Senator Gallego on Reporting of Abysmal USS Lincoln Conditions: ‘I am Seeking an Official Oversight Visit’

ARIZONA – Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), a Marine Corps combat veteran who served in Iraq, released the following statement amid alarming reporting of the physical and mental conditions of U.S. sailors aboard the USS Lincoln. “I am seeking an official oversight visit with a bipartisan Senate Delegation to the USS Lincoln to investigate the reported alarming conditions. Unlike Donald Trump, I’ve seen active duty. I didn’t avoid it, and the way he’s treating our service members as he carries out this illegal war is not just disgusting; it’s dangerous. These sailors not only deserve better, but they are owed a sense of when they will go home. “The pictures of the food being provided to exhausted crew members are outrageous. The stories of crew members threatening to jump off the ship are a frightening alarm bell as to how bad the situation has become. Our servicemen and women on the carrier have moldy showers with sporadic hot water, rationed meals and soap, and broken toilets. They are working grueling, 12- to 16-hour shifts with no days off, and with barely any stops at ports. Meanwhile, military officials have downplayed the reporters and given no concrete solutions, while our sailors continue to suffer. Congress must do its duty to provide oversight and hold the administration accountable for these actions.”