On the recordJune 27, 2018
Not only does this amendment cut $1 billion from vital programs in FY19; it will leave future Congresses with at least a $6 billion shortfall. That is not the appropriate way to spend our taxpayers' dollars. The Navy is not committed to funding these two additional submarines in the future. In fact, the Statement of Administrative Policy on the House-passed NDAA specifically objects to adding two additional submarines above what is currently in the President's budget. This amendment takes $346 million that has been set aside for the reactor core for the last Nimitz-class carrier refueling overhaul. Delaying this procurement for yet another year hurts this program and creates serious production gaps. This will directly impact the ability of the manufacturer to provide Columbia-class core reactors in a timely manner, and it introduces risk to the schedule for the Columbia-class submarine program. That is unacceptable. The amendment takes $315 million from other shipbuilding programs, funds that will have to be repaid in future years. It takes more than $245 million from the DDG 51 guided-missile destroyer program, a critical missile-defense-capable ship that is deployed throughout the world. This amendment is asking Congress to fund $1 billion now but create a bill for the future, a bill that will not be paid due to the imminent threat of the return of sequestration. Some Members have asked if we can just fix this amendment in conference.…
