Today it is estimated we probably have about 25 percent excess capacity in our public shipyards,

The emerging nuclear threat that we are facing in the world today leaves uncertain the force structure of nuclear-powered submarines of the future. If we close New London down, we would never get it back. I think it would be a tragic mistake, a tragic loss for this nation.

We've seen the energy shock before, but the difference today is there isn't a lot of excess capacity anymore. The unknowns in countries like Nigeria, Iran and Venezuela have an immediate affect on oil prices. Without excess capacity, anything that takes production off line can spike prices.

While we listened carefully to the input from the local communities, military value was our top priority.

Kids coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan . . . deserve to come back to 21st-century medical care, ... Whatever it costs, we need to incur that cost to provide that world-class care to an extraordinary group of men and women in harm's way.

I still don't buy their argument about savings.