior U.S. Official], who will make some brief opening remarks. And then we will open it up for your questions.

SENIOR U.S. OFFICIAL: Good evening everyone, and thank you for waiting for us. Sorry we’re a few minutes late, I think. We’re very pleased to be back here in Vienna for this round of talks with the European Union, China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, and Iran.
On the technical side, our nuclear and sanctions experts have been working with their counterparts since we last met, as have the political directors in consultation with each other and in Brussels just a few days ago. And as many of you know, our experts met most recently last week in New York.

As we’ve said previously, at this round we will begin drafting specific language for the comprehensive plan of action. Everyone has approached these talks with seriousness and with professionalism. It also appears that everyone has come to the table wanting a diplomatic solution, but having the intent doesn’t mean it will necessarily happen. Quite frankly, this is very, very, difficult. I would caution people that just because we will be drafting it certainly doesn’t mean an agreement is imminent or that we are certain to eventually get to a resolution of these issues.

There are a range of complicated issues to address. And we do not know if Iran will be able to make the tough decisions they must to ensure the world that they will not obtain a nuclear weapon and that their program is for entirely peaceful purposes, as they have said.

As this process moves forward, there will be a lot of noise out there – some of you might even make – about issues that may be under consideration, people speculating about where we’ve made progress and what the final language on any one issue might look like. There will also be speculation about where the sticking points remain. People will try to read the tea leaves and guess who’s offering what, who’s accepting what, and what is actually on the table for any given topic. I cannot advise you strongly enough not to buy into that kind of speculation. I know that’s your job, but at the same time I can assure you that you will only pick up fragments, and what’s most important is that you need to be very dubious of these fragments because one thing that has marked both the Joint Plan of Action and the comprehensive negotiations thus far is that people involved in them have been pretty discreet about the details of what we’re discussing. That’s how seriously we all take this process.

And I’d also remind people of a very, very critical point: No one can define this agreement by any one element – any element that is under discussion. And no one can predict what the overall comprehensive plan of action will look like from dissecting any one piece of it in isolation. As we’ve said for quite some time now, and I’ve noticed others have begun to pick it up, this process is like solving a Rubik’s Cube. There isn’t only one possible solution to providing the international community with the assurances we need that Iran’s nuclear program is exclusively peaceful, that Iran will not obtain a nuclear weapon, and that there will be appropriate verification and transparency. Put simply, what we are working on is a package, not a checklist. And how we deal with each individual piece affects the overall eventual outcome.

We are quite focused on the July 20th date and we expect to be working every single moment until then. If you remember when we were negotiating the Joint Plan of Action, we were hashing out differences over individual words up until the very last minute, and many of you wrote a few days before it was done, when ministers came to Geneva and then departed, that it wasn’t going to happen, only to come back again and get the deal done.

As we’ve said, this process is far, far more difficult even than the Joint Plan of Action. But we’re committed to undertaking this effort because we know the diplomatic path is the one with the best chance of resolving our concerns in a peaceful way with Iran, and that is all that we all want to do. Finally, before I take your questions, again, speaking to the importance of the package of the combination of elements, nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. The only percentage that matters is 100 percent, and nothing is agreed until everyone agrees to it.
So we’re working hard, but it remains to be seen if we’ll get where we all hope to get to. Thank you.

MODERATOR: Great. We’re going to take questions now. And I know we know most of you, but if you could identify yourself and your outlet, that would be great. Go ahead.

QUESTION: Paul Richter with LA Times. In your last briefing, you expressed optimism that you would get everything done by July 20th, and I didn’t hear you say that today. Do you still feel that way?

SENIOR U.S. OFFICIAL: What I believe I’ve said in the past is that one can see how one can get to an agreement by July 20th, but getting to it is another matter. And by that I mean – they’re words to be written on a piece of paper. All of these issues that we are discussing have answers. It’s whether in fact the parties at the table, Iran in particular, is able to put answers on the table that ensure that they will not obtain a nuclear weapon, that the international community has the assurances that we all need. So this is possible, but again, until it is done, until everything is agreed and everyone has agreed to it, there is not an agreement. What I’m trying to express to all of you is this is very, very tough. We’ve spent the last couple of rounds putting all of the issues on the table, seeing where there may be points of agreement, where there may be gaps. There are some very significant gaps. It’s not that there aren’t solutions to those gaps; there are. But getting to them is another matter, and I cannot tell you today that we will with great certainty get there. I don’t know.

MODERATOR: Lou.

QUESTION: Thanks. Lou Charbonneau, Reuters. I wanted to follow up on the question about the optimism. There have been voices coming from maybe other delegations expressing increasing optimism about the likelihood of a deal. More and more the expectation is that there will be some kind of deal, and – so this is fairly widespread. What do you think is behind that? And then secondly, the UN panel of experts has just issued a new report talking about a possible slowdown in illicit procurement by the Iranians, which it’s very cautiously presented, but is it possibly this is a reflection of the new political atmosphere in Iran? Has the U.S. perceived such a phenomenon on the part of Iran? Thanks.

SENIOR U.S. OFFICIAL: I was talking with our team about this optimism. Who doesn’t want to have optimism about this? Who doesn’t want to solve this problem peacefully? We all do, and we wouldn’t be sitting at the table if we didn’t have hope and optimism. But optimism alone will not get us a comprehensive plan of action. Very hard work, very detailed work, very technical work will get us to the assurance the international community needs that their program is exclusively peaceful and that they will not obtain a nuclear weapon.

And it is a very, very difficult achievement. It is – as one of my colleagues said to me today, you can have an assembly line to put the car together. That assembly line can be well-tooled; everybody can know what their job is, the paint can go on, all the parts can be put in it, but until the engine’s in the car the car isn’t going to run. And this is similar, in that we can do all kinds of things. We can resolve a whole bunch of issues, but if we can’t get the final engine into the car, we have no comprehensive plan of action.

And so that’s why – I think we are all optimists by nature or we wouldn’t be at this table, because this is so hard to do. We would’ve just thrown up our hands and said, “Are you kidding?” But it is critical to try to do this. It is critical to come to the table and work very hard on this very detailed and highly technical negotiation. We can get to a resolution, I believe, but whether we can, whether we have the intent to, and whether we will are all quite different matters.

QUESTION: And the panel.

SENIOR U.S. OFFICIAL: Oh, and the panel. I’ve seen the report on the panel of experts. I know that the U.S., which sits on the panel[i], has received a copy. I have not seen it myself. I think that what I would say is that if there has indeed been a slow-down, that is, of course, a good thing. What matters, however, is that the international community – not just regarding Iran, but regarding every country in the world – wants to move away from any activities of proliferation, and any progress in that regard is a good thing. But the best report is zero.

MODERATOR: Yes. Yeah, go ahead. Uh-huh.

QUESTION: I’m Jonathan Tirone with Bloomberg News. I’m going to enter the Rubik’s Cube metaphor, because most kids haphazardly give up on the Rubik’s Cube. (Laughter.) Because it’s – they approach haphazardly. The young engineers, of course, take the damn thing apart and piece it back together. (Laughter.) And the real geniuses apply the algorithm of a sequenced move of events that ensures a result. So I’m curious --

SENIOR U.S. OFFICIAL: Would you like to come to the negotiating table? (Laughter.)

QUESTION: I’m curious to hear your Rubik’s Cube strategy. And then as a side note, I’m just interested in learning whether you’re going to introduce the concept of separative work units as the baseline technical definition for enrichment capacity versus a raw number of centrifuges that doesn’t (inaudible) people necessarily.

SENIOR U.S. OFFICIAL: I think your definition of different approaches to Rubik’s Cube is worthwhile and instructive. I think to solve this particular Rubik’s Cube you have to probably have a combination of all of it. You have to know what all the elements are and be able to have the vision to see how they might all fit together, and how they might all fit together in different ways. In this case, there is not just one true algorithm. There is probably more than one true algorithm, as long as they all get you to the same answer, which is Iran can’t obtain a nuclear weapon, and we are assured that the program is exclusively peaceful.

It probably takes the sort of the leap of faith that young people have to give it a whirl, the stick-to-it-iveness that comes with a little bit more maturity, and a little bit of that engineer’s mindset to drill down into the detail so that you understand what the combination might be. And that goes to your question, which I’m not going to answer precisely, and I’m sure you’re not surprised. We will use the parameters that get us to the best, clearest place, and one which allows the kind of transparency, monitoring, and verification that assures that we’ve reached our two objectives.

MODERATOR: Great. Yes, Laura.

QUESTION: Thanks. Laura Rozen from Al-Monitor. Thanks for doing this. The JPOA, as I remember, has some language at the end that talks about Iran at some point not being a problem child (inaudible). It seems that that has influenced Iran’s thinking about eventually pulling out of the (inaudible) not having all (inaudible). Can you speak to that expectation, please?

SENIOR U.S. OFFICIAL: First I’ll read you what the JPOA says. It says – the last line that’s not an asterisk on the last page says, “Following successful implementation of the final step of the comprehensive solution for its full duration, the Iranian nuclear program will be treated in the same manner as that of any non-nuclear weapons state party to the NPT.” And that stands.
So your question is?

QUESTION: So Iranians are interpreting that that there is some outer date where all the – the Rubik’s Cubes are – doesn’t matter, because they’ll be out of this – that rogue status (inaudible).

SENIOR U.S. OFFICIAL: Well, indeed. At the beginning of this page, which is the elements of the final step of the comprehensive solution, it says that this will have a specified long-term duration to be agreed upon. And at the point at which that long-term duration ends and all of the comprehensive plan of action has been implemented and verified, then, indeed, Iran will be treated in the same manner as that of any non-nuclear weapons state party to the NPT.

QUESTION: That’s helpful. But let me just say – so does that make it any easier than – if it’s basically there’s a medium-term – the numbers you’re arguing about, the Rubik’s Cube stuff, it’s not forever. It’s for some medium-term duration. Does that make it any more hopeful you will all be able to compromise?

SENIOR U.S. OFFICIAL: Well, we expect that the comprehensive plan of action will mean that Iran will not obtain a nuclear weapon ever --

QUESTION: Right.

SENIOR U.S. OFFICIAL: -- no matter what the duration of the agreement is, and that its program will be exclusively peaceful forever, no matter the duration of this particular agreement.

MODERATOR: No one else has a question, so yes, we’ll go around the room. We’ll start at the back and then come back in front.

QUESTION: (Inaudible) for Radio France International. Since last meeting, the tension with Russia has reached yet another level. Do you have the feeling that it might impact the unity of the 5+1 (inaudible)?

SENIOR U.S. OFFICIAL: I’m sorry, but what has reached another level?

QUESTION: Tension with Russia --

MODERATOR: Russia.

SENIOR U.S. OFFICIAL: Oh, with Russia.

QUESTION: -- over Ukraine.

SENIOR U.S. OFFICIAL: All I can tell you is that our Russian colleagues have focused in on this negotiation with the same seriousness of purpose that everyone else at the table has.
QUESTION: There’s no impact so far?

SENIOR U.S. OFFICIAL: Not discernable.

MODERATOR: Who else? Yes, back here, and then I’ll come to last. Go ahead.

QUESTION: I’m DPA German Press Agency. Yesterday the IAEA and Iran had another meeting on the – solving the WMD issue. However, so far Iran has agreed only to discussing one issues, and they weren’t able to agree on further issues. How concerned are you about the pace of those discussions, and how is the lack of progress – how is that influencing the – this E3+3 process?

SENIOR U.S. OFFICIAL: The Joint Plan of Action says that, indeed, all past and present issues have to be resolved, which refers to PMD, possible military dimensions. It also says that UN Security Council resolutions have to be addressed, which also address possible military dimensions, and this is the work that the IAEA has had underway for some time with Iran.
And so, both because of the commitments made in the Joint Plan of Action and our ongoing discussions with Iran, we have been very clear that one cannot achieve a comprehensive plan of action without Iran making progress and resolving with the IAEA the concerns about the possible military dimensions of the program. And we certainly want to see progress in the near term – substantive progress in the near term, so that in fact there is a growing belief that, in fact, it will get resolved. And needless to say, the pace of that resolution will have an impact on what happens in any agreement and the relief that Iran is seeking.

MODERATOR: Abas, go ahead.

QUESTION: This is Abas Aslani from the Tasnim News Agency. A Russian negotiator this morning said that the – on the two issues of Arak and the transparency, meaning monitoring the Iranian facilities, are riper than the other issues for agreement in this round. I would like to ask you whether any specific progress has been made regarding these two issues. And the other question is that the Iranian ballistic missile capability, will it be discussed in this round of talks or it will be kept for future addressing and consideration?

SENIOR U.S. OFFICIAL: I’m not going to specify on any one element where we are or are not in this negotiation at this briefing or at any other briefing. The issues that you have named are all issues that are under discussion and all part of this Rubik’s cube resolution which we are seeking.

On your last point, asking whether ballistic missiles is under discussion, I would note that the UN Security Council resolutions must be addressed. That’s in the Joint Plan of Action. Those resolutions, among many other things, do say that any missile capable of delivering a nuclear weapon must be dealt with.

MODERATOR: Who else? Any more? We answered all your questions? Yes. I thought some others had some. Go ahead, and then we’ll come to you.

QUESTION: My name is Takemoto from Kyodo News, Japan. After you mentioned all the useless speculation, it’s really hard for me to ask this. (Laughter.)

SENIOR U.S. OFFICIAL: But do it anyway. (Laughter.)

QUESTION: Iran’s vice president, Mr. Salehi, clearly said P5+1 and Iran already agreed on a new proposal about Arak. And once it’s said by vice president, it’s not speculation, at least for me. So what do you say about that?

SENIOR U.S. OFFICIAL: I would say two things. I’m not going to comment on any one item, and nothing is agreed till everything is agreed, because they all come together to get what we are looking for in the two objectives I’ve repeated for you – and would be glad to do so one more time – and that is that Iran not obtain a nuclear weapon and that the international community is assured of the peaceful nature of its program. So no one item resolves that; all of them have to fit together. It is a package, and that’s what matters. And many people will say many things over the days. What matters at the end of the day is what happens in the room, what gets agreed to, and then what gets agreed to by all of the governments when we think – if we ever get to, and hope that we do – a comprehensive plan of action that we want all of the leadership of our countries to agree to.

QUESTION: Thank you.

QUESTION: (Inaudible) with Al-Arabiya. I’d like to ask you a kind of technical question. Tomorrow, you are going to draft the – start drafting the comprehensive agreement. Does that mean you have already a draft, and then you ask the Iranian side to react on each point? Or are you just starting from a point A until – then you will start writing tomorrow? I mean, do you have a kind of pre-draft prepared, was done by the expert, and then you are going to discuss point by point with the Iranians? Zarif said that he think about three rounds of discussions to finish the drafting of the agreements with you. How many rounds do you expect (inaudible)?

SENIOR U.S. OFFICIAL: We will take whatever time is necessary to try to come to a comprehensive plan of action by July 20th. We’ll take whatever time is necessary to do that. How exactly we’ll do it? We are beginning tomorrow. We know what the list of issues are that need to be addressed, and we will begin addressing them. I would imagine that everyone has done preparatory work to be able to begin, and this will begin, as I think you all have been told, with a plenary session at the UN, and then I would expect that Lady Ashton and Minister Zarif will literally begin drafting.

It is important that all of us are engaged in this process. There will be engagement at various levels. There are some parts of this joint – comprehensive plan of action which, quite frankly, only some of my colleagues here are qualified to write, and that is the detailed technical pieces of the implementation of any comprehensive plan of action that is written. And so everyone will be working at many levels to try to, in fact, draft what we are now calling the CPOA, the comprehensive plan of action.

MODERATOR: I think we just trademarked that. I think we have time for a few more. Yes. We’ll go here. Then I’ll go back to you.

QUESTION: Kasra Naji from BBC Persian Television. You said you’re not sure whether Iran is ready to make the decisions that it must. Can you tell me why you’re not so optimistic? And what made you think that they may not be ready to make those decisions? Though I take it that this – like, Iranian leaders’ visit to the missile sites have anything to do with it? Or developments in Iran that have given you the idea that Iranians are not ready to make these hard decisions?

SENIOR U.S. OFFICIAL: No. It’s not really about optimism or pessimism. It’s just realism. This is hard. This is difficult. If it weren’t difficult, it would have been resolved a long time ago. This has been going on for years and years and years. We are all doing this together. We are all drafting together – not just the U.S. team, all of the teams are working together, coordinated by the High Representative on our side, and by Minister Zarif on the Iranian side. And some of my colleagues have been trying to negotiate a resolution to these concerns literally for a decade – literally for a decade. Some of the political directors have been doing this for a very, very long time.

So if this were easy, it would have been done. But it is not easy. I think we have an extraordinary chance to get to a comprehensive plan of action. The fact that we were able to agree on a Joint Plan of Action and that all sides have complied to date with the Joint Plan of Action increases the chance, but it is still very, very difficult. And I think, to be very frank about it, I’ve read a lot of what you all have written about how optimistic everyone is, and I think it’s gotten way out of control – not because I don’t want to be optimistic, not because we don’t hope to get there, but because it is a very difficult undertaking. If it weren’t, it would have already been done.

And so we all have to be realistic. And because you can get to 98 percent of this agreement, but you can’t get the last 2 percent, that last 2 percent may make all the rest of it not work.

QUESTION: You don’t sound as optimistic as before. (Laughter.) I remember a month ago, you were saying that it is a possibility --

SENIOR U.S. OFFICIAL: I would – I still say to y
ou it is possible.

QUESTION: Now you don’t seem to be that – (laughter.)

SENIOR U.S. OFFICIAL: No, no, no. It is still possible. I’m really not saying anything different than I have said before. You all have been shaped by lots of people telling you we’re almost there, we’re getting it done, we’ve gotten this percentage done, that percentage done, we’ve resolved this issue, we’ve resolved that issue. You’re listening to all of that. You’re writing all of that. And all I’m saying to you is what I’ve said every time: We are intent on getting it done. We want to get it done. We want to get it done by July 20th. It is possible to get it done. But one can get – I think I’ve said this exact thing last time – you can get 98 percent of the way there, and if the last 2 percent cannot get agreed to, there will be no comprehensive plan of action. This is hard. And quite frankly I think, with all due respect, you all have written about this as if it’s easy, and it’s not.

MODERATOR: Yes, I think it’s our AP --

QUESTION: Yes, it’s George Jahn, the Associated Press. Talking about the draft, are you going to be approaching it – and I’m not sure you want to answer this – but basically component by component, taking the relatively easy issues first? Or are you going to be looking at it in a totality end (inaudible)?

SENIOR U.S. OFFICIAL: One, we’ll have to look at the totality, because, as I’ve said, this is a package. So even if one has a discussion about an element, one will have to return to it again and again and again as you discuss the other elements, which interact with the first element that you might have discussed or the fifth element you might have discussed, to see whether, in fact, the package comes together. That’s why this is so complex. And each one of those has a great deal of technical detail behind it, and so you have to know all the technical details to know whether what you aspire to achieve can actually happen.

MODERATOR: Let’s just do two quick more ones. Let’s go to people that haven’t had one. I know, Laura, you’re going to be angry at me. But go ahead, (inaudible).

QUESTION: (Inaudible) Reuters News Agency. I wanted to ask you again about the missile question. How important is that for you that that’s addressed in this agreement? I’m asking, of course, of the Iranian Supreme Leader’s – Khamenei’s statement this week. I think that he described as stupid and idiotic the expectation that this would be part of the talks, the negotiation.

SENIOR U.S. OFFICIAL: I just want to repeat what I’ve said before and what the Joint Plan of Action says, which is that the issues in the UN Security Council resolutions have to be addressed, and so all of the issues in the UN Security Council resolution will be addressed.

MODERATOR: Great. Let’s see. Hannah, did you have one?

QUESTION: Yeah. Actually, I don’t have question. I have a comment.

MODERATOR: Okay. Can you keep it short then so other people can ask their questions?

QUESTION: No, it is – it’s actually something very important. I’m surprised why nobody brought it up. But I was wondering if there can be like kind of a mechanism that us journalists don’t come here and wait for 48 hours until something starts here. Because we were told that it starts on 13th and it didn’t start, because tonight is not the beginning, tomorrow is the beginning.

MODERATOR: Well – go ahead. Continue.

QUESTION: And the other thing is that I think we, as Iranian journalists brought it up – if there would be a possibility that word can be put out there with the Iranian negotiators that we will be able to attend their briefings because we speak Farsi and because we see other colleagues here, and it would be nice that we would have the same chance to. Thank you.

MODERATOR: On the first issue, obviously the EU and Iran work on the schedule. We’ve tried to give you as much information as possible as we’ve known it, obviously try to work around your schedules. I know sometimes there’s some waiting, for us as well, but we endeavor to make this as simple as possible schedule-wise. And going forward, as you guys saw in Geneva, the schedule will be very much in flux, so we appreciate your flexibility, I think, going forward as well.

And on the second issue, we’re happy to have you all here. Obviously every delegation can set its own press ground rules, but we also are happy to pass along the message.

QUESTION: Thank you.

MODERATOR: You’re welcome.

QUESTION: Can we have more briefings in the next --

MODERATOR: (Laughter.) Okay. We’re going to do questions and then we’re going to go. All of us are going to go have dinner. Okay. We’re going to do one from Laura and then you’re going to be the last question.

QUESTION: Thank you. I do have a question about the Rubik’s cube analogy. If there’s a proliferation-proof way to deal with one element such as Arak or – I don’t know the details – why does it – why do you always have to keep returning, given how many centrifuges or whatever? Why can’t you just settle that if it’s – do they get a smaller number of centrifuges just because you want them to promise more? If you can guarantee that they’re not going to get a path to a bomb from Arak in some technical way, why can’t something like that be crossed off the list?

SENIOR U.S. OFFICIAL: Because we are trying to put in place a comprehensive plan of action; because this is difficult to do; because Iran is – wants relief for the actions that it takes, and they want relief that gives them a certainty, and we, therefore, have to have certainty as well. So it’s about ensuring that we address all of the elements of concern and they all fit together to create that comprehensive plan of action.

MODERATOR: Okay. Our last question – and I will take all comments, you guys can point them all to me. But our last question.

QUESTION: Thank you.

MODERATOR: Yes.

QUESTION: (Inaudible) Network. Going back to the IAEA issues that – the IAEA this time (inaudible) expected to have that next-step agreement, which they didn’t. Now, you mentioned already in your answer that the pace of that negotiation or the resolution would affect these negotiations as well. Is there any – at any point, that if there’s no reason why that this forum deals – there’s no reason why this forum shouldn’t deal directly with the – this issue of the weapons – the – a military dimension – do you have that in the pipeline? And also, will you be meeting Mr. Amano to discuss specifically on this issue while you’re here this time? Those are my questions. Thank you.

SENIOR U.S. OFFICIAL: So, as I said, in the Joint Plan of Action, we have said that past and present issues need to be resolved as part of the comprehensive plan of action. The IAEA has the first responsibility to, indeed, resolve those issues and has a plan to do so. And we don’t want to start doing the IAEA’s job. We all rely on the expertise of the IAEA. This takes a very specific expertise to resolve. But we want to work in appropriate ways with the IAEA so that the comprehensive plan of action ensures that we have addressed all of the elements, as I have said, so there is a comprehensive resolution, a comprehensive plan of action.
I have met with the director general before. I don’t yet know everything in my schedule this week. I always look forward to those conversations. I always learn an enormous amount. And we are all very grateful for what the IAEA does in this instance and all around the world on issues of proliferation.

MODERATOR: Great. Thank you, everyone, for coming. Just a reminder on attribution, this is on background as a Senior U.S. Administration Official. Please stick to the rules so we can keep doing these. And as you all know how to get in touch with me with any other questions or comments, I will take all of them. Thanks, guys.

SENIOR U.S. OFFICIAL: Thank you.

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

ATTORNEY GENERAL MAKES STATEMENT CRITICAL OF EXCESSIVE USE OF SOLITARY CONFINEMENT FOR MENTALLY ILL JUVENILES

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Attorney General Holder Criticizes Excessive Use of Solitary Confinement for Juveniles with Mental Illness

WASHINGTON—Speaking in a video message posted on the Justice Department’s website, Attorney General Eric Holder on Wednesday called for an end to the excessive use of solitary confinement for youth that suffer from mental illness.  Attorney General Holder said the practices can have lasting, substantial effects on young people that could result in self-harm or, in some cases, even suicide.

“Solitary confinement can be dangerous, and a serious impediment to the ability of juveniles to succeed once released,” Attorney General Holder said.  “At a minimum, we must work to curb the over reliance on seclusion of youth with disabilities.”
As a result of these unhealthy practices that violate the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act and the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division sought a federal court order temporarily restraining the Ohio Department of Youth Services (DYS) from unlawfully secluding boys with mental health needs in its juvenile correctional facilities.

Last February, the Civil Rights Division also took the rare but necessary step of filing a statement of interest addressing the use of excessive reliance on solitary confinement for disabled youth in Contra Costa County, California.  Young people in these detention centers, including those with disabilities, were allegedly held in solitary confinement for up to 23 hours a day, often with no human interaction at all.

The complete text of the Attorney General’s video message is below:

“Across the country, far too many juvenile detention centers see isolation and solitary confinement as an appropriate way to handle challenging youth, in particular youth with disabilities.  But solitary confinement can be dangerous, and a serious impediment to the ability of juveniles to succeed once released.

“In a study released last year by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 47 percent of juvenile detention centers reported locking youth in some type of isolation for more than four hours at a time.  We have received reports of young people who have been held in solitary confinement for up to 23 hours a day, often with no human interaction at all.  In some cases, children were held in small rooms with windows that were barely the width of their own hands.

“This is, to say the least, excessive.  And these episodes are all too common.

“This practice is particularly detrimental to young people with disabilities – who are at increased risk under these circumstances of negative effects including self-harm and even suicide.  In fact, one national study found that half of the victims of suicides in juvenile facilities were in isolation at the time they took their own lives, and 62 percent of victims had a history of solitary confinement.

“Let me be clear, there may be times when it becomes necessary to remove a detained juvenile from others in order to protect staff, other inmates, or the juvenile himself from harm.  However, this action should be taken only in a limited way where there is a valid reason to do so, and for a limited amount of time; isolated juveniles must be closely monitored, and every attempt must be made to continue educational and mental health programming while the youth is in isolation.
“At a minimum, we must work to curb the overreliance on seclusion of youth with disabilities.  And at the Department of Justice, we are committed to working with states to do this going forward.

“We must ensure in all circumstances – and particularly when it comes to our young people – that incarceration is used to rehabilitate, and not merely to warehouse and forget.  Our nationwide effort to end the unnecessary or excessive seclusion of youth with disabilities will not be completed solely with one settlement or court filing.  But as a department, we are dedicated – and as Attorney General, I am committed – to doing everything possible to ensure the effectiveness and integrity of our criminal and juvenile justice system.  In the days ahead, we will continue to make good on our commitment to the best practices of law enforcement and the highest ideals of our nation.”

WHITE HOUSE STATEMENT ON COAL MINE COLLAPSE TRAGEDY IN TURKEY

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 

Statement by the Press Secretary on the Turkish Mining Collapse

Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Turkey today in the wake of a coal mine explosion in Soma, in which some 200 have been killed and hundreds more remain trapped.  On behalf of the American people, we extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and our best wishes for the safe exit of the remaining miners.  Turkey is a close and longstanding friend and ally of the United States.  We are ready to assist the Turkish government if necessary, and we will continue to stand together in this time of tragedy.

DEFENSE SECRETARY HAGEL ENTERS JORDAN ON NEXT LEG OF TRIP

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Hagel Continues Middle East Trip in Jordan
By Claudette Roulo
American Forces Press Service

AMMAN, Jordan, May 14, 2014 – Following what he called a “successful” ministerial conference with the U.S.-Gulf Cooperation Council, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel left Saudi Arabia today to continue his multiday trip to the Middle East here.

Hagel will meet here with Jordanian Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Lt. Gen. Mashal Mohammad Al-Zaben and his senior advisor, Prince Faisal bin Al Hussein, to discuss Eager Lion, an annual combined military exercise that involves 6,000 U.S. personnel, as well as a variety of security challenges facing the region, a senior defense official said.

“Also, it’s an opportunity to hear from the general directly about the threats they’re facing from Syria, the humanitarian situation in Jordan … and the security implications of the Syria crisis on Jordan,” the official said.
More than 1,000 U.S. personnel are stationed in Jordan as part of a Patriot detachment, an F-16 deployment and a U.S. Central Command forward planning element.

Before leaving Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Hagel met with defense ministers from all six member nations of the GCC -- Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The strong bilateral relationships the United States maintains with its Gulf partners reflect the nation’s commitment to the region’s security, the defense secretary said.

“But the security challenges facing this region threaten the region as a whole, and no one nation can address them alone,” he added.

The United States offered several proposals at the ministerial, all intended to further develop regional cooperation, the defense secretary said.

“Following today’s productive discussions, the ministers have agreed to meet in the region on a regular basis,” he said. In addition, the vice ministers will meet in Washington before the end of the year, a meeting that is expected to become a twice-yearly event, a defense official said.

Council attendees reaffirmed their commitment to preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, Hagel said. “While we noted that Iran’s diplomatic engagement has been a positive development,” he added, “we continue to share deep concerns about Iran’s destabilizing activities throughout the region.”

The defense leaders also pledged to deepen their cooperation in support of the Syrian opposition, the defense secretary said.

“We agreed that our assistance must be complimentary -- and that it must be carefully directed to the moderate opposition,” Hagel noted.

U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT CONTRACTS FOR MAY 14, 2014

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
CONTRACTS

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

Fisher Scientific Company LLC, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been awarded a maximum $120,000,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the selection of distributor who will use the electronic catalog program to make laboratory supplies and wares available for purchase. This contract was a competitive acquisition with five offers received. This is a one-year base contract with four one-year option periods. Locations of performance are Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Illinois, California, Kentucky, Colorado, Texas, Puerto Rico, North Carolina, Hawaii, Washington, and Georgia, with a May 13, 2015 performance completion date. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 through fiscal 2015 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPM2DE-14-D-7351).

AIR FORCE

Jacobs Technology Inc., Bedford, Massachusetts, has been awarded a $60,430,781 cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost-reimbursable contract to provide engineering and technology acquisition support services which consists of disciplined systems/specialty engineering and technical/information assurance services, support, and products using established government, contractor, and industry processes. Work will be performed at Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, Peterson AFB, Colorado, Langley AFB, Virginia, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, and Seattle, Washington, and is expected to be complete by Jan. 31, 2015. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal year 2013 and 2014 research and development, procurement, operations and maintenance and foreign military sales (Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, Australia and Taiwan) funds in the amount of $39,988,406 will be obligated at time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center/PZM, Hanscom AFB, Massachusetts, is the contracting activity (FA8721-14-C-0018).

Matrix Research Corp., Dayton, Ohio, has been awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract in the amount of $36,027,000 for research and development. The contractor will perform research and development to address problems of concurrent detection, tracking, imaging, and classification/identification of targets within contested and challenging environments. This will include the development of models, hardware, software, algorithms and techniques spanning basic, applied and advanced research for both active and passive sensing. Work will be performed in Dayton, Ohio, and is expected to be completed by May 16, 2021. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and multiple offers were solicited through a Broad Agency Announcement, six offers were received. Fiscal 2014 research and development funds in the amount of $1,100,000 are being obligated at time of award. Air Force Research Laboratory/RQKSR, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-14-D-1722).

Raytheon Co., El Segundo, California, has been awarded a $22,000,000 modification (P00015) to FA8807-12-C-0012 for software coding and security on the military global positioning system user equipment contract. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $51,836,354. The contract modification is to mature the software coding of the GPS receiver cards being developed and perform security certification to enable faster fielding of M-code capable GPS receivers to the warfighter. Work will be performed at El Segundo, California, and is expected to be completed by Aug. 31, 2015. Fiscal 2014 research, development, testing and evaluation funds in the amount of $7,000,000 are being obligated at time of award. The Space and Missile Systems Center Contracting Directorate, El Segundo, California, is the contracting activity.

DRS-Sustainment Systems Inc., St. Louis, Missouri, has been awarded a $19,574,481 firm-fixed-price, fixed-price-incentive-firm-target, cost-reimbursable-no fee (travel only), requirements-type contract for the Halvorsen 25K aircraft cargo loader contractor logistics support program. This requirement is for Level 1 performance based logistics (PBL) support for 443 Tunner aircraft cargo loaders at over 166 worldwide locations. The Level 1 PBL metric ensures maximum cargo velocity support is provided to Air Mobility Command. There are six elements of support that comprise this requirement: material management-parts, material management-infrastructure, program engineering support, overhaul, unscheduled depot level maintenance and modifications. Work will be performed at West Plains, Missouri, and is expected to be complete by May 14, 2016. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and unlimited offers were solicited and two offers were received. Fiscal 2014 working capital funds, centralized asset management, Air Force Reserve Command and Air National Guard funds will be obligated upon availability for task orders. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center/WNKBBA, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA8519-14-D-0007).

Textron Systems Corp., Textron Defense Systems, Wilmington, Massachusetts, has been awarded a $17,283,970 modification (P00022) to FA8682-11-C-0044 for the completion of mission control unit software development and aircraft integration for the sensor fuzed weapon. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $310,983,586. The contract modification is for the final phase of sensor fuzed weapon integration to the Indian Jaguar aircraft. This contract involves 100 percent of foreign military sales for India. FMS funding in the amount of $17,283,970 will be obligated at time of award. Work will be performed at Wilmington, Massachusetts, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2015. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Long Range Systems Division, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity.

The Boeing Co., Defense, Space & Security-Network & Space Systems, Newark, Ohio, has been awarded an estimated $7,300,000 firm-fixed-price, requirements contract for remanufacture of 77 air launched cruise missile warhead arming devices. The work performed under this contract is to remanufacture and perform acceptance testing of the items specified in the performance work statement, per the warhead arming devices remanufacture procedures. The remanufactured WADs will be delivered as the 76560-11 configuration. Work will be performed in Newark, Ohio, and is expected to complete the basic one year ordering period by May 31, 2015 (estimated), and delivery dates will be cited on each order. This award is the result of a sole source acquisition. Fiscal 2012 and 2013 missile procurement funds will be obligated with each individual task order. Air Force Sustainment Center/PZABC, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity. (FA8119-14-D-0003)

NAVY

Martin Baker Aircraft Co., Ltd., Higher Denham, Near Uxbridge, Middlesex, England, is being awarded a $26,408,026 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-12-C-0066) to exercise an option for the procurement of 89 Navy aircrew common ejection seats for F/A-18 series and EA-18G aircraft for the U.S. Navy (65) and the government of Australia (24). In addition, this option provides for associated hardware, equipment, technical data, and production support services for the U.S. Navy, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the governments of Australia, Switzerland, Malaysia, and Canada. Work will be performed in Johnstown, Pennsylvania (60 percent) and Higher Denham, Near Uxbridge, Middlesex, England (40 percent), and is expected to be completed in May 2016. Fiscal 2013 and 2014 aircraft procurement, Navy; fiscal 2014 procurement of ammunition, Marine Corps, fiscal 2013 National Guard and Reserve equipment, Defense; working capital fund, Defense, and foreign military sales funds in the amount of $26,408,026 will be obligated at time of awarded, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract combines purchase for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps ($18,803,335; 71 percent), NASA ($4,985; 0.2 percent) and the governments of Australia ($6,866,956; 26 percent); Canada ($538,347; 2 percent); Switzerland ($154,525; .6 percent); and Malaysia ($39,878; .2 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales Program. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

General Dynamics Electric Boat Corp., Groton, Connecticut, is being awarded a $9,048,214 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to the previously awarded contract (N00024-13-C-4308) to incrementally fund previously exercised options to provide non-nuclear submarine repair work on Groton-based submarines under the New England Maintenance Manpower Initiative (NEMMI). Under the terms of the contract, Electric Boat Corp., will provide NEMMI tasks in support of non-nuclear maintenance, modernization and repair of operational nuclear powered submarines, floating dry docks, support and service craft, and plant equipment assigned to the Naval Submarine Support Facility New London. Work will be performed in New London, Connecticut, and is expected to be completed by December 2014. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance, Navy contract funds in the amount of $9,048,214 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1). The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, Distric of Columbia, is the contracting activity.
ARMY

ICF Inc., LLC, Fairfax, Virginia $49,983,761 was awarded a cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for support to the Army Research Laboratory Cyber Network Defense Research and Services. Work will be performed in Adelphi, Maryland with an estimated completion date of May 15, 2017. Bids were solicited via the Internet with one received. Fiscal 2014 research, development, testing and evaluation funds in the amount of $6,125,690 are being obligated at the time of the award. Army Contracting Command, Adelphi, Maryland is the contracting activity (W911QX-14-F-0020).

BAE Systems Land & Armaments L.P., York, Pennsylvania, was awarded a $16,098,318 modification (P00003) to W56HZV-14-C-0002 for the advance purchase of V903 engines for Paladin integrated management low rate initial production vehicles. Work will be performed in Columbus, Indiana (77 percent), and York, Pennsylvania (23 percent), with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2018. Fiscal 2014 other appropriations in the amount of $16,098,318 are being obligated at award. U.S. Army Contracting Command-Tank and Automotive, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity.

Conrad Shipyard LLC*, Morgan City, Louisiana, was awarded an $8,537,720 modification (0001) to W912BU-14-G-0002 for performance alterations to lengthen the National Aeronautics and Space Administration barge Pegasus. Performance location is Amelia, Louisiana, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 1, 2015. Fiscal 2014 other appropriations in the amount of $8,537,720 are being obligated at award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity.
*Small Business

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