Senator presses Pentagon over 250-day USS Lincoln deployment

A US senator is pressing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao over conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln after the carrier’s deployment stretched past 250 days. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, wrote that the ship has faced shortages of basic supplies, contaminated water, plumbing problems, deck-safety concerns, disrupted mail service and deteriorating mental health among crew members. The Lincoln left Naval Base San Diego on Nov. 21, 2025, for what was supposed to be a seven-month mission, but its deployment has been extended beyond May. Blumenthal asked the Pentagon to explain the military purpose of keeping the carrier tied to Iran-related operations in the Middle East and how it will avoid damaging long-term readiness.