{"id":20032,"date":"2017-11-08T20:51:51","date_gmt":"2017-11-08T20:51:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2017\/11\/08\/congress-set-to-authorize-13-ships-in-2018-but-dont-cut-steel-just-yet\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:58:03","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:58:03","slug":"congress-set-to-authorize-13-ships-in-2018-but-dont-cut-steel-just-yet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2017\/11\/08\/congress-set-to-authorize-13-ships-in-2018-but-dont-cut-steel-just-yet\/","title":{"rendered":"Congress set to authorize 13 ships in 2018, but don\u2019t cut steel just yet"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 The House and Senate\u2019s compromise version of the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act authorizes the U.S. Navy to buy 13 ships \u2014 five more than the administration asked for in its budget proposal. But actually getting that money to the Navy faces headwinds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A conference committee preserved three littoral combat ships that came out of the House Armed Services Committee, notable because the president\u2019s budget initially requested just one. The fight over LCS funding spilled into the public sphere after White House budget director Mick Mulvaney told a conservative radio host that the Navy didn\u2019t even want them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The committee also added a destroyer, an amphibious transport dock, an expeditionary sea base and a cable ship, according to a congressional staffer who spoke on background.<\/p>\n\n\n\t