congress Archives - Defense Daily

Senators Push Navy Against Single Destroyer Request In FY ’27

Rich Abott — Fri, 22 May 2026 21:05:20 +0000

The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and the two senators from Maine last week pushed back on Navy officials for only requesting one Arleigh Burke-class destroyer (DDG-51) […]

Navy Looks To Eventually Assemble Battleship At HII Newport News; Faces More Dem Opposition

Rich Abott — Thu, 21 May 2026 21:46:27 +0000

The Navy told lawmakers this week it found a dry dock at HII’s [HII] Newport News Shipbuilding shipyard it thinks can use for final assembly of the new Trump-class battleship […]

Navy Leaders Downplay Looking At Foreign Navy Shipbuilding Amid Lawmaker Objections

Rich Abott — Wed, 20 May 2026 21:48:20 +0000

The Navy’s top leaders this week seemed to downplay and back down on the service potentially using foreign shipyards to build U.S. Navy ships or buying foreign designed warships overseas […]

SHIPS Act In Commerce Committee, Kaine Says

Rich Abott — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 21:34:21 +0000

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) on Tuesday confirmed the SHIPS Act is currently working its way through the Commerce Committee but he sees ways to connect it to a defense authorization […]

House Lawmakers Introduce Their Version Of AUKUS Industrial Base Collab Bill

Rich Abott — Mon, 25 Aug 2025 21:23:02 +0000

Reps. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) and Gabi Amo (D-R.I.) on Friday introduced legislation to exempt entities already approved for AUKUS work from another Foreign Military Sales requirement, matching a bill introduced […]

Senators Introduce Bill To Exempt Public Shipyard Workers From Layoffs And Hiring Freeze

Rich Abott — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 16:25:24 +0000

A bipartisan group of the senators from Maine and New Hampshire on Tuesday introduced a bill to exempt workers at the four public shipyards from federal government hiring freezes and […]

Senate Appropriators Restore $1.4 Billion For Navy’s Sixth-Gen Fighter Program In FY ‘26 Spending Bill

Rich Abott — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 21:37:44 +0000

The Senate Appropriations Committee’s draft fiscal year 2026 spending bill plans to fund the Navy’s sixth-generation fighter aircraft to $1.4 billion after the Trump administration and Defense Department slashed it […]

Senators Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Streamline AUKUS Defense Industrial Base Collaboration

Rich Abott — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 20:31:53 +0000

A bipartisan group of senators introduced a new bill aimed at streamlining defense industrial base collaboration with Australia and the U.K. for the AUKUS submarine technology sharing agreement. Sens. Tim […]

SecNav ‘Simpatico’ With Warren On Right To Repair, Reforming IP Rights

Rich Abott — Wed, 11 Jun 2025 20:12:42 +0000

The Secretary of the Navy on Tuesday made clear he agrees with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) on the need for the Navy to have a right to repair and reform […]

House Appropriators Recommend Over $3 Billion More For Shipbuilding Industrial Base In 2026

Rich Abott — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 21:42:25 +0000

The House Appropriations Committee’s defense subcommittee wants to continue bolstering the shipbuilding and maritime industrial base by providing it with over $3 billion in funds according to the committee’s draft […]

Lawmakers Concerned About Potential Delay To Navy 6th Gen Fighters

Rich Abott — Thu, 15 May 2025 19:55:20 +0000

Several members of the House Appropriations Committee this week voiced concerns that the Navy’s sixth generation fighter program could be awarded three years later than currently planned. “I will not […]

Lawmakers Recommend $33.7 Billion For Shipbuilding, Naval Industrial Base Boost In Reconciliation Bill

Rich Abott — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 21:31:46 +0000

The Republican heads of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees recommended the reconciliation bill include $33.7 billion in naval shipbuilding and industrial base funding through 2029. The committees’ joint […]

Wittman: Navy Must Decide If Frigate Should Be Fixed Or Scrapped

Rich Abott — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 20:56:34 +0000

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. – Lawmakers on Wednesday questioned the Navy’s decisions on how it builds and maintains ships, with a top member of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) questioning […]

Kaine Eyes SASC Tightening Minimum Amphib Levels

Rich Abott — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 21:21:50 +0000

The ranking member of a Senate panel this week said he may push to modify the Navy’s minimum amphibious warship readiness requirements in the upcoming fiscal year 2026 defense policy […]

Senate Confirms Phelan As SECNAV

Rich Abott — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 17:51:39 +0000

The Senate easily confirmed financier and donor John Phelan to be the next Secretary of the Navy on Monday evening. The vote was 62-30. All Republicans present voted for Phalen. […]

Lawmakers Introduce Bill To Create Shipbuilding Commission

Rich Abott — Fri, 14 Mar 2025 20:26:45 +0000

Three House members on Thursday introduced a bill that would create a new maritime industrial base commission to study and make recommendations on the U.S. maritime industry. The bill, called […]

Wicker Pushing Skeptical OMB On SAWS

Rich Abott — Fri, 07 Mar 2025 22:22:13 +0000

The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Wednesday said he is trying to push the skeptical White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to accept an initiative […]

SECNAV Nominee Says He Will Work To Improve Industrial Base, Evaluate Contracts

Rich Abott — Thu, 27 Feb 2025 22:36:22 +0000

President Trump’s nominee for Secretary of the Navy promised legislators Thursday he would evaluate contracts and improve the shipbuilding industrial base, while justifying his utility as an outsider businessman with […]

HASC Seapower Leaders Urge Prompt DoD Australian AUKUS Funds Plan

Rich Abott — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 21:59:19 +0000

The chairman and ranking member of the House Armed Services seapower and projection forces subcommittee sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth Tuesday, pushing for quick action on […]

Latest CR Includes $5.7 Billion In More Virginia Sub Funds

Rich Abott — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 20:23:22 +0000

The newest Continuing Resolution unveiled by the House Appropriations Committee Tuesday that extends federal funding into March includes an additional $5.68 billion to fund the Virginia-class attack submarine (SSN) program. […]

Senators Push OMB To Assess New Sub Funding Idea, Knock Navy On Hill Comms

Rich Abott — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 21:03:03 +0000

A bipartisan group of senators expressed cautious optimism at a scheme to shift submarine funding to improve current production rates but also knocked the Navy for insufficient communication with Congress […]

HAC-D Chairman Criticizes SECNAV For Submarine Cost Growth, Cites $17 Billion SSN Shoftfall

Rich Abott — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 20:36:06 +0000

Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee, heavily criticized Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro about significant cost overruns and delays in submarine and ship […]

Del Toro Details CR Downsides For Navy In Letter To Legislators

Rich Abott — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 20:47:11 +0000

Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro recently sent congressional appropriations leaders a letter detailing the downsides for the Department of the Navy in a potential six-month Continuing Resolution (CR) […]

SASC Defense Bill Authorizes Limited Landing Ship Ahead Of LSM

Rich Abott — Thu, 11 Jul 2024 14:17:29 +0000

The Senate Armed Services Committee’s fiscal year 2025 defense authorization bill includes a provision authorizing the Navy to procure, lease or charter a medium-sized landing ship short of the Landing […]

Senate Bill Would Have NAVSEA Term Mimic Naval Reactors With Eight-Year Term

Rich Abott — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 21:31:55 +0000

The Senate Armed Services Committee’s draft of the fiscal year 2025 defense authorization bill includes a provision that would extend the term of the commander of Naval Sea Systems Command […]

SASC Defense Bill Specifies $4.2 Billion Shipbuilding Add, Clarifies Frigate And LSM Restrictions

Rich Abott — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 21:29:56 +0000

The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) released the full fiscal year 2025 defense authorization bill on Monday, which detailed recommendations to boost shipbuilding funds by $4.2 billion as well as […]

SASC Policy Bill Pushes Second Sub, Third Destroyer, Concerns Over Ship Design Maturity

Rich Abott — Fri, 14 Jun 2024 21:24:34 +0000

The Senate Armed Services Committee’s (SAC) version of the draft fiscal year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) pushes the Navy to procure a second attack submarine, third destroyer and […]

House Appropriators ‘Incensed’ By LCS Retirements, Explain Shipbuilding Decisions And Budget Cuts In Report

Rich Abott — Wed, 12 Jun 2024 20:36:07 +0000

The House Appropriations Committee’s (HAC) report on its draft of the fiscal year 2025 defense appropriations bill expressed severe displeasure with how the Navy is decommissioning Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) […]

Ohio Senator Pushes Admin To Direct Funds For New Sub Repair Facilities

Rich Abott — Mon, 03 Jun 2024 20:00:42 +0000

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) recently sent the Biden administration a letter urging it to direct funds from the recent national security supplemental law toward building submarine repair facilities in Ohio. […]