Did the Marine Corps messaging and total focus on Indo Pacific destroy its requirement for large amphibious ships?

 via Defense Daily (paywall)

A Marine Corps official told a congressional panel Wednesday the Navy’s plans to reduce amphibious warships in the medium term from 24 ships will add risk to the service’s ability to respond to crises, particularly outside the Indo-Pacific region.

Here 

What could be behind the Navy's being so committed to cutting large amphibious ships in a time when the Marine Corps is touting the need for naval integration? 

Its either the need for the Navy to build up its fleet of PURE warships or the messaging from the Marine Corps that its focus would be totally on the Indo Pacific (I note that I find the number of Light Weight Amphibs puzzling...that's an awful lot of small ships for that one theater).

Regardless I will watch this debate with much interest.  

The Navy is about to hammer the Marines.  A delay in the LAW and cuts to the large amphibs is gonna be a bitter pill.

It is to be expected though.

Berger himself has stated that the Marine Corps is no longer wedded to the idea of 2.0 MEB equivalent amphibs.  

Those chickens he laid are coming home to roost.