{"id":136214,"date":"2019-06-03T17:32:07","date_gmt":"2019-06-03T17:32:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/06\/03\/trump-wont-retire-aircraft-carrier-but-house-bill-would-make-sure\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T00:16:58","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T00:16:58","slug":"trump-wont-retire-aircraft-carrier-but-house-bill-would-make-sure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2019\/06\/03\/trump-wont-retire-aircraft-carrier-but-house-bill-would-make-sure\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump won\u2019t retire aircraft carrier, but House bill would make sure"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2015 The White House has already canceled its politically unpopular plans to decommission the aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman<\/a> 25 years early as a cost-savings measure \u2015 and now House lawmakers are spiking the football.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Draft legislative language<\/a> would bar the reduction of the carrier fleet below 11, a number of carriers required by a prior statute. It also adds back $17 million in funding associated with the carrier\u2019s refueling and complex overhaul, and the bill expresses support to grow the carrier fleet to 12.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bill comes a month after Vice President Mike Pence announced, and President Donald Trump affirmed<\/a>, that the administration would abandon the plans<\/a>. After they were proposed in the administration\u2019s fiscal 2020 budget, they sparked powerful bipartisan<\/a> opposition<\/a> and a debate over the utility and survivability in the face of China\u2019s emerging long-range precision weapons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The House Armed Services Committee released portions of its draft 2020 National Defense Authorization Act<\/a> on Monday. Broadly speaking, the draft language is influential, but it is subject to change as it\u2019s considered by the committee and by the full Democrat-controlled House, and as it\u2019s reconciled with the GOP-controlled Senate\u2019s version of the bill<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe committee continues to believe that the nation\u2019s preeminent power projection capability is embodied with the aircraft carrier strike group,” the bill text reads. “The ability to rapidly relocate a strategic asset and launch long-range, deep penetrating strike from a location that is not hampered by sovereign limitations represents the linchpin in our nation\u2019s national security. The committee concurs with the Navy\u2019s assessment that the aircraft carrier is more survivable today than at any point in the last 75 years.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t