Va. lawmakers to DOD: Shield carrier fleet from cuts

Virginia lawmakers on Wednesday urged the Defense Department to spare the Navy’s fleet of 11 aircraft carriers in the next round of budget cuts.

“The deployment of our carrier fleet to numerous conflict zones across the globe last year further demonstrates why we must continue to invest in this critical capability,” the Virginia delegation said in a letter to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel.

{mosads}The missive is a preemptive strike as the Pentagon prepares to roll out its fiscal 2016 budget request on Feb. 2. With sequestration set to return, lawmakers are gearing up for new funding battles.
 
Virginia boasts a large military footprint, especially around the Hampton Roads area that includes Newport News, the home of Huntington Ingalls Industries. The private company builds a majority of U.S. submarines and aircraft carriers.
 
Last year, a DOD cost-saving proposal not to refuel the U.S.S. George Washington and mothball the vessel before the end of its operational life sparked outrage in Capitol Hill.
 
Lawmakers — including House Armed Services Seapower and Projection Forces subcommittee Chairman Randy Forbes (R-Va.) — trashed the Pentagon’s suggestion and provided millions for the carrier to be refueled and overhauled, extending its life for another 25 years.
 
“We understand the uncertainty and constraints imposed by sequestration, and will work tirelessly in a bipartisan manner to reduce its harmful impacts,” the delegation wrote.