Bipartisan Legislation Aims to Protect Vital Tradespeople and Infrastructure Programs
Washington D.C. – In a rare display of bipartisan cooperation, a group of senators today unveiled legislation designed to safeguard the Navy’s four public shipyards from ongoing workforce reductions impacting the federal government.
„Protecting Public Naval Shipyards Act” Introduced
The bill, formally titled the „Protecting Public Naval Shipyards Act,” is jointly sponsored by Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Maggie Hassen (D-N.H.), and Angus King (I-Maine). It seeks to prevent the Department of Defense from targeting public shipyards in Maine, Washington state, Virginia, and Hawaii for workforce reductions.
Key Positions Targeted for Protection
The legislation specifically aims to shield tradespeople such as welders, pipefitters, and engineers, as well as positions associated with the Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program, from potential job cuts.
Codifying Exemptions Amid Implementation Concerns
While Adm. James Kilby, the Navy’s vice chief of naval operations, previously assured lawmakers that public shipyards would be largely exempt from probationary employee terminations and hiring freezes, senators are pushing to codify these protections into law. Sen. Shaheen emphasized the need to prevent future „chaos and uncertainty” that could hinder the shipyards’ vital role in national security.
Maintaining Critical Contributions to National Defense
Sen. Collins echoed this sentiment, stating that the bipartisan bill would protect shipyard workers and sustain the critical contributions these facilities make to national defense, naval readiness, and regional economies.
Navy Grapples with Maintenance Backlog
The legislation comes as Navy Secretary John Phelan has been actively touring both public and private shipyards, including a visit to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in April, accompanied by several senators now backing the bill. Beyond workforce concerns, the Navy’s public shipyards have struggled with a significant maintenance backlog for years, a situation that has prompted Adm. Daryl Caudle, the newly appointed CNO, to consider early decommissioning of a viable submarine due to prolonged repair delays
