Some U.S. Lawmakers Eye Funding New Submarines Outside Normal Process

Some U.S. lawmakers are calling for funding the Navy's new fleet of ballistic-missile submarines outside its regular shipbuilding budget, Inside Defense reports.

U.S. Representative Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) and Senator Jack Reed (D-R.I.) contend that the tens of billions of dollars needed to build a successor fleet to the Ohio-class submarine should not come out of the usual funds because the vessels are a national strategic asset.

"I would urge the secretary of Defense to look outside and help support the program," Reed, who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, told the news website.

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