Outgoing Navy Secretary Ray Mabus believes the industrial base can support a force structure of 355 ships due to hot production lines and investments in shipyards.
The 2016 Navy Force Structure Assessment released in mid December called for 47 more ships than in its 2014 assessment. These additional 47 ships includes an additional aircraft carrier and more large surface combatants, amphibious warfare ships, attack submarines, combat logistics force, expeditionary support base and command and support. Mabus said there are 274 ships in the current fleet. 
Mabus on Wednesday credited procurement strategies put forth by the Obama administration to increase ship buys, saying production lines have become efficient due to multi-year buys and block buy purchases. He said every shipyard has invested in technology, infrastructure and training. But Mabus warned an audience at the Surface Navy symposium in Arlington, Va., that shipbuilding tends to be cyclical, so the Navy needs to avoid troughs it can predict in the future.
A key lawmaker agreed with the 355-ship force structure goal. New House Armed Services (HASC) Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee Chairman Rob Wittman (R-Va.), also speaking Wednesday at the Surface Navy symposium, said if the Navy wants to reach that mark, it will need a 60 percent increase in shipbuilding funding or almost $25 billion over the long term. Wittman said he believed Congress needs to make a commitment of at least $5 billion annually to the shipbuilding budget to reach 355 ships and possibly more if it wants to reach that mark faster.
Wittman said he’d vote for a waiver for retired Marine Gen. James Mattis to serve as the next defense secretary, though Mattis hasn’t served the legally-required seven years since he left active duty. Mattis was supposed to make an appearance in front of HASC on Thursday, but this has been canceled. Instead, HASC will hold an organizational meeting Thursday morning and mark up the Mattis waiver bill afterward. A HASC spokesman didn’t return a request for comment on Wednesday in regards to when Mattis’ HASC appearance would take place. He’ll appear in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) Thursday.
It is rumored the Trump administration might send over a war supplemental once he takes office. If so, Wittman said he would like to see modernization and readiness efforts emphasized. Wittman also said himself, HASC Chairman Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) and SASC Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.) have tried communicating with the Trump administration on what the supplemental should entail.
Wittman said he expects the Trump administration to submit its budget request later than the traditional February time period. New administrations usually submit their budgets further into the spring.
Wittman has also introduced a pair of bills to encourage lawmakers to pass budget bills on time and on schedule, according to a statement. One would prohibit members of the House or Senate from receiving pay if their respective chamber doesn’t pass a budget by April 15, 2017. The other bill changes congressional procedure to prohibit the House from taking a recess in August unless it has passed all 12 appropriations bills individually by July 31, 2017. Congress is currently operating under a continuing resolution, much to the dismay of military-focused lawmakers who decry the CR’s impact on the Pentagon’s ability to budget and plan for the future.