Could the early U.S. Navy match Royal Navy construction?

Could the United States have kept pace with Royal Navy construction if Congress had supported the Navy more strongly around 1900?

Not immediately; the United States first had to build the specialized maritime infrastructure that later made mass wartime output possible.

Favourable congressional policy in 1900 would not instantly let the United States match the Royal Navy. The United States expanded maritime infrastructure during the First World War, allowed much of it to decline between the wars, and then spent roughly 1937 to 1941 rebuilding yards and supply chains. Its Second World War output came from that sustained preparation while other powers were already fighting. National industrial wealth does not automatically provide slipways, trained workers, naval machinery, or rapid warship construction.