Following several U.S. Navy accidents, two of which killed sailors, U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, announced Wednesday that a congressional hearing will be held to examine the issue when Congress reconvenes in September.

Courtney, ranking member of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, said in a news release that his committee will hold a joint oversight hearing with the Readiness Subcommittee to examine several recent Navy accidents. The hearing, titled Navy Readiness – Underlying Problems Associated with the USS Fitzgerald and USS John S. McCain, will be held Sept. 7.

"My heart goes out to the families, friends, and shipmates of the US Navy sailors who lost their lives or remain missing after the USS John S. McCain collided with a commercial vessel earlier this week," Courtney said in the release. "The men and women of the Navy are asked to operate in contested waters each day to protect the national security interests of the United States. We owe it to these sailors to make sure that they have the tools, training, and support they need to carry out their duties safely and successfully."