Sen. King expects Bath-built warship cut from defense budget will be added back

King said the decision to remove the ship from the budget was ‘both a strategic and financial mistake.’


“The House Appropriations Committee has already added that ship back in, and we’ll be working on that from the Senate side,” King said after visiting Bath Iron Works with Rep. Jared Golden and Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks Wednesday. “I believe it will be added back in. The president proposes, but Congress disposes, so we’ll have the final word on this budget.”

Biden’s military budget request cut the number of Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, the primary type of ship BIW makes, from the previously planned two to one. Maine delegates set their sights on retrieving the cut destroyer after the proposed budget was released in May.

Last week, the House Appropriations Committee released its draft defense funding bill, which includes money for two Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, reversing President Biden’s cut. However, the journey to regain the cut ship is long from over, said Golden.

The House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, then the full House Appropriations Committee, will markup the defense budget before the House votes on it. Golden warned this could happen any time between late July and early September.

Read more: https://www.pressherald.com/2021/07/07/sen-king-expects-bath-built-warship-cut-from-defense-budget-will-be-added-back/
(Portland Press Herald)