LIMA, OH – U.S. Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) hosted Under Secretary of the Army Patrick J. Murphy in Lima today for a tour of the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center (JSMC), which does critical work on the military’s Abrams Tank and Stryker Vehicle. Portman, Brown, Murphy, and Jordan toured the facility and saw a demonstration of the Abrams Tank.

In the Senate, Portman and Brown are strong supporters of the JSMC and have worked over the years with the Senate Armed Services Committee, the Senate Appropriations Committee, and U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) leadership to promote the work done in Lima.

“The best tanks and armored vehicles in the world are made in Lima, Ohio,” Portman said. “The JSMC and our Ohio workers are not just making our country safer, they’re supporting our allies around the world during some very dangerous times. I was happy to show off these Ohio manufacturers to the Under Secretary and to reiterate to the Obama Administration the critical role they play in our national security.”

“This facility exemplifies the best in Ohio manufacturing – it supports our men and women in uniform, and supports good-paying jobs for Ohio workers,” said Brown. “We worked with the JSMC, with the Senate Armed Services and Appropriations Committees, and the Department of Defense to make sure folks in Washington saw the value of the work folks are doing here in Lima. Under the leadership of Under Secretary Murphy, the Army recognizes the importance of these vehicles and maintaining our defense industrial base, and we expect production to increase over the next few years.”

“Lima, Ohio is the only place in the country where they still put together Abrams tanks. I was thankful for the opportunity to show the plant to my former colleague Undersecretary Patrick Murphy. I know he will take the message back to Washington that this is vitally important for the nation’s defense and for our military infrastructure,” said Jordan.

Portman was last in Lima in August to visit the JSMC and discuss the critical work being done on Abrams tanks and learn about the progress of their new manufacturing. Also in August, Portman applauded the State Department’s approval of a potential foreign military sale of Abrams tanks and armored recovery vehicles to Saudi Arabia, saying the agreement should benefit Lima’s JSMC. Portman has continuously advocated on behalf of the workforce and capabilities of the JSMC, including sending a letter in 2014 to the Saudi ambassador to the United States to highlight its great work.

In December 2015, Portman announced that he helped secure $371 million in funding to support research and development and procurement of 81 Stryker vehicles with an upgraded weapon system, with some of the work being done at the JSMC.  Previously, in June of 2015, a Portman-authored amendment to authorize the $371 million was passed as part of the National Defense Authorization Act.  Portman discussed his work to protect Lima’s workers and keep national security strong in his op-ed in Lima News.

In October 2015, Portman and Brown announced that, following their letter in support of Phase Two grant funding for Allen County, DOD’s Office of Economic Adjustment awarded $3,013,590 to the county. Allen County qualified for this grant due to job loss at the JSMC in Lima.

Photos from the visit today can be found below:

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