Washington DC — Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says he’s concerned that the military would consider decommissioning the USS Sioux City, which joined the Navy fleet just three years ago.
The Navy is asking congress to approve decommissioning 24 ships over the next five years, to save three-point-six BILLION dollars. The list includes the USS Sioux City and seven other combat ships in the Navy’s Freedom Class.
Pentagon officials say the USS Sioux City is among ships that need a costly repair to its propulsion system and six new ships will be delivered with a revamped design to address the flaw. Grassley, a Republican, says this case makes him question the Navy’s budget decisions.
Iowa’s other U.S. Senator, Republican Joni Ernst, spoke at the christening ceremony for the USS Sioux City in 2018. Ernst says now is not the time to flatten the size of the defense budget, as America’s enemies are on the march and the world has become a much more dangerous place. Ernst says the Biden Administration’s budget puts the sizes of our Navy and Air Force far short of where they need to be and reflects what Ernst calls “appeasement” to an emboldened Putin in Russia.
