The Nation - News from Jan. 12, 1987

A senior Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee said Defense Secretary Caspar W. Weinberger is rushing work on two $3.5-billion aircraft carriers. Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), chairman of the conventional military force subcommittee, said the Administration is asking for $659.8 million for the two Nimitz-class carriers for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1. Levin said that the secretary and other defense officials earlier had said they did not intend to seek the money until 1992. Weinberger said: “I am asking for two (carriers) in the ‘90s--which is perfectly consistent.” Levin and Weinberger appeared on ABC-TV’s “This Week With David Brinkley.”