The House Appropriations Committee rejected an amendment intended to zero out $1 billion in advanced procurement funding for the Navy’s notional Trump-class battleship today during a full committee markup of the fiscal year 2027 defense spending bill.

The amendment was offered by defense subcommittee Ranking Member Betty McCollum (D-MN), who was previously joined by subcommittee Chair Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA) in voicing reservations over the program’s cost and utility. McCollum’s amendment was rejected in a voice vote.

The Navy requested $1 billion in advanced procurement along with about $850 million in research and development funding for the new program, which was first directed by President Trump in December.

Though the Navy says it will buy the lead ship in FY-28, it has yet to establish a design for the vessel, McCollum noted today. The service expects to spend $17 billion on the lead ship, though an early Congressional Budget Office estimate suggests the cost could exceed $20 billion.

House Democrats failed to add a similar amendment to their draft defense policy bill. However, the Senate’s version of the policy bill does include language that would cut $1 billion from the program.

The Senate bill also includes language that would require the Navy to continue developing the DDG(X) next-generation destroyer, which the Navy has moved to replace with the battleship.