Why the US Navy keeps failing to build a new cruiser

Why does the US Congress seem resistant to the word cruiser?

The discussion offers several possible explanations for the battleship label, but establishes no single reason for congressional resistance to a new cruiser.

The discussion describes repeated attempts by the US Navy to obtain a new cruiser since the 1980s. It compares recent cruiser ideas with the proposed guided-missile battleship, including nuclear-power and gun concepts in some versions. Possible explanations for the label change include its appeal to political leadership, associations attached to the word cruiser, and the status of a capital ship. These explanations are suggestions made in the exchange, rather than established reasons for congressional decisions.