NEW HAMPSHIRE & MAINE DELEGATIONS SECURE $120 MILLION FOR WORK AT PORTSMOUTH NAVAL SHIPYARD

Washington, DC -- The New Hampshire and Maine Congressional Delegations received assurances from the U.S. Navy that it will fund a major project that is scheduled to begin this June at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. The scheduled $120 million project, an overhaul of the submarine USS Montpelier, was in jeopardy last month when the Department of the Navy announced it did not have enough money to complete funding for it. But after intense pressure from Senators Judd Gregg (R-NH), John Sununu (R-NH), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), and Susan Collins (R-ME) and Representatives Jeb Bradley (R-NH), Charles Bass (R-NH), Tom Allen (D-ME), and Michael Michaud (D-ME), Navy officials moved to ensure the project would proceed at the shipyard.

"This project is important not only to our overall national defense, but also to maintaining a steady workload at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. We are pleased that the Navy recognizes how important this work is to the shipyard and that its workers are the best for the job," said the members of the delegations in a joint statement. "The money that comes into the shipyard for projects like this is not only important for submarine readiness, it also helps to maintain a strong and stable workforce that supports families and the community."

The USS Montpelier is a Los Angeles Class nuclear powered submarine. Portsmouth Naval Shipyard specializes in the overhaul, repair, modernization, and refueling of this type of submarine. It is also serves as a Ship Availability Planning and Engineering Center.