The Senate’s $675 billion defense spending bill unveiled Tuesday weighs in on the debate over purchases of Navy littoral combat ships in 2019 by proposing one more than the service requested.
The funding for two LCS and the bill now head to the full Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday for a final markup, which could tee it up for a future floor vote.
The ship plans mean that House and Senate appropriators and authorizers are split on how many of the small surface ships to buy, even as the Navy insists it needs just one as it transitions to a new frigate.
Shipyards in Wisconsin and Alabama have warned that the Navy’s LCS request is too small to keep them working, could lead to layoffs, and leave them unprepared to vie for the future frigate contract.
The Senate Armed Services Committee had backed the Navy’s plans in its annual defense policy bill, but Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., the new Appropriations Committee chairman, had indicated before the spending bill was released that he would support a higher number.
The bill released Tuesday provides $24 billion overall for the Navy to build 13 new ships.
Meanwhile, the House is pushing for the purchase of three LCS in 2019 in both its authorization and appropriations bills. The final figure will have to be negotiated through conference committees on the annual legislation.
