Murtha and Rep. Gene Taylor, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee’s seapower subcommittee, have negotiated with other key legislators and Navy officials since early this year to beef up shipbuilding and reverse the decline in the size of the fleet that has been underway since the end of the Cold War.

While the full House must still consider the spending bill next week and the Senate must complete work on its version of the legislation, today's action was ``a huge milestone for building up the Navy,’’ said Rep. Joe Courtney, the freshman Democrat who represents the Groton-New London area. Hee spoke during the news conference with Murtha.

Navy noted that top Navy officials were at first skittish about the proposal to accelerate the submarine construction schedule, out of fear that the service could not afford such a major budget commitment. But Murtha said Defense Department officials have not objected to the higher appropriation.

Thee extra money in next year’s submarine budget will purchase the nuclear reactor and propulsion system for a second sub to becompletely financed in fiscal year 2009.

Overall, the appropriators added $1.6 billion more for shipbuilding than Mr. Bush had requested, adding money for an added an amphibious transport and a cargo ship. Counting the extra fund toward a second sub, the House budget called for 10 new ships in fiscal 2008, three more than the Navy had budgeted.

Rep. James R. Langevin, who represents the Quonset Point area and many constituents who work at EB, called today’s action ``extremely encouraging for the future of shipbuilding in southeastern New England.’’