Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2026

Floor Speech

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Mr. RUTHERFORD. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the Davidson amendment.

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Mr. RUTHERFORD. Today, our Nation is facing growing and real threats from adversaries around the world. There is China, who continues to rapidly grow their naval capacity at an alarming rate.

Iran, and its terrorist proxy groups, are threatening our allies and disrupting free trade in the Red Sea.

Finally, South American cartels and drug smugglers are harming the health and well-being of American citizens.

To face these growing threats, our Navy must rise to the occasion. That means projecting strength throughout the world, while bolstering our naval fleet. The LCS supports America's maritime security, sea control, and deterrence, and, importantly, President Trump's agenda.

Just this past April, the USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul helped the U.S. Coast Guard stop two alleged drug smuggling operations in the Caribbean Sea. These ships assist in stopping narcotics, protecting the homeland from illicit maritime drug trafficking, and securing our border.

Also, sea mines are actually responsible for more damage to U.S. naval warships than any other weapon since World War II. Although it is 10 years after originally planned, the LCS platform is now providing support for detecting, localizing, and neutralizing surface, near- surface, moored, and bottom mines, helping our sailors stay safe around the world.

The Navy has emphasized the need for a mixed naval fleet in the past, consisting of both blue water and littoral combat ships that act as fast-moving surface warfare vessels.

They continue to undergo upgrades to improve their lethality and survivability in littoral waters so they can intercept drug and human traffickers in the Caribbean and sweep for deadly mines. Most importantly, they support U.S. naval efforts to end Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea.

Our littoral combat ships have risen to the occasion to defend our homeland. They have provided the necessary backup needed to protect Americans at home and abroad.

Mr. Chair, if we want our military to continue to be the best in the world, we cannot throw away a dime to save a nickel, especially when an LCS vessel has only reached half of its life cycle. That is exactly what this amendment does.

The decommissioning of the Navy's mixed fleet strategy, the LCS vessels, is not the answer to our budget constraints. That is why I stand in opposition to this amendment, and I ask my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the Davidson amendment.

Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

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