During a House Appropriations Committee hearing, Rep. Rosa DeLauro grilled Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the Pentagon's lack of a clear plan to address the U.S. Navy's declining shipbuilding capacity, particularly for submarines, amidst concerns about China's superior capabilities and funding shifts.
Top House Democrat grills Hegseth on submarine spending plans: 'Give us the details'
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TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️During a House Appropriations Committee hearing, Rep. Rosa DeLauro grilled Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the Pentagon's lack of a clear plan to address the U.S. Navy's declining shipbuilding capacity, particularly for submarines, amidst concerns about China's superior capabilities and funding shifts.
Trending- 1 1980s: U.S. aimed for a 600-ship fleet.
- 2 Cold War: U.S. Navy’s shipbuilding capacity began to decline.
- 3 December (implied 2024): Congress authorized $5.7 billion for submarines under a continuing resolution.
- 4 February 2025: Deadline for placing key submarine contracts (missed).
- 5 April 30, 2025: Defense Department finalized submarine contracts.
- 6 Tuesday, June 10, 2025: House Appropriations Committee hearing where Rep. DeLauro grilled Defense Secretary Hegseth.
- 7 Fiscal Year 2026: Budget request includes 14% increase for Columbia-class submarines.
- 8 Fiscal Year 2027-2028: Pentagon plans to shift $3.1 billion in funding for Columbia-class submarine program.
- Hegseth promised to provide the committee with written details of the department’s submarine production plan.
- The U.S. Navy continues to operate below its required attack submarine numbers, facing workforce and supply chain challenges.
What: Rep. Rosa DeLauro questioned Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a House Appropriations Committee hearing about the U.S. Navy's declining shipbuilding capacity, specifically for submarines, and the lack of a clear plan from the Defense Department (DOD) to address the shortfall. Concerns were raised about China's shipbuilding capabilities, funding shifts for Columbia-class submarines, and missed contract deadlines.
When: Tuesday, June 10, 2025. Fiscal year 2026 budget request. December (implied 2024) for continuing resolution. February 2025 (missed contract deadline). April 30, 2025 (contracts finalized).
Where: House Appropriations Committee hearing (Washington D.C.). Connecticut (Electric Boat), Virginia (Huntington Ingalls Industries), Mississippi (Huntington Ingalls Industries).
Why: To address the significant gap between the Navy's current submarine fleet size and projected needs, especially in comparison to China's shipbuilding capabilities, and to ensure accountability for defense spending.
How: Rep. DeLauro pressed Secretary Hegseth for detailed data and a written plan regarding submarine production, expressing dissatisfaction with the lack of transparency and delays in contract finalization.