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Washington, D.C., Jun 10 - Congressman J. Randy Forbes (VA-04) announced today that the House Armed Services Committee intends to consider H.Res. 477, a resolution of inquiry to direct the Secretary of Defense to produce an annual shipbuilding plan as required by law, during the annual defense policy bill full committee markup on Tuesday, June 16, 2009.

Congressman Forbes and seven Members of the House Armed Services Committee introduced the resolution in response to the testimony of Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Gary Roughead before the House Armed Services Committee on May 14 of this year, in which he stated that the Navy would not submit a congressionally-mandated 30-year shipbuilding report with its fiscal year 2010 budget request as it was required to do by law. This is the first year since the shipbuilding plan has been required on an annual basis that it has not been submitted.

“The Congress needs to know what kind of a Navy we need to protect our country, and more importantly, the American people deserve to know whether or not we are on a course to build that Navy.  The House Armed Services Committee's swift action in considering the legislation next week will be critical in ensuring the Department of Defense produces a plan for the future of our naval fleet,” said Forbes.

Concerns about the Navy's ability to afford its long-range shipbuilding plan, combined with fluctuating year-to-year changes in Navy shipbuilding objectives and significant cost growth have led to strong concerns among some Members about the status of Navy shipbuilding and the potential future size and capabilities of the fleet.

Section 231 of Title 10 of the US Code requires the Secretary of Defense to submit an annual shipbuilding plan that details the long-term shipbuilding strategy of the Department of Defense as part of each year’s budget request.  Congress first mandated an annual shipbuilding plan in 2003 as part of the FY2004 budget. 

A resolution of inquiry is a rare legislative tool that seeks factual information from the executive branch. It is a privileged resolution and, as such, the committee has only 14 legislative days in which to consider the measure before it can be called before the full House. Nine Members of the House Armed Services Committee have currently cosponsored H.Res. 477. 

Congressman Forbes is Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee. For more information on his work on defense issues, visit http://forbes.house.gov/issues/defense.htm.