Senate Bill Business as Usual

For all the talk about a high minded Senate, FY09 budget marks the eighth year in a row George Bush got exactly what he asked for with no changes regarding the Navy shipbuilding request. All these people who claim George Bush is weak clearly failed to observe how he has had the Senate Armed Services Committee by the jock strap for both of his terms. This news sets up a fight for the eighth straight year in committee.

The Senate Armed Services Committee unveiled a defense bill Thursday that makes no attempt to add ships to the Navy's fleet next year beyond what the Pentagon had requested.

Faced with a dwindling fleet, some key House members have discussed the idea of adding ships to next year's budget, possibly by buying more older-model destroyers.

But the Senate committee's version of the annual defense policy bill preserves the Navy's request for 7 ships, a move that could set the stage for negotiations later this year with the House over shipbuilding needs.

Today's fleet of 279 ships is the smallest in a century, but the ever-rising costs of ship construction has limited congressional options for rebuilding the fleet.

The fast track to 200 ships continues. If the FY09 budget passes, that means the combined total of ships build under the 2 terms of the Clinton Administration and Bush Jr. Administration is 92. During some of the best 16 economic years in our nations history, and the nation can only produce 92 ships. The next President of the United States will decide what kind of Navy the United States will have in the 21st century. Of the three candidates, which one will recognize the dwindling number of ships as a major problem? That's a rhetorical question, because any answer is speculation.

While conventional wisdom suggests McCain would be that candidate, I haven't seen any evidence this is true, and McCain supported the decision outlined above. Obama hasn't discussed the subject, but has also never been asked about the issue. Hillary Clinton's husband left a record that should give everyone pause, but she has neither been asked nor offered any attention to the subject either.

We observe this could be a political issue Obama could beat both Clinton, Bush, and McCain over the head with, and get a boost from the shipbuilders union at the same time. It would also change the spin in the political election today and resonate well in the remaining primary states. Wishful thinking though, we don't believe Obama has any vision when it comes to the military, and specifically to the Navy, so we hold out little hope he is even aware of the problems in this regard.