Rigell Encouraged by Navy's Decision to Reevaluate Plans for East Coast Carriers

Press Release

Congressman Scott Rigell (VA-2) issued the following statement after receiving a letter from Admiral Jonathan W. Greenert, Chief of Naval Operations, announcing the reevaluation of the Navy's decision to homeport a carrier to Mayport, Florida. As part of his ongoing efforts to ensure all East Coast carriers remain homeported at Norfolk Naval Station, Rigell and the Hampton Roads House Delegation wrote to Admiral Greenert in September expressing concerns over CVN homeporting at Mayport and asking them to reevaluate that decision.

Admiral Greenert wrote that due to "Department of Defense strategic and budget reviews, the size of the fiscal adjustments compels us to take a comprehensive strategic review, examining every program element, including the funding required to homeport a CVN in Mayport." The letter is available here.

"I am encouraged by the Navy's decision to reevaluate the plan to homeport a carrier to Naval Station Mayport. Given the enormity of our nation's fiscal challenges, the Navy must continue to ensure every cent is spent wisely and appropriately. The Department of Defense is under tremendous budgetary constraints, and the total cost of this plan may easily exceed one billion dollars. As I have said since taking office, and as I will continue to say, moving a carrier from Norfolk to Mayport is both fiscally irresponsible and strategically unnecessary. In the face of so many unfunded, critical requirements for shipbuilding, aircraft procurement, and maintenance of ships and shore installations, the President and the Department of the Navy should abandon the Mayport homeporting scheme and invest in areas where real risk exists today."

Source