Congresswoman Chellie Pingree has criticised the Republican-backed Fiscal Year 2027 Defence Appropriations Bill, arguing that it fails to provide sufficient support for the US shipbuilding sector despite allocating around 1 trillion USD to defence spending.
Speaking during a full committee markup of the legislation in the US House Appropriations Committee on 24 June, the Maine Democrat said the proposal does not match repeated calls from both parties to strengthen the US Navy and expand domestic shipbuilding capacity.
Pingree focused her remarks on the bill’s provision for a single DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. The vessels are built at Bath Iron Works, located in her congressional district.
She said the destroyers remain a key element of the US Navy’s fleet and argued that limiting procurement to one vessel would undermine efforts to maintain naval readiness at a time when maritime competition is increasing, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region.
Pingree also criticised what she described as a gap between political rhetoric supporting US manufacturing and the level of investment proposed in the legislation.
During her remarks, she referenced previous statements by President Donald Trump on rebuilding American manufacturing and shipbuilding, arguing that such commitments require long-term investment and procurement planning.
The congresswoman said stable orders are essential for shipyards and their supply chains, noting that specialised workers such as machinists and production staff depend on predictable programmes to support recruitment, training and retention.
Pingree highlighted the role of Bath Iron Works in constructing complex naval vessels and said multi-year procurement contracts can help reduce costs while providing greater certainty for the workforce and industry.
She also raised concerns about comments reportedly made by officials at the Office of Management and Budget regarding the possibility of purchasing certain naval vessels from foreign shipyards. Pingree argued that such an approach would be inconsistent with efforts to strengthen the domestic industrial base and support US shipbuilding jobs.
While acknowledging that committee language had been included to limit the administration’s authority to pursue such purchases, she questioned why overseas procurement was being considered while domestic shipyards face uncertainty over future orders.
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree said:These ships are the backbone of our Navy, and they are essential to preserving our military superiority. And only one of those ships is provided for in this bill. I often hear bipartisan agreement about how we need a larger, more capable fleet. And last year, the president himself said he wanted to 'resurrect the American shipbuilding industry.' But without investment or a strategy, that is just talk.
The FY2027 Defence Appropriations Bill remains under consideration in Congress. Debate over the legislation is expected to continue as lawmakers assess defence priorities, military procurement programmes and broader federal spending plans ahead of the new fiscal year.
