Boeing EA-18G Growler on the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln

Sahara Reporters – Aug 13, 2026

Senator Ruben Gallego separately called for an official congressional oversight visit to the Lincoln to investigate the reported conditions

US congressional Democrats have demanded answers and an investigation into reported poor conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, following reports of food and basic-supply shortages, plumbing failures, contaminated water and mental health crises during the aircraft carrier’s record-setting deployment.

In a letter to US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday, Senator Richard Blumenthal called on the Navy to provide an account of conditions aboard the carrier, which he said had been deployed for more than 250 days and had remained at sea for over 200 consecutive days, setting a record.

Blumenthal expressed concern over the prolonged deployment, citing “widespread reports of shortages of basic supplies, water contamination, plumbing issues, deteriorating mental health, deck safety concerns” and other problems aboard the vessel.

Senator Ruben Gallego separately called for an official congressional oversight visit to the Lincoln to investigate the reported conditions.

“I’m seeking an official oversight visit with a bipartisan Senate Delegation to the USS Lincoln to investigate the reported alarming conditions,” Gallego said in a post on X on Wednesday.

Gallego, a former active-duty service member, said the reported treatment of sailors aboard the carrier was “not just disgusting; it’s dangerous.”

“These sailors are owed a sense of when they will go home,” he said.

Gallego also cited reports of crew members threatening to jump overboard, describing them as “a frightening alarm bell” about the severity of conditions aboard the carrier.

He listed reports of moldy showers, intermittent hot water, rationed meals and soap, broken toilets and 12- to 16-hour work shifts without days off.

“Congress must do its duty to provide oversight and hold the administration accountable for these actions,” Gallego added.

The USS Abraham Lincoln departed San Diego, California, on November 21, 2025, for duty in the South China Sea but was later rerouted to the Middle East ahead of US-Israeli attacks on Iran that began on February 28.

The aircraft carrier has about 5,000 sailors and Marines aboard.

According to MS NOW, family members have raised concerns about the difficult conditions faced by their relatives aboard the carrier during two recent meetings with Navy leadership. The families reportedly confronted Navy officials over food shortages and demanded information about when their loved ones would return home.

Some family members also reported serious mental health problems and suicide attempts involving crew members aboard the ship.

The concerns have intensified scrutiny of the prolonged deployment and the conditions under which sailors and Marines are serving.

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