Lawmakers push for more ships than Navy can take

Some in the U.S. House of Representatives want to buy the Navy 12 new ships next year, not just the seven the service requested in the 2008 budget proposal.

But when asked by appropriators in the Senate “what number is prudent,” the Navy’s top officer suggested maybe eight.

After complaining for years that its fleet is shrinking and that its shipbuilding budget isn’t big enough, the Navy finds itself in the awkward position of having to turn down an opportunity to dramatically increase shipbuilding.

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