Chris Jennewein - Rep. Scott Peters and three other Congressmen have written a column in the legislative newspaper Roll Call defending continued investment in large aircraft carriers.

The Nov. 7 article came just two days before the christening the USS Gerald R. Ford, the first of a new class of nuclear-powered carriers.

"The good news is that the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), the first in a new class of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, will be christened on Nov. 9 and will join the fleet in 2016, re-establishing the 11-carrier fleet," the Congressmen wrote. "But as the Pentagon grapples with a more constrained budget, some have proposed making cuts to the Nimitz-class carrier fleet and retiring the ships earlier.

"These proposals should not move forward, and we are committed to helping the Pentagon find other ways to manage lower budgets than by cutting into the carrier fleet. While these proposals might save money in the near term, the potential for long-term damage to our national security is incalculable."

Peters, a Democrat, co-authorized the article with Congressmen Derek Kilmer and Rick Larsen, Democrats from Washington state, and Rep. Scott Rigell, a Republican from Virginia. They represent districts that are home to nine of the Navy’s 10 active aircraft carriers: five in Virginia, two in California and two in Washington.

Peters' 52nd District includes Coronado, La Jolla, Carmel Valley, Rancho Penasquitos, 4S Ranch, Rancho Bernardo and Poway, among other communities in San Diego.