Despite the renewed vigor for military activities due to the prolonged commitment to fighting terrorism at home and abroad, it seems that lawmakers are still reticent — via the proposal of a Navy Budget for Fiscal Years '02 and '03 — to spend adequate levels of money to maintain a strong fleet. According to the American Shipbuilding Association (ASA), The Defense Authorization Bill for FY02, that passed both the House and Senate (S.1438) on December 13, authorizes a paltry 5 and 1/7 new naval ships, despite the ASA's contention that 12 ships per year are needed to sustain the 305-ship navy mandated in the 1997 Quadrennial Defense Review. Meanwhile, a draft of the Navy's FY03 budget proposes to buy only five new ships.