Pleading Their Case

Two House Armed Services subcommittee chairmen are urging the House Appropriations Committee to protect certain military programs they see as vital to national security from the effects of operating under a continuing resolution and impending cuts from sequestration.

"We believe the most effective means of minimizing these significant reductions would be to pass the Department of defense Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2013," seapower and projection forces subcommittee Chairman Randy Forbes (R-VA) wrote in a Feb. 15 letter to House Appropriations Committee Chairman Bill Young (R-FL). Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA), the chairman of the readiness subcommittee, also signed the letter.

"Absent this, we would recommend that specific anomalies and transfer authorities be included in a yearlong Continuing Resolution Act to reduce the harmful impacts of a Continuing Resolution based on Fiscal Year 20132 appropriations," Forbes and Wittman write.

Specifically, Forbes and Wittman want:

· Fully funding Navy modernization and maintenance programs to sustain existing fleet readiness levels;

· Completing the refueling and overhaul of the Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71);

· Providing for the refueling and overhaul of the Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72);

· Providing new authority to begin construction of the John F. Kennedy (CVN-79);

· Ensuring multiyear procurement and quantity increases for the Virginia class of nuclear attack submarines and the Arleigh Burke class of guided missile destroyers;

· Completing delivery of the amphibious assault ship America (LHA-6);

· Allowing for the continued operation of the Moored Training Ship;

· Providing for a quantity increase in the procurement of the P-8A Poseidon aircraft.

If these actions are taken, the Navy would have "adequate latitude to continue ship availabilities that are temporarily on hold in the third and fourth quarters of 2013," according to the letter.