Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., confronted Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a heated House Appropriations Committee hearing Tuesday over years-long lags in the nation’s shipbuilding capacity.
The top Appropriations Democrat accused the Defense Department (DOD) of failing to present a clear, transparent plan to ramp up production at a time when China’s shipbuilding capabilities are estimated to be 230 times greater than the U.S.’s. She said the Biden administration had been similarly opaque.
DeLauro zeroed in on what she characterized as a troubling shortfall between the Navy’s current production capacity and future strategic needs.
“Do you know where our submarine production currently stands and whether current production is sufficient to bridge the gap between current fleet size and projected need?” she asked.
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“There is a gap,” Hegseth admitted, “but we believe we are closing it.”
But DeLauro wasn’t satisfied, demanding detailed data to back up that claim.
“We do not have any information or data that can substantiate what you’re saying,” she shot back. “Give us the details.”
“We’ve had difficulty with the prior administration, and I don’t mind calling them out. What is your plan for the future?”
Asked what the status is of the department’s investment in submarine programs, Hegseth boasted of a 14% increase in funding in the fiscal year 2026 budget request for the Columbia-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines and a “substantial increase” in the Virginia-class fast-attack submarines as well.
But the congresswoman raised concerns about reports that the Pentagon plans to shift $3.1 billion in funding for the Columbia-class submarine program from FY2026 to FY2027 and FY2028.
“This creates a serious problem for industry in the short term and hampers shipbuilders’ ability to reach an adequate production rate,” DeLauro warned. “Have you been in contact with Electric Boat or Huntington Ingalls about your plans?”
Hegseth pushed back, saying top Pentagon officials were in regular communication with shipyards.
“Almost every day,” he said. “We’re actively engaged… to make sure their needs are being met and their shortfalls are being addressed so we can close that gap in real time.”
DeLauro pointed to a missed deadline for placing key submarine contracts authorized under the December continuing resolution. Congress had approved $5.7 billion for two Block IV and one Block V Virginia-class submarines, with the understanding that contracts would be in place by February 2025. The Defense Department did not finalize the contracts until April 30.
“We have made a serious investment,” DeLauro said. “Now we want to know where that is going and what your plan is.”
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When pressed for specifics, Hegseth thanked the committee for its flexibility and acknowledged prior mismanagement under previous administrations. But DeLauro cut him off.
“I want your plan,” she said. “Can we get that in writing and on paper? Because we don’t have anything today. We have zip, nada.”
Hegseth promised to provide the committee with written details of the department’s submarine production plan.
“We have the details, and we will provide them,” he said.
DeLauro insisted she wanted the information before the committee’s markup later the same day.
The U.S. Navy’s shipbuilding capacity has been on the decline since the Cold War. In the 1980s, the U.S. aimed for a 600-ship fleet; today, it struggles to maintain 300 operational vessels.
The Navy currently operates under 50 attack submarines, well below the long-term requirement of 66 boats, as outlined by recent Navy force structure assessments.
Shipyards like Electric Boat (General Dynamics) in Connecticut and Huntington Ingalls Industries in Virginia and Mississippi are the primary builders of nuclear submarines—but both are operating near maximum capacity and face major workforce and supply chain challenges.
Shipbuilders report significant difficulties in hiring, training and retaining welders, pipefitters, engineers and designers. Shipbuilding’s highly specialized supply chain was hit especially hard by the Covid-19 pandemic and has been slow to recover.
