Senators Collins, King, Shaheen Visit Portsmouth Naval Shipyard with Navy Secretary John Phelan, Highlight Shipyard’s Role in Supporting U.S. National Security

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Kittery, ME – Yesterday, U.S. Senators Susan Collins, Angus King, and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) visited Portsmouth Naval Shipyard with Secretary of the Navy John Phelan. The visit was Secretary Phelan’s first to a public shipyard since his confirmation as Secretary of the Navy by the U.S. Senate. The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is a key economic driver in the region, supporting thousands of jobs integral to America’s national security.

“It was a great pleasure for us to welcome the new Secretary of the Navy to our nation’s oldest and best public shipyard. We talked about a wide range of issues that Senator Shaheen and I have worked on together, like exempting our public shipyards from the hiring freeze that has been applied to many agencies,” said Senator Collins. “Strengthening our Navy is critical to our national defense, and the work of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard to maintain and update our nuclear submarines is an essential part of that goal.”

“The United States Navy and the State of Maine have worked together for generations to protect our nation and maintain the best built ships in the fleet for the fight; I was proud to accompany Navy Secretary Phelan during his first visit to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard,” said Senator King. “Our shared commitment to our national security relies on continued, sustainable investments in our workforce. Together we will continue to support our shipbuilders so we can maintain superiority on the world stage.”

“I was pleased to accompany Navy Secretary Phelan on his first visit to a public shipyard so that he could see the vital role that Portsmouth Naval Shipyard plays in advancing our country’s national security priorities and maintaining a strategic advantage over China,” said Senator Shaheen. “I look forward to working with the Secretary to protect the investments that ensure the shipyard’s workforce can continue to support our nuclear submarines and military readiness.”

Earlier this year, Senators Collins and Shaheen sent a bipartisan letter, with Senator King’s support, to the U.S. Department of the Navy urging an exemption for Portsmouth Naval Shipyard employees from the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) deferred resignation program for federal employees. In their letter to Acting Secretary Terence G. Emmert, the Senators noted that any reduction to the Shipyard’s workforce would jeopardize our nation’s security by increasing submarine maintenance timelines.  

Senator Collins has long advocated for Maine’s shipbuilding and ship repair industry and workforce, including through appropriating funding and securing workforce development initiatives for PNSY. Senator Collins secured $401 million for a Shipbuilding Infrastructure Optimization Program (SIOP) project at PNSY in 2025, which will help to expand the Shipyard’s capacity to maintain America’s fast-attack submarine fleet.

As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and the Seapower Subcommittee, Senator King has championed funding for both Bath Iron Works (BIW) and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY). Recently, Senator King and Secretary of the Navy John Phelan discussed the importance of utilizing lessons from the private sector to maintain best practices for ship designing, building, and maintenance. They also discussed the top three priorities for our nation’s shipbuilding capacity: “workforce, workforce, workforce.” Last year, he strongly urged Mr. Frederick J. Stefany, Acting Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition to prioritize long-term investments in the defense industrial base to avoid a ‘trough’ between contracted work, resulting in a likely loss of workers and threatening American national security.

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