27 June The Hill - 16 Senators Request More Naval Funding.

...Sixteen lawmakers wrote a letter to Rumsfeld on Friday asking him to increase the Navy’s top-line budget to provide $14 billion for ship procurement....

The letter was signed by Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Trent Lott (R-Miss.), Jim Talent (R-Mo.), Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), Lincoln Chafee (R-R.I.), Mike DeWine (R-Ohio), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), David Vitter (R-La.), Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Mary Landrieu (D-La.).

Most of the lawmakers are from states that have large shipbuilding facilities or companies that work directly with the industry....