The Navy’s announcement this week that it prefers stationing a nuclear aircraft carrier in Florida will ignite a bitter congressional battle over next year’s defense budget.

The fight will go beyond pitting the Florida delegation against the Virginia delegation. It will test the newly expanded Democratic majority in both chambers and the White House as both states press President-elect Barack Obama to influence the decision, which could bring billions of dollars and jobs to the winner.

The secretary of the Navy will make a final decision by the end of December on whether to send a nuclear carrier to the Mayport Naval Station in Jacksonville, Fla. But the secretary will only determine the environmental impact of permanently stationing a carrier there. Funding that move — at least $500 million — will fall on Obama’s Pentagon and Congress.

The Navy signaled Monday in an announcement that it wants a nuclear carrier in Florida based on the results of the environmental impact study.

Former Gov. Jeb Bush (R) made the bold pitch to take the newest carrier named after his father, President George H.W. Bush, to Florida at the ship’s 2006 christening at Newport News, Va. Northrop Grumman built the carrier there. Virginians have feared that the weight of the former first family could be the difference in a bidding war for the newest nuclear-powered carrier.

The Bush carrier will be commissioned on Jan. 10, 2009, a mere 10 days before President George W. Bush, the namesake’s other well-known son, leaves the White House.

Virginia is fighting to hang on to as many carriers as possible at the Norfolk Naval Station. The carriers represent an economic lifeline for the Hampton Roads region, but moving one could revive the Jacksonville ship repair industry and economy.

As the Florida delegation rejoiced at the Navy’s announcement on Monday foreshadowing its decision, the Virginia delegation was disappointed.

The Virginia House delegation plans to raise the issue in open letters to Obama and his next secretary of Defense, stressing the Pentagon’s and the Navy’s budget pressures, which would make the cost of any carrier move to Florida unreasonable. On Wednesday they already sent a letter to Obama.

The fight over nuclear carriers will pit several defense authorizers against each other: Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) will go against Sens. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), a veteran authorizer, and Mel Martinez (R-Fla.).

The fight will also test Virginia’s newest senator, former Gov. Mark Warner (D), and will likely determine the fate of newly elected Democratic Rep. Glenn Nye (Va.), whose district will feel the absence of moving the carrier to Florida.

Nye is expected to secure a seat on the House Armed Services Committee, according to sources. There he will closely work with Reps. Randy Forbes (R-Va.), a senior member of the committee and an outspoken critic of moving nuclear carriers to Florida, and Rob Wittman (R-Va.).

Florida could have Reps. Jeff Miller (R) and Kendrick Meek (D) as advocates on the committee, but the Sunshine State tips the scales in the House Appropriations Committee with Rep. Ander Crenshaw (R), who represents Jacksonville, and Rep. Bill Young (R), the most senior and powerful Republican on the Defense panel. Florida and Virginia have no representation on the Senate Appropriations Committee.