Portsmouth Naval Shipyard

On Wednesday, August 24, 2005, the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) voted to remove Portsmouth Naval Shipyard from the Defense Department’s list of facilities slated for closure making it a great day for the Shipyard, its highly skilled workforce, the Seacoast region, and our nation. This success remains first and foremost the result of the incredible record of accomplishment turned in by the dedicated workers of the Shipyard. Their record of returning submarines to service under budget and ahead of schedule did not go unrecognized by the Commission.

That record formed the basis for a case to save the yard from closure. A team including the Seacoast Shipyard Association, Shipyard unions and employees, the local Chambers of Commerce, individual community members, the New Hampshire and Maine governors and members of the states’ Congressional delegations came together to fight for Portsmouth and assure that the Yard’s centuries-old tradition of excellence will continue far into the future. For more than two years, I was proud to join in this comprehensive effort to advocate strongly on behalf of the Shipyard through meetings, correspondence, hearings, and rallies.

Ultimately, the case was undeniably clear, and I could not agree more with BRAC Commission Chairman Anthony Principi, who said, “I believe that Portsmouth is truly the preeminent public shipyard in this nation. It is the gold standard by which we should measure shipyards.” By removing Portsmouth from the Defense Department’s list of facilities slated for closure, BRAC Commissioners confirmed what we knew all along: that our country could not afford to lose the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard as a part of its national defense infrastructure.

Going forward, I will continue to work closely with the members of the New Hampshire and Maine Congressional delegations, the Navy and the Department of Defense to make sure the best shipyard in the world continues to enjoy a robust workload for years to come.