Byrne: Navy Right to Stand Up for Larger Fleet

Congressman Bradley Byrne (R-AL), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement in response to a Navy Times report that the Navy is rejecting efforts by Secretary of Defense Ash Carter to downsize the fleet in the 2018 budget.

Byrne said: “I applaud our Navy leadership for standing up against these ill-conceived cuts from a lame-duck administration. Secretary Carter’s efforts to cut our fleet size and capabilities have always been misguided. I think the Navy is right to plan for President-elect Trump, who has made clear his desire for a 350 ship Navy. Anything less than that would be short-sighted.”