Democratic senators are demanding the Navy account for deteriorating conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, after reports that sailors have tried to go overboard during a deployment that has now stretched past 250 consecutive days without a single port call — a modern-era record for a U.S. aircraft carrier.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said he wants the Navy to explain "widespread reports of shortages of basic supplies, water contamination, plumbing issues, deteriorating mental health, deck safety concerns" aboard the carrier, which departed San Diego on Nov. 21, 2025, with roughly 5,000 sailors and Marines aboard. Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona went further, calling for a bipartisan Senate delegation to conduct an on-site oversight investigation.

What's Reportedly Happening Aboard

The Lincoln was originally routed toward the South China Sea before being redirected to the Middle East ahead of U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran that began Feb. 28. Since then, according to multiple reports reviewed by CBS News, sailors have described broken toilets, rationed meals and worsening morale as the ship has gone more than 200 straight days without shore leave. Several sailors have reportedly attempted to jump overboard amid the strain, and at least one sailor went overboard last month before being rescued and medically evaluated.

WIDESPREAD REPORTS OF SHORTAGES OF BASIC SUPPLIES, WATER CONTAMINATION, PLUMBING ISSUES, DETERIORATING MENTAL HEALTH, DECK SAFETY CONCERNS.

The Navy has pushed back on the more alarming characterizations. A Navy official said the ship is operating in "a highly contested environment" that has disrupted normal supply hubs, forcing commanders to prioritize "mission-critical supplies: first food, then hygiene items, then mail." The service maintains it has provided "continuous access to clean water, functional AC, and healthy meal options" and says it has not identified "an increase in reported suicidal ideation or suicide attempts" — a direct contradiction of what sailors' families and advocates have described.

The dispute has landed the Lincoln at the center of a broader fight in Washington over how long carrier strike groups can be kept at sea without relief, a question that has simmered for years as the Navy juggles simultaneous demands in the Pacific and Middle East with a carrier fleet stretched thin.

Gallego's push for a Senate visit would need bipartisan buy-in to happen quickly, and the Pentagon has not said whether it would grant lawmakers access to the ship while it remains on station. For now, the roughly 5,000 sailors and Marines aboard the Lincoln have no announced return date.