Federal budget cuts force Navy to cancel bringing ships home for Fleet Week

SAN DIEGO - Federal budget cuts brought on by political disagreements in Washington will force the Navy to cancel bringing ships home to San Diego for the annual Fleet Week, it was reported today.

The Los Angeles Times reported that the annual event will not have home- ported ships move there. Also on the chopping block are port calls for Navy Days in Los Angeles, the Portland Rose Festival, and the Seattle SeaFair, the Navy announced.

The 3rd Fleet, headquartered in San Diego, blamed sequestration and budget cuts.

It cost $259,957 to move the USS Wayne E. Meyer to San Pedro last year, including $128,260 in fuel costs, according to Navy estimates quoted by The Times.

Sending three warships to Seattle and Portland last summer cost the federal treasury more than $1.1 million.

San Francisco's Fleet Week is in the next fiscal year and may also get bypassed by the Navy.

The Navy has already cut the Blue Angels flight team from air shows at Ventura, San Diego and San Francisco.