JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Jan. 12 (UPI) -- Florida Gov. Jeb Bush asked his brother to save the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy home ported at Jacksonville, Fla., but has received no response.
Bush said he talked to President Bush at the White House last week after he returned from an inspection of the tsunami damage in Southeast Asia.
Bush said his brother "didn't give me a response," the Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville reported Wednesday.
President Bush is expected by many to propose decommissioning the Kennedy next month. The ship and its crew of nearly 3,000 have an economic impact of $200 million on Northeast Florida.
Florida congressmen are preparing a bill requiring the Navy to maintain at least 12 aircraft carriers.
The governor said he "expressed concerns on behalf of the state and city and made the case that Mayport (Naval Station) and the Kennedy are important for our national security interests.
"Also, I'm completely aware of the fact that Washington needs to curb the growth of spending. The efforts that the president will make are necessary in terms of his budget that apparently will have very small increases in spending," he said.
