Isakson Introduces Amendment to Support St. Marys Airport Move

U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., this week filed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA for short, to provide federal funding to relocate the St. Marys municipal airport in Georgia.
The current location of the Camden County, Ga., airport has for years raised serious national security concerns given its proximity to Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, which is home to the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines, making the base a critical player in one-third of our strategic nuclear arsenal.
Isakson’s amendment would provide for the move to be completed through coordination between the Georgia Department of Transportation, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Defense, which has now signaled its willingness to assume a portion of the costs associated with the move.
“Camden County is home to a key front line in our nation’s defense: Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay,” said Isakson. “The Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine located in Kings Bay is one of our nation’s most secure and survivable nuclear deterrents. I am fighting to ensure this critical asset to our national defense remains threat-free while also helping the city of St. Marys with the financial burden of relocation costs.”
The House-passed NDAA includes a similar amendment introduced by U.S. Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter, R-Ga.-01. If adopted by the Senate and signed in to law, the amended legislation would authorize the Department of Defense to use its funding to release the City of St. Marys from its financial obligation to the Federal Aviation Administration for the relocation expenses. Otherwise, the city would be responsible for additional costs of past improvements at the existing facility.
A pdf of the amendment filed by Isakson and co-sponsored by Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., is available here.