The Senate Budget Committee's ranking member is calling for government watchdogs to investigate President Trump's eponymous battleship proposal along with the FF(X) frigate and broader Golden Fleet initiative.

Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) is asking the Government Accountability Office and the Congressional Budget Office to perform “in-depth” reviews of these initiatives, according to a Wednesday announcement from the senator citing cost and performance concerns.

“The American people deserve to know that every dollar spent on national security actually makes our country safer -- not disappear into the coffers of the military industrial complex,” Merkley said in a statement.

“At a time when families are struggling to afford groceries, gas, housing, and other everyday costs, Congress cannot write a $200 billion check for Trump’s ‘Golden Fleet,’ including a massive new Trump battleship, without independent scrutiny and real accountability,” he continued.

The president unveiled the Trump-class battleship concept in December, and the Navy has advanced the ship as the centerpiece of its future fleet concept, requesting nearly $2 billion to develop the all-new platform in fiscal year 2027 and projecting procurement of the first ship to begin the following year.

The service’s budget anticipates spending $17 billion to buy the first of these nuclear-powered ships in FY-28 and $43 billion for a total of three over the next five years. It’s 30-year shipbuilding plan looks to buy 15 of the vessels over the next three decades.

In recent budget hearings, both Democrats and Republicans have voiced reservations over the proposal, with lawmakers telling Navy leadership they will need to see more detailed plans before agreeing to fund the battleship.

Merkley’s statement points to a history of cost overruns and schedule delays among Pentagon weapons programs, including Navy shipbuilding. Most of the Navy’s active warship and submarine procurement programs are running over budget and behind schedule, according to GAO.

Earlier this month, CBO estimated the national missile defense system aligned with the administration’s Golden Dome initiative would cost about $1.2 trillion over 20 years -- far more than the Pentagon’s projections -- the statement also notes.