Golden to Serve on House Armed Services Committee

WASHINGTON — Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) was named last week to the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) for the 118th Congress. This is Golden’s third term on the committee. Golden plans to use his position on the committee to continue his work to fortify national security, protect the interests of our men and women in uniform, and deliver for Bath Iron Works and its shipbuilders. 

“As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I’ve worked with both parties to invest in our national security, our servicemembers, and Maine shipbuilders,” said Congressman Golden. “Whether they serve in uniform, at our shipyards, or contribute to cutting-edge research at our universities, Mainers have an outsized role in our national defense. I’m looking forward to continuing working with my colleagues, members of the military, and shipbuilders to protect our country.”

Golden will serve on two subcommittees: the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces and the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Cyber, Innovative Technologies, and Information Systems. 

“Jared Golden's appointment to the House Armed Services Committee has been crucial for the men and women of Local S6 at Bath Iron Works building ships for the U.S. Navy,” said Chris Williams, President, Machinists Local S6.“His knowledge and actions have brought critical attention to the strengthening of the Industrial base while providing the needed security to the Nation. I applaud the reappointment of Representative Jared Golden to the House Armed Services Committee to continue his work in prioritizing the defense of our country.”

HASC has a significant impact on job creation and economic growth in the Second District. Many workers at Bath Iron Works live in Maine’s Second Congressional District, and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is critical to the entire state’s economy. The district is also home to dozens of contractors, suppliers, and manufacturing companies that contribute to the national defense and provide good-paying jobs. Golden’s seat on the committee will allow him to work with those companies and bring in more good-paying jobs to Maine. 

The House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces oversees naval acquisition and contracts for military shipbuilding performed at Bath Iron Works. The House Armed Services Subcommittee on Cyber, Innovative Technologies, and Information Systems oversees the acquisition of Department of Defense software and of policy and programs and accounts related to artificial intelligence, computer software cyber security, cyber operations, cyber forces, information technology, information operations, and science and technology.

As a member of the House Armed Services Committee and of the panel's Seapower Subcommittee, Golden has consistently gone to bat for the shipbuilders at Bath Iron Works, having fought for and successfully secured authorization for 3rd DDG-51 destroyer, in addition to millions in funding for large surface combatant shipyard infrastructure and for defense research and manufacturing programs at the University of Maine in last year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). In 2021, Golden and the rest of the Maine congressional delegation worked to sound the alarm and fought back against cuts to DDG-51 shipbuilding proposed by the Biden Administration. Thanks in part to consistentadvocacyfrom Golden, the cuts were reversed in a bill signed into law in December 2021. 

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