WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01), Chairman of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, commended the Navy on its intent to contract for CVN 80 and 81, the next two Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers. Congressman Wittman led the bipartisan effort to secure this provision.
“I am thrilled the Navy has announced that they intend to enter into a contract for a two-carrier block buy for CVN 80 and 81, further allowing our US Navy to build to a fleet of 12 aircraft carriers and 355 ships. This has not been an easy path; I have been fighting for this provision for over two years.My amendment to the FY2019 Department of Defense Appropriations Act and efforts in the FY2019 National Defense Authorization Act finally allowed this to happen. This dual buy will not only save the taxpayers $4.0 billion, it provides important certainty to our defense industrial base that build and maintain these ships. For Virginia, it means thousands of reliable jobs for the next decade and beyond. I am proud to have led this effort and look forward to its success.”
Congressman Wittman’s amendment to the Defense Appropriations Act stripped the limiting language of “CVN-80” from the text which now allows funding to both CVN-80 and CVN-81. This amendment was adopted by voice vote.
In December 2017, Wittman led an effort in the House, with the support of 130 Members, encouraging Defense Secretary James Mattis to implement the block buy that was announced today. Congressman Wittman was also the author of the “Securing the Homeland by Increasing our Power on the Seas (SHIPS) Act,” which made it the official policy of the United States to achieve the Navy’s requirement of 355 ships. President Trump signed the bill into law in 2017.
Congressman Rob Wittman represents the 1st District of Virginia. He serves on the House Natural Resources Committee and the House Armed Services Committee, where he is the Chairman of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee.
