Senator Dan Sullivan confronted Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro during a heated exchange at a recent Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. Sullivan questioned Del Toro’s priorities, suggesting that his focus on climate change may be hindering his ability to deliver an adequate shipbuilding plan. Title X responsibilities, outlined in the U.S. Code, dictate the roles and missions of the armed forces, and Sullivan challenged Del Toro on how his attention to climate change aligns with these responsibilities.
Del Toro defended his actions, arguing that climate change impacts many aspects of naval operations, including manpower, equipment, training, and combat readiness. Despite Sullivan’s criticism, Del Toro maintained that he devotes 75% of his time to shipbuilding and is committed to improving the Navy’s shipbuilding capabilities.
The Senate committee also addressed the shipbuilding crisis, acknowledging that the naval fleet is insufficient to meet the demands of the National Defense Strategy. Senator Roger Wicker expressed concern over proposed budget cuts to shipbuilding and emphasized the need for a significant increase in the fleet size to match the capabilities of potential adversaries like China.
In addition to budget constraints, the shipbuilding industry faces challenges such as a shortage of skilled workers, supply chain issues, and concerns about shareholder interests overshadowing capacity expansion efforts. Del Toro highlighted efforts to incentivize workers and called on industry stakeholders to prioritize capacity-building over financial gains.
