HASC Demands Answers on Reports of Faulty Welds Knowingly Made to U.S. Navy Vessels

Washington, D.C., October 3, 2024
U.S. Representatives Mike Rogers (R-AL) and Adam Smith (D-WA), Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, along with Representatives Trent Kelly (R-MS) and Joe Courtney (D-CT), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces, sent a letter to Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro calling for swift and fulsome answers regarding reports that faulty welds may have been knowingly made to U.S. Navy submarines and aircraft carriers.

The members wrote: “The safety of our sailors is our top concern, and we must immediately understand any risks associated with the faulty work.” 

The full text of the letter is below: 

Dear Secretary Del Toro,

It is deeply concerning to learn that faulty welds may have been knowingly made to U.S. Navy submarines and aircraft carriers. The safety of our sailors is our top concern, and we must immediately understand any risks associated with the faulty work. The Department of Defense needs to immediately provide our committee with answers and a plan for how both you and Huntington Ingalls Industries-Newport News (HII-NNS) will protect U.S. Navy vessels against knowingly faulty work.  Absolute transparency with Congress is essential. These vessels are critical to U.S. defense – we must ensure that these vessels are protected against any bad actors seeking to put U.S. national security or our service members at risk.

While the U.S. Department of Justice is reportedly investigating, we want to understand the scope of the problem. Therefore, we expect a briefing to be scheduled promptly on this matter and answers to the below questions and requests no later than October 11, 2024. 

  1. Does the Navy fully understand the extent of all knowingly faulty welds made by workers at HII-NNS on in-service vessels and vessels under construction?
  2. Provide an assessment of any knowingly faulty welds by workers at HII-NNS that pose a threat to sailor safety made on currently in-service vessels.
  3. Provide all known impacts to in-service and under construction vessels impacted by knowingly faulty welds by workers at HII-NNS.
  4. Provide a recovery plan for in-service and under construction vessels impacted by knowingly faulty welds by workers at HII-NNS.
  5. Provide rework plans for in-service and under construction vessels impacted by knowingly faulty welds by workers at HII-NNS.
  6. Provide a detailed timeline of when the Navy knew about knowingly faulty welds by HII-NNS.

The Armed Services Committee, under Rule X, clause 1 of the Rules of the House of Representatives (House Rules), maintains oversight jurisdiction over the Department of Defense generally. Moreover, under the House Rules, the Armed Services Committee derives its authority to conduct oversight from, among other things, clause 2(b)(1) of Rule X (relating to general oversight responsibilities), clause 3(b) of Rule X (relating to special oversight functions), and clause 1(b) of rule XI (relating to investigations and studies). 

Sincerely,