[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 5 (Tuesday, January 25, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E77]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              H.R. 304--AIRCRAFT CARRIER END-STRENGTH ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ANDER CRENSHAW

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 25, 2005

  Mr. CRENSHAW. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce H.R. 304--the 
Aircraft Carrier End Strength Act. Recently, in a last ditch effort to 
reach OMB budgetary goals, the Department of the Defense approved 
drastic cuts in the Navy's Fiscal Year 2006 budget. Only one of these 
cuts is both operationally unsound AND irreversible . . . that is the 
reduction in the Navy's fleet of aircraft carriers from twelve to 
eleven.
  This decision was not made by the military and policy experts who are 
now working on the 2005 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR). This 
irreversible decision was made by budget crunchers looking to reduce 
the budget topline without considering all of the operational impacts. 
Congress has worked hard to re-build our national defense architecture 
and now is not the time to retreat. That is why I have introduced 
legislation, H.R. 304, which will ensure that the Navy maintains their 
current minimum requirement of twelve aircraft carriers.
  Just last year, the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Vern Clark, 
stated; ``Aircraft carrier force levels have been set at 12 ships as a 
result of fiscal constraints; however, real-world experience and 
analysis indicate that a carrier force level of 15 ships is necessary . 
. .'' And in 2001, then-Vice Admiral Timothy J. Keating stated, ``The 
United States needs 15 carriers to provide continuous combat-credible 
sovereign presence in each area of responsibility. . . . The United 
States accepts a risk by leaving areas of the world uncovered at 
times.''
  Over the last few years, Congress has heard a consistent message from 
the Department of Defense--the important tactical missions accomplished 
in Afghanistan and Iraq would not have been possible without our fleet 
of aircraft carriers. Aircraft carriers are in constant demand all over 
the globe and there is no technology that will allow them to be in two 
places at the same time. In the face of terrorist threats and other 
dangers that this nation is facing and with the proven operational need 
of aircraft carriers, now is not the time for the Navy to contemplate 
decreasing the number of aircraft carriers available for our national 
security strategy.
  Please support H.R. 304--the Aircraft Carrier End-Strength Act.




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