“Shipbuilding is the backbone of our maritime defense, and the opportunity to meet shipbuilders and see the ships they are building really gives me an appreciation for the complexity of their work,” Crenshaw said. “I applaud the many ways Newport News Shipbuilding is working with the Navy to reduce aircraft carrier and submarine construction and maintenance costs and look forward to working with my colleagues on the House Appropriations Committee to maintain an 11-carrier Navy.”

Crenshaw was first elected to Congress in 2000. He is a member of the House Appropriations Committee and chairs the Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee. He also sits on the House Appropriations’ Defense Subcommittee and State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee.

“We are always happy to host our country’s decision-makers at Newport News Shipbuilding,” Mahler said. “Congressman Crenshaw is a respected voice on defense issues and one of the Navy’s strongest advocates. We appreciate all that he does to support our work and the mission of our U.S. Navy customer.”

Gerald R. Ford is about 93 percent complete and is scheduled for delivery to the U.S. Navy next year. John F. Kennedy, for which the keel was laid on Saturday, is 13 percent complete. The RCOH of USS Abraham Lincoln is about 75 percent complete, and the ship is on track to deliver in the fall of 2016. Nine Virginia-class submarines are also currently under construction.