The USS Abraham Lincoln has spent more than 260 days at sea since leaving San Diego in November, prompting Democratic lawmakers to demand inquiries after reports of supply shortages and crew distress. Representative Pat Ryan and other Democrats sent letters on August 14–15 to Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, citing a troubling pattern that also involved the USS Gerald Ford. Officials have disputed some reports, while CENTCOM’s head praised the crew; the carrier is now preparing to return to the U.S.
Democrats Demand Probe Into USS Abraham Lincoln After Reports of Supply Shortages and Crew Distress
A US sailor on the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln [US Navy/Handout via Reuters]
Lawmakers have renewed calls for a formal inquiry into conditions aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln after multiple reports described supply shortages and signs of distress among crew members during an unusually long deployment.
The Lincoln departed San Diego in November and has remained at sea for more than 260 days without a port call, a U.S. Navy record for the longest continuous deployment. During that time the carrier has taken part in operations tied to Venezuela and missions connected to the U.S.-Israel campaign related to the war with Iran.
In recent weeks, media and other accounts reported instances of sailors attempting to jump overboard amid alleged shortages of food and other essential supplies. Those reports prompted at least three separate appeals from Democratic lawmakers seeking more information about how the Navy prepared for and sustained the deployment.
On August 14, Representative Pat Ryan published a letter to Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao, signed by 22 members of Congress, warning that extended deployments "have become a pattern in the Administration's handling of its war against Iran." Ryan cited similar concerns earlier raised about the USS Gerald Ford, which also set deployment-length records and returned to the U.S. in April amid reported strain on sailors' health.
"The reported conditions on the Lincoln, following so soon after the reported conditions on the Ford, leave Congress and the public concerned that the Department is not adapting quickly enough to the conditions," Ryan wrote.
A delegation of California lawmakers, including Senators Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla, sent a separate letter to the Pentagon requesting an official inquiry. On August 15, a group of Democratic senators addressed another letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth demanding answers and accountability, calling the situation "a symptom of poor planning" and warning that open-ended deployments have real consequences for service members.
Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao said last week that the USS Abraham Lincoln would soon return to the United States. Media reports indicated the USS George Washington was rerouted from the Pacific to relieve the Lincoln, a move that temporarily leaves no U.S. aircraft carrier in the Western Pacific — a region the U.S. views as strategically important in relation to China.
Senior administration officials have pushed back on the worst of the reports. Secretary Hegseth characterized some descriptions as "completely misrepresented," and President Donald Trump dismissed questions as part of a "CNN fake report," adding that the carrier had not been at sea "nearly long enough." Admiral Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, said he visited the Lincoln recently and described the crew as "awe-inspiring," while acknowledging that long deployments can be difficult and praising leadership for prioritizing mental health and resilience.
Republican lawmakers have largely remained silent on the reports, though Representative Don Bacon said on CBS News's Face the Nation that "we should have oversight." As the Lincoln prepares to return, lawmakers from both parties and the public are watching for clear answers about logistics, crew welfare, and broader readiness across the fleet.
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