NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — The Fiscal Year 2024 Defense Appropriations Act — passed five and a half months late by Congress last weekend — brings much good news for the Navy and Newport News Shipbuilding.
The measure provides more than $33 billion for the procurement of eight Navy ships, including two Virginia-class fast attack submarines and one Columbia-class ballistic submarine, which are built in part at Newport News.
Additionally, according to intelligence company Janes, the bill includes $2.7 billion for Ford-class aircraft carriers including the future John F Kennedy, Enterprise and Doris Miller, which are built entirely at Newport News.
Both of Virginia's U.S. senators and all four U.S. representatives from Hampton Roads voted yes.
2nd District U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans, who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, said maintaining a strong Navy fleet is urgent.
"We know that China is outpacing us right now," Kiggans said in an interview with 13News Now. "We need more ships, aircraft carriers and submarines. We can't build them fast enough. We're challenged by a lot of things — workforce, supply chains. So, the fact that this budget provides for building more ships that we're decommissioning is a step in the right direction."
Separately, the bill provides an additional $20 million for the Navy's suicide prevention and response efforts.
And it increases pay by 5.2%, the Basic Allowance for Housing by 5.4%, and the Basic Allowance for Subsistence by 1.7%.
The bill also maintains the Defense Department's travel policy to ensure service members and their families can access reproductive health care.
That issue prompted Alabama U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville to block more than 400 military promotions for more than nine months.