Dayton Daily News: Portman top Republican on panel key to Wright-Patterson

Sen. Rob Portman was named Thursday the top Republican on a key Senate armed service subcommittee that will play a role in the future of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

Portman has been assigned to the subcommittee on emerging threats and capabilities, which deals with the spread of weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, and technology research and development, the latter which involves work done at the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson.

“My understanding is we have jurisdiction over some of the Air Force Research Lab, and, specifically over some of the early research development activity,’’ Portman told reporters in a conference call Thursday.

As the ranking Republican, Portman would be the obvious candidate to become chairman if Republicans win control of the Senate next year.

More importantly, the move means that Ohio lawmakers occupy key congressional posts that have a direct say on Wright-Patterson, the state’s largest single-site employer.

Rep. Mike Turner, R-Centerville, chairs a House subcommittee on strategic forces, Rep. Steve Austria, R-Beavercreek, holds a slot on a House subcommittee on military appropriations, and Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, has a seat on the Senate appropriations committee, which approves the annual spending bills that are sent to the floor of the Senate.

In addition, the Montgomery County portion of the district of House Speaker John Boehner, R-West Chester Twp., is near the sprawling base.

“The members of Congress who represent Dayton are in a better position to defend Wright-Patterson and the jobs there and its mission than any time in memory,’’ said

Michael Gessel, a Washington-based vice president for the Dayton Development Coalition.

Portman told reporters that “the base is in relatively good shape. But what we have not done is maximize the opportunity to create private sector jobs around the base.’’

On Tuesday, Gov. John Kasich, in his State of the State speech, repeated a proposal to encourage business development near the base by creating an enterprise zone to grant tax incentives to companies that would locate there.