Rep. Gene Taylor Holds a Hearing On Surface Combatant Construction

Political Transcript Wire › August 20, 2009

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Rep. Gene Taylor Holds a Hearing On Surface Combatant Construction

HOUSE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE, SUBCOMMITTEE ON SEAPOWER AND EXPEDITIONARY FORCES HOLDS A HEARING ON SURFACE COMBATANT CONSTRUCTION

JULY 24, 2007

SPEAKERS: REP. GENE TAYLOR, D-MISS. CHAIRMAN REP. NEIL ABERCROMBIE, D-HAWAII REP. RICK LARSEN, D-WASH. DEL. MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO, D-GUAM REP. BRAD ELLSWORTH, D-IND. REP. JOE COURTNEY, D-CONN. REP. KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND, D-N.Y. REP. JOE SESTAK, D-PA. REP. IKE SKELTON, D-MO. EX OFFICIO

REP. ROSCOE G. BARTLETT, R-MD. RANKING MEMBER REP. KEN CALVERT, R-CALIF. REP. TERRY EVERETT, R-ALA. REP. JO ANN DAVIS, R-VA. REP. J. RANDY FORBES, R-VA. REP. JOE WILSON, R-S.C. REP. BILL SHUSTER, R-PA. REP. DUNCAN HUNTER, R-CALIF. EX OFFICIO

WITNESSES: VICE ADMIRAL PAUL SULLIVAN (USN), COMMANDER, NAVAL SEA SYSTEMS COMMAND

ALLISON STILLER, DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE NAVY FOR SHIP PROGRAMS

REAR ADMIRAL BARRY MCCULLOUGH (USN), DIRECTOR, WARFARE INTEGRATION

DUB SUMMERALL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SURFACE COMBATANTS OFFICE

ERIC LABS, NATIONAL SECURITY DIVISION, CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE

MICHAEL GILMORE, NATIONAL SECURITY DIVISION, CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE

RONALD O'ROURKE, CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE

PAUL FRANCIS, DIRECTOR, ACQUISITION AND SOURCING MANAGEMENT, GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE

[*] TAYLOR: The committee will come to order, and I want to apologize to all of our witnesses. It is not that what you're doing is not important. They have, unfortunately, called a caucus meeting of the Democrat party, and so that explains these guys. Now, Roscoe will have to tell you where those guys are. But anyway, the committee will come to order.

The purpose of this afternoon's hearing is to receive testimony on the progress of the construction of the Navy's surface combatant fleet. Testifying today are representatives of the Department of the Navy, along with independent experts from the Congressional Research Service, Congressional Budget Office and the Government Accountability Office.

On behalf of the entire subcommittee, I welcome the witnesses and look forward to their testimony.

Today's first panel is composed of our independent experts in ship operation and construction. They are Mr. Ronald O'Rourke, a specialist in national defense from the Congressional Research Service; Mr. Michael Gilmore, assistant director for national security research; and Dr. Eric Labs, naval analysis, Congressional Budget Office; Mr. Paul Francis from the Government Accountability Office.

The second panel is composed of representatives from the Department of the Navy: Vice Admiral Paul Sullivan, commander, Naval Sea Systems Command; Mrs. Allison Stiller, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for ships; Rear Admiral Barry McCullough, director of warfare integration on the staff of the chief of naval operations; Mr. Dub Summerall, executive director for surface combatants office and the program executive officer.

Again, I thank the witnesses and welcome them here today.

The subcommittee has asked the witnesses to give an update on the construction status of four of our major shipbuilding programs for the Littoral Combat Ship, the San Antonio class amphibious assault ship, the Arleigh Burke class destroyer, and the Gerald Ford class aircraft carrier.

This subcommittee, and I believe this Congress, is committed to restoring the nation's fleet and preserving the strike and expeditionary warfare capability of the Navy and Marine Corps. This is vitally important for the long-term security of our nation. Decisions we make concerning the status of the fleet will have effects for decades to come. We need to get this right, and we need to do it now.

Only the Navy and the Marine Corps embarked with the expeditionary strike groups have the ability to respond to crises anywhere in the world on short notice with overwhelming force in the face of an enemy or significant humanitarian aide in the event of a natural disaster. Our nation must maintain this capability. However, cost and schedule overruns on virtually every Navy shipbuilding program threaten to sabotage the goal of a 313-ship Navy envisioned by the chief of naval operations.

This year we have seen a total restructuring of the Littoral Combat Ship program caused by over-optimistic predictions of cost and scheduling. The Marine Corps Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle has likewise suffered optimistic cost and schedule per...

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