WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01), Ranking Member of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, commended the Navy on officially signing the contract for CVN 80 and 81, the next two Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers. Congressman Wittman led the charge for this provision.
“Today the Navy finally secured a two-carrier block buy for CVN 80 and 81, further advancing US Navy efforts to build to a fleet of 12 aircraft carriers and 355 ships. Leading this provision through my subcommittee, through the NDAA as a conferee, and finally fighting on the House floor for its an inclusion in the FY19 Defense Appropriations bill has been an honor. This dual buy means even larger savings than projected for taxpayers - $4 billion – and the certainty that our industrial base needs to retain and hire the employees who create the highest quality products for our sailors. For Virginia, it means thousands of reliable jobs and community development for the next decade and beyond. As one of the largest Navy shipbuilding contracts ever, 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 serves as the ranking member of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee.
