Preserving shipbuilding would take priority if the Navy must take further budget cuts due to sequestration, Secretary Ray Mabus Wednesday told the Senate Appropriations Committee Defense panel (SAC-D).“In any budget decisions, shipbuilding is protected until the last dog dies,” Mabus said during the hearing.SAC Chairman Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) noted the Navy’s $161 billion budget request is $11 billion higher than the current level of funding, plus there’s another $7 billion in Overseas Contingency Operations funds.However, Cochran didn’t mention his counterpart…
