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Virginia Republican Reps. Rob Wittman and Scott Taylor will fly to Newport News on Air Force One Thursday with President Trump to watch him give a speech at the company that builds the nations aircraft carriers.

For Wittman, head of a subcommittee in charge of the expanding Navy fleet, and Taylor, a freshman and former Navy SEAL focused on national security, the trip dovetails with their interests.

But Rep. Bobby Scott (D), one of the most senior members of the Virginia congressional delegation whose district Trump will visit, was not invited to the event. He declined to comment.

Traditionally, presidential visits to a region include invitations to the local delegation, regardless of party.

In his speech to shipyard workers, Trump is expected to talk about his commitment to increased defense spending.

Wittman, a five-term congressman who chairs the Armed Services subcommittee that oversees seapower wants the Navy fleet to expand from 274 to 350 ships a goal Trump endorsed on the campaign trail.

With the Navy today having been used very hard based on these recent conflicts, we want to make sure we get the construction part right and the maintenance part right, he said in a brief interview. I think the president will be very impressed with the shipbuilders and with the level of skill and the complexity of those ships and what they can do.

Taylor sits on the Appropriations subcommittee that oversees military construction and veterans affairs.

Obviously Newport News Shipbuilding is huge for my region and for the national security apparatus, Taylor said. Its important for me to support my area and make sure we have predictability for the industrial base and skilled workforce.

Newport News is part of the states third congressional district that is represented by Scott and which voted for Hillary Clinton in November. Wittman and Taylor represent neighboring districts that voted for Trump.

Over the years, politicians of both parties have coalesced around the importance of Virginias military installations and defense industry.

In 2013, then-congressman Scott Rigell, a Republican, joined Scott, the Democrat, along with Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va) and President Barack Obama for a visit highlighting the perils of across-the-board federal budget cuts, known as sequestration, in Newport News.

And in 2009, Kaine, who was governor at the time, gave the opening remarks at the commissioning of the aircraft carrier Republican President George H.W. Bush, which was attended by then-President George W. Bush.

Phil Rucker and Jennifer Jenkins contributed to this report.

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Two Virginia Republican congressmen join Trump in Newport News - Washington Post