Golden to introduce amendment to block Navy from offshoring American shipbuilding jobs
Pentagon wants to build American warships with foreign labor on foreign soil
WASHINGTON — Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) announced today that he will introduce an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to prohibit any funds from being used to produce American warships, or parts of warships, overseas.
During a hearing today in the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), Golden questioned top officials from the U.S. Navy about the Navy Shipbuilding Plan. The plan includes a request for Congressional authority to move a portion of American shipbuilding overseas.
“This administration has said over and over that it will prioritize American manufacturing. How could those goals possibly square with a request to offshore American fleet production?” Golden said. “Every ship or hull built overseas would weaken America’s shipbuilders, making it harder for them to maintain the capacity, knowledge and technical skill necessary to build and maintain our fleet.”
In its latest budget request, the Pentagon has asked Congress to fund procurement for just one DDG-51 destroyer, the style of warships built at Bath Iron Works (BIW), down from the usual order of two or three destroyers. In response to questions from Golden, General Dynamics — BIW’s parent company — told HASC members yesterday that the reduced demand signal could trigger layoffs in Bath as soon as next year.
Golden discussed the threat of layoffs Thursday while questioning Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao.
“Stop and think about that: In the same year that American shipbuilders might get laid off, the U.S. Navy wants to employ foreign workers. Good luck selling that as anything but a one for one trade off. I can’t believe the Navy would even consider it and it would be an absolute shame if the Congress approved it.”
Golden will draft the amendment to prohibit the offshoring of American shipbuilding in the coming days and will introduce it later this month when the NDAA is opened to amendment.
Click here for video of Golden’s remarks during today’s HASC hearing.
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