On February 24, 2013, during a House Armed Services Committee hearing, a picture was presented of the Naval Station. It's not a pretty picture. Of course the ships are in port for various reasons, what it shows could be the future of the US Military looming defense cuts, known as sequestration.
On February 6, 2013, this article was published regarding the cancellation of the deployment of the Harry S. Truman.
<http://www.wjla.com/articles/2013/02/budget-strains-to-cut-carrier-fleet...
I heard through the grapevine from a sailor that the ship was fueled and fully geared for deployment. Sailors made arrangements, gave up apartments, standing ready to go to sea, and their deployment was canceled.
It costs $160,000,000 a year to run an air craft carrier, approximately $438,356.16 per day. This is a total lack of regard for tax payer money, to have this ship ready to deport and then to cancel deployment. Not to mention the effect it has had on the lives of the sailors on board the Harry S. Truman.
These ships should be at sea running training operations and protecting our national security and economic interests globally.
Deployment of the Harry S. Truman was apparently canceled due to the sequestration, which places a readiness risk on our country. The House has chosen to avert sequestration, they have attempted to explain it's harmful effect to colleagues, both Democrat and Republican.
Last year they chose not once but twice to avert these cuts with common sense discretionary spending cuts with the Sequestration Replacement Reconciliation Act of 2012 and the Spending Reduction Act of 2012, both would replace the sequestration of discretionary spending called for in 2013.
The Democratic Senate has failed to act. The Senate refuses to even consider the above mentioned measures, which prevented any negotiations and the finding of common ground. We can not make progress if the Senate refuses to do it's job. It is also apparent that this sequestration has become a political weapon and our region stands to suffer.
Some members that do not represent military communities, both Republican and Democrat are using this as an opportunity to score political points. This could cost jobs and it is a threat to national security.
A George Mason study indicates that Virginia could stand to lose up to 200,000 jobs, nearly 10 percent of the nation's job loss.
Last fall President Barack Obama stated that the sequester will not happen, however he has not used the power of the White House to ensure that it isn't happening.
Here is another article discussing other areas that the sequestration affects:
<http://blogs.platts.com/2013/03/04/keystone-sequester/>
Washington needs to be a little more responsible.
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