Senate Armed Services Committee hears John Phelan on shipbuilding, readiness and personnel

John Phelan, President Trump's nominee to be secretary of the Navy, appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday and laid out three priorities if confirmed: the health, welfare and training of sailors and marines; strengthening naval capabilities, particularly shipbuilding and the defense industrial base; and fostering an adaptive, accountable and innovative warfighter culture.

Phelan told the committee, "If confirmed, my focus will be on 3 priorities, the health, welfare, and training of sailors and marines, strengthening naval capabilities, particularly shipbuilding and the defense industrial base, and fostering an adaptive, accountable, and innovative warfighter culture." He said the Navy faces "extended deployments, inadequate maintenance, huge cost overruns, delayed ship building, failed audits, subpar housing, and sadly, record high suicide rates."

Why it matters: senators from both parties used the hearing to press Phelan on long‑running problems that affect readiness and strategy: the Navy is below the statutory goal of 355 battle force ships, recent shipbuilding plans have fallen short of projected growth, and maintenance and personnel shortfalls strain deployments. Ranking member Reid and Chairman Wicker emphasized that any nominee must work with Congress and industry to accelerate construction, improve maintenance and restore accountability.

Committee members asked Phelan to commit to follow laws governing staffing reductions and transparency. Phelan repeatedly answered that he had read press accounts of a proposed Department of Defense plan to cut up to 8% of the defense budget and related reductions in civilian positions and that, if confirmed, he would "follow all laws" and review documentation with the committee. He told senators he will "go in there, take a look" at contracts that govern shipbuilding, munitions and maintenance to determine where risk is allocated and whether restructuring is needed.

Senators pressed him on specific programs, including the Columbia‑class ballistic missile submarine, the Virginia‑class attack submarine, and the Constellation‑class frigate, all cited in the hearing as facing schedule or cost issues. Phelan said he plans to conduct root‑cause reviews, visit shipyards, and use incentives to telegraph demand to the private sector so industry will invest in workforce and infrastructure.

Several members pressed Phelan on quality‑of‑life items tied to recruiting and retention: housing shortages, child care, and base infrastructure in remote locations such as Fallon, Nevada. He agreed to engage stakeholders and investigate solutions if confirmed. He also said he would review Navy audit and inventory issues and come back to the committee with a plan to meet statutorily required audit milestones.

The record from the hearing will remain open for two days for questions for the record; no committee vote was held during the hearing.

Less urgent details: Senators offered examples and local concerns—Senator Shaheen and others cited the Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Plan (SIOP), Senator Rosen raised Fallon and compensation for grazing permits tied to Fallon Range Training Complex modernization, and Senator Hirono asked for a commitment to see the Red Hill closure and remediation process through. Phelan agreed to pursue those items if confirmed.