Senator Chris Murphy on Wednesday spoke at a U.S. Defense Appropriations subcommittee hearing on President Biden’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget request for the Department of Defense. In his questions to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Murphy emphasized the moral and strategic importance of reducing civilian casualties in Gaza and preventing further escalation of conflict in the Middle East. Murphy also called on the Department to restore procurement of Virginia-class submarines from one to two per year. Electric Boat, which serves as the Navy’s primary contractor for the Virginia program, employs over 13,000 people in Groton, New London, and Stonington, Connecticut.