Aug. 13 (UPI) — Senate Democrats are pressing the Trump administration about the conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier following reports of attempted suicides by sailors.

In a letter dated Wednesday to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao, Senate Armed Services Committee member Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., raised “serious concerns” about the length of the warship’s deployment and reports of supply shortages, contaminated water, and the deteriorating mental health of the crew.

Families of sailors serving on the ship have said several crew members have tried to jump overboard or have been stopped from doing so in recent months.

The Abraham Lincoln has been at sea since November.

Blumenthal said falling morale could be a wider issue among ships during months-long deployments supporting military operations in the Middle East and Venezuela.

“The Lincoln is not an isolated case. Recent carrier deployments have repeatedly stretched beyond their original anticipated durations, suggesting that extended deployments may be becoming a feature rather than an exception of the Navy’s force-generation model,” Blumenthal wrote in the letter.

He pointed to the aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford, which returned to the U.S. after a 326-day deployment supporting operations in Venezuela before participating in the conflict with Iran.

Blumenthal asked whether the conflict with Iran is pushing deployments far longer than what the Navy had planned.

Hegseth on Thursday claimed that conditions on the Abraham Lincoln have been “completely misrepresented.” In a press availability while in the Caribbean, Hegseth did not address the reported conditions on the ship directly. He also did not say when the ship will be returning to the U.S.

“Listen, we make sure that every ship, every crew, every captain has everything we can provide them at every single moment,” Hegseth told reporters. “Some deployments are longer than others, and I have more respect and gratitude for those sailors than anybody. What they do in those high seas and those austere conditions with less port calls, it’s incredible.”

Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., on Thursday called for an official bipartisan visit to the Abraham Lincoln.

“I’m pushing for an official, bipartisan oversight visit to the USS Lincoln. It’s clear Donald Trump, who avoided active duty himself, couldn’t care less about the health and safety [of] our service members. Congress needs to do its job and hold this administration accountable,” Gallego posted on X.

There has been concern surrounding conditions on the ship for months, but renewed attention follows recent reports of sailors on board attempting to die by suicide and the deteriorating mental health of those on board. Early this month, a sailor went overboard but was rescued within an hour, CNN reported Wednesday, citing three unidentified officials. The Military Times reported earlier this week that multiple sailors have tried to go overboard amid the extended deployment.

Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said the “alarming conditions” on board the vessel prompting sailors to throw themselves overboard raise serious questions concerning the ability of Hegseth and Cao to lead the U.S. Navy.

“I’m offended that Secretary Hegseth would belittle the concerns of these military families as ‘fake news,'” Coons said in a statement, seemingly quoting a Hegseth comment in response to allegations about the ship in April.

“They both owe these sailors and their families an apology, and if they can’t take care of the troops under their watch, they should step aside for leaders who can.”

The U.S. military has hit back at the accusations.

U.S. Central Command issued a social media statement calling the reports about the ship “false,” stating no service member onboard the vessel has died, while stating one sailor “fell” overboard on Aug. 3 but was “quickly and safely recovered.”

“The rampant misreporting on Abraham Lincoln’s historic deployment is a disservice to our men and women in uniform and their loved ones,” CENTCOM said.