📋 Tender Overview
U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a top member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee and Co-Chair of the U.S. Senate Navy Caucus, released the following statement on the Department of Defenses announcement exempting the shipyard workforce from the civilian hiring freeze:
Im relieved that the administration heard our calls to protect jobs that are vital to national security at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and at shipyards across the country from ill-considered hiring freezes. While Im glad that President Trump and Secretary Hegseth now understand our shipyard workforce to be an essential component of our national defense and preparedness, it should have never come to this in the first place - and the uncertainty that has swept through shipyards in the last two months has done real damage.
I look forward to holding the Department of Defense, Secretary Hegseth and Navy Secretary Phelan accountable to ensure this exemption is properly implemented. This reversal is a step in the right direction, but we now must ensure that it is implemented properly and that the Administration reinstates the probationary employees that were wrongly laid off due to the lack of clarity from their directive. Last month, Shaheen and U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) to the U.S. Department of the Navy urging an exemption for Portsmouth Naval Shipyard employees from the Office of Personnel Managements (OPM) deferred resignation program for federal employees. In their letter to Acting Secretary Terence G. Emmert, the Senators noted that any reduction to the Shipyards workforce would jeopardize our nations security by increasing submarine maintenance timelines. During Navy Secretary John Phelans confirmation hearing, to engage with OPM to exempt shipyard employees and maintain a strong workforce should he be confirmed. Recently, the New Hampshire Congressional delegation in Portsmouth to discuss the impact the Trump Administration is having on the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.
