To limit the availability of funds for retirement or inactivation of Ticonderoga class cruisers or dock landing ships.

1. Adds SEC. 344. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS ON NAVY FLEET REQUIREMENTS at the end of subtitle E of title III

   Adds a section

   In S. 3254 · Placed on Calendar Senate

   (2) by striking subsection (b).

   Inserted: SEC. 344. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS ON NAVY FLEET REQUIREMENTS.

   Inserted: It is the sense of Congress that--

   Inserted: (1) the Secretary of the Navy, in supporting the operational requirements of the combatant commands, should maintain the operational capability of and perform the necessary maintenance in each cruiser and dock landing ship belonging to the Navy;

   Inserted: (2) for retirements of ships owned by the navy prior to their projected end of service life, the Chief of Naval Operations must explain to the Congressional defense committees how the retention of each ship would degrade the overall readiness of the fleet and endanger United States National Security and the objectives of the combatant commanders; and

   Inserted: (3) revitalizing the Navy's 30-year shipbuilding plan should be a national priority, and a commensurate amount of increased funding should be provided to the Navy in the Future Years Defense Program to help close the gap between requirements and the current size of the fleet.

   Original wording

   At the end of subtitle E of title III, add the following:

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As printed