Golden presses leaders of Armed Services Committees to preserve NDAA language barring Trump from sending shipbuilding overseas

WASHINGTON — Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) today sent a letter to the chairmen and ranking members of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, urging inclusion of his amendment to protect American shipbuilding as the chambers negotiate final legislative text of this year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

“Wherever possible, American military spending should support Americans’ jobs,” Golden wrote in the letter. “Doing so is the best way to secure supply chains, ensure the United States reaps the innovation benefits of our manufacturing base and protect information critical to our national security. Sending a portion of our shipbuilding overseas also introduces uncertainty that could weaken our domestic shipbuilding industry and capacity at a time when the industry is already facing challenges as a result of fluctuations in federal demand.”

The annual NDAA sets policy and funding levels for the national defense. This year, the Pentagon has pushed plans to build ships in the naval fleet, or parts of ships, overseas. Golden — a member of the House Armed Services Committee and the Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection of Forces — fought successfully to amend the NDAA to prohibit any such offshoring. 

The House passed the NDAA, with Golden’s amendment, in July. Since then, the Senate Armed Services Committee has crafted and advanced its own version of the NDAA, with language that would allow President Trump and Defense Secretary Hegseth to build certain naval support vessels overseas. 

Golden urged the Armed Forces Committee leaders — House Chairman Mike Rogers (AL-03), House Ranking Member Adam Smith (WA-09), Senate Chairman Roger Wicker of Mississippi and Senate Ranking Member Jack Reed of Rhode Island — to retain his amendment in any negotiated final agreement on the NDAA. 

Click here to read the full letter. 

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