Washington, D.C. — Today, Rep. Robert Garcia, Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Military and Foreign Affairs, demanded answers from the Department of Defense (DOD) about conditions on the USS Abraham Lincoln amidst the ongoing war in Iran. Thousands of military families have expressed their anger towards the Trump Administration over the horrible conditions onboard, including lack of supplies, food shortages, water contamination, and disruptions in the mail system.
“Sailors on the USS Abraham Lincoln are going without food, dealing with contaminated water, and attempting suicide after hundreds of days at sea due to President Trump’s incompetent and disastrous war with Iran. Secretary Hegseth must answer for and improve these unacceptable conditions immediately,” said Ranking Member Robert Garcia.
“Secretary Hegseth has claimed the rumors of overboard attempts and food rationing are overblown. If conditions are what he says they are and he has nothing to hide, then we will see if the information matches his claims. Our servicemembers are being asked to be away from family for months on end with inadequate conditions. That is unacceptable,” said Congressman Subramanyam.
There have been reports for months about food rationing and insufficient food on the USS Abraham Lincoln. There have also been more recent reports of several servicemembers attempting to jump off the ship. The USS Abraham Lincoln has been deployed for more than 250 days, setting modern records for deployments without port calls.
In a letter to DOD Secretary Hegseth, the Ranking Members asked for information on the inventory of food, medical supplies, and other critical resources for the sailors and Marines. They also asked for clarification on the timeline of when the USS Abraham Lincoln would be relieved by another aircraft carrier.
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