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Suhas Subramanyam presses Pentagon over conditions on USS Lincoln
Lawmakers cited reports of food shortages, sanitation problems and suicide attempts during the carrier's extended deployment.
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Malvika Choudhary - Mon, 17, Aug 2026
- 12:11 EDT
- 46
Suhas Subramanyam / House Floor
Congressman Suhas Subramanyam pressed the Pentagon for answers about reported food shortages, contaminated water and mental health concerns aboard the U.S. Navy ship Abraham Lincoln.
Subramanyam (D-VA), ranking member of the House Oversight Committee's Military and Foreign Affairs Oversight Subcommittee, and Rep. Robert Garcia, (D-CA), ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, wrote to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on August 14 requesting a classified briefing on conditions aboard the aircraft carrier.
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The lawmakers cited reports of food rationing, insufficient food, sanitation problems, disrupted mail and multiple suicide attempts involving servicemembers aboard the ship.
“Secretary Hegseth has claimed the rumors of overboard attempts and food rationing are overblown,” Subramanyam said. “If conditions are what he says they are and he has nothing to hide, then we will see if the information matches his claims.”
Subramanyam and Garcia asked the Defense Department for details on the ship's food inventory and supply schedule, sanitation conditions, health and mental health services, and access to behavioral health professionals. They also asked how quickly sailors could meet with a behavioral health professional after seeking help.
The lawmakers also sought information about disruptions to mail service and the timeline for the USS Lincoln to be relieved. Their letter said Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao had told family members that the USS Theodore Roosevelt was preparing to relieve the carrier.
They requested responses by August 28.
The USS Abraham Lincoln carries more than 5,000 sailors and Marines and left San Diego in November 2025. It was later redirected to the Middle East as part of US military operations against Iran.
The carrier has been deployed for more than 250 days and has spent more than 200 consecutive days at sea, breaking the Navy's previous modern-era record.
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