Reply #4: The Constitution grants congress the power to "Maintain" a Navy.

[NutmegYankee]

The older submarines are wearing out, as anything metal exposed to constant fatigue cycling eventually does. We have half as many submarines as we had a decade ago, and are still shrinking down. That said, you have to build new ones or risk sailors lives. How about you tell a mother or wife why their husband died because you didn't want to replace aging hardware.

or Would you prefer we not have a navy at all?