Sea Power - April 2015

P

resident Barack Obama’s fiscal 2016 defense

budget proposal of $585.3 billion in discre-

tionary budget authority includes nine new-

construction ships for the Navy and 124 aircraft for the

Navy and Marine Corps. The new ship total is one

more than enacted in the 2015 budget, while the air-

craft total is 11 fewer.

Although there is little controversy in the budget’s

Navy provisions, the Department of the Navy’s share of

the budget is $13 billion more than currently allowed

under the Budget Control Act (BCA) of 2011, a situa-

tion that will require some painful cuts unless Congress

provides relief from sequestration for 2016.

The base Department of Defense (DoD) request

presented to Congress on Feb. 2 has been set at

$534.3 billion, $38.2 billion more than the $496.1 bil-

lion enacted for 2015. The Overseas Contingency

Operations (OCO) supplemental also was submitted

at $50.9 billion, $13.3 billion less than for 2015.

Together, the DoD submission is $35 billion greater

than the caps set into law by the BCA, potentially set-

ting up a showdown between Congress and the presi-

dent over raising caps, raising revenue, cutting pro-

gramming or accepting the across-the-board cuts

of sequestration.

The DoD proposes a Navy and

Marine Corps base budget of $

billion for 2016, compared with

$149.7 billion in 2015. An OCO

supplement of $7 billion is request-

ed — with $5.7 billion for the Navy

and $1.3 for the Marine Corps —

compared with $9.6 billion enacted

for 2015.

During a Feb. 26 House Appro -

priations defense subcommittee

(HAC-D) hearing on Capitol Hill,

Chairman Rep. Rodney Freling -

huysen, R-N.J., said something will

have to give way to maintain the

desired shipbuilding accounts if the BCA continues to

limit the 2016 budget.

Frelinghuysen noted that the Navy Department’s

portion of that excess — $13 billion — would mean

that the department would have to “bear a sizeable part

of any reduction.”

“I’m going to do everything I can to protect ship-

building,” said Navy Secretary Ray Mabus in response

to question ing from Frelinghuysen, pointing out that

the ships were the most difficult aspect of naval power

to re con stitute after budget cuts and, therefore, needed

to be sustained.

Frelinghuysen said that with the BCA’s sequestra-

tion still the law in 2016, “we will cut the $13 billion

with you or without you. ... The BCA’s still the law,

so we’re going to mark that bill” in accordance with

the law.

“What else is going to give” if the Navy maintains its

shipbuilding budget? “Something’s got to give to get

under the $13 billion figure,” he said

However, Frelinghuysen said the committee will

work with the Department of the Navy to mitigate the

effects of any cuts, but requested the Navy provide the

committee a list of programs that would be cut or

reduced if the budget caps remain in effect.

Something’s Got to Give’

Navy Department’s 2016 funding request exceeds budget cap by $13 billion

By RICHARD R. BURGESS, Managing Editor

‘

Protecting Shipbuilding

The 2016 budget proposal for the Department of the Navy con-

tains little controversy, but all programs are at risk because of

caps mandated by the Budget Control Act of 2011.

 House appropriators have to mark the budget in accordance

with those caps.

 The budget requests nine new ships and 124 aircraft.

 Ship plans are on course to reach 306 battle force ships in the

2020 fleet.

SPECIAL REPORT / THE 2016 BUDGET PROPOSAL

12 S E A P O W E R / A P R I L 2 0 1 5 W W W. S E A P O W E R M A G A Z I N E. O R G