{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://bell.house.gov/media/press-releases/bell-courtney-garamendi-call-department-defense-take-measures-protect-well", "Bell, Courtney, Garamendi Call on the Department of Defense to Take Measures to Protect Well-Being of USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group", "2026-03-31", "2026", "2026-03", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Wesley Bell", "B001324", "bell.house.gov", "bell", "https://bell.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.\u2014 Today, Representatives Wesley Bell (D-Mo.), Joe Courtney (D-Ct.), and John Garamendi (D-Ca.) wrote a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth expressing concern regarding the condition, operational strain, and crew welfare aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group as its deployment approaches its tenth consecutive month at sea. The letter was signed by Democratic Members of the House Armed Services Committee.\n\nIn the letter, the members call on the Department of Defense to provide a classified briefing to members of the House Armed Services Committee to provide information on the status of the Ford and all future measures that will be taken to ensure the health and safety of the strike group.\n\n\u201cThe strike group has now been deployed for more than nine months, with indications that operations may continue beyond that mark,\u201d wrote the 11 Members of Congress. \u201cThis will place this deployment at the outer edge of, and potentially exceeding, standard Navy deployment timelines, and breaking the record of 294 days set by the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln in 2020. The cumulative effects of an extended, high-tempo deployment raise significant concerns about force sustainability, crew endurance, and long-term readiness.\u201d\n\n\u201cThese concerns are compounded by reports of degraded living conditions and equipment strain during this extended deployment, including loss of berthing capacity, persistent maintenance challenges, and declining crew morale,\u201d the Members of Congress continued. \u201cTaken together, these issues raise broader questions about the cumulative impact of prolonged high-tempo operations on both readiness and the well-being of deployed servicemembers.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe United States Navy\u2019s ability to project power globally depends not only on advanced platforms, but on the resilience and readiness of the sailors who operate them,\u201d the Members of Congress concluded. \u201cEnsuring that deployment practices remain sustainable is essential to preserving both mission effectiveness and the long-term health of the force.\u201d\n\nThe letter was also signed by Representatives Sarah Elfreth (D-Md.), Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.), Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.), Eric Sorensen (D-Ill.), Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii), Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.), Maggie Goodlander (D-N.H.), and Jason Crow (D-Colo.).\n\nRep. Bell is a member of the House Armed Services Committee, serving on the Tactical Air and Land Forces and Strategic Forces Subcommittees.", 1, "2026-06-10T06:36:00Z", "2026-06-10T06:37:32Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://bell.house.gov/media/press-releases/bell-courtney-garamendi-call-department-defense-take-measures-protect-well"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.90360501781106, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}