Portsmouth, N.H. – Today, Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) along with U.S. Representative Chris Pappas (NH-01) delivered remarks to open a defense industry roundtable to increase opportunities for New Hampshire businesses as part of the Australia-U.K.-U.S. (AUKUS) submarine agreement. The delegation was joined by representatives from the Australian Embassy, including the Australian Consul-General and the Minister Counsellor of AUKUS. Photos from today’s event can be found here.
“I know first-hand from my time as an intelligence officer in the United States Navy Reserve that the alliance between the United States and Australia makes America stronger and safer,” said Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander. “The hardworking women and men of New Hampshire who work every day on behalf of our national defense are critical to the future of our alliance and the AUKUS agreement. I’m proud to represent our state’s critical role in our national security on the House Armed Services Committee.”
“Today’s event is an important example of how the strength of our alliances can make a difference here in the Granite State and boost our local economies,” said Senator Shaheen. “The AUKUS agreement makes America and Australia stronger by allowing us to work hand-in-hand to build and maintain nuclear submarines for both of our countries—and the technology and know-how to do that starts right here in the Granite State.”
“If America’s allies are looking for new ways to keep their submarine fleets on the cutting edge, there’s no better place to turn to than New Hampshire — it was Portsmouth that helped build and maintain some of the first ships of the United States Navy, and Portsmouth was indispensable in building the submarine fleet that helped win World War II,” said Senator Hassan. “In a dangerous and uncertain world where our new Administration seems at times to confuse America’s friends with America’s foes, I am grateful for this strong alliance between the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom that has made our nations stronger, more secure, and more free.”
“American naval superiority has long played an historic role in our nation’s strength and will play a decisive role to confront challenges alongside our allies and secure the future. New Hampshire, our manufacturers, and the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard all have a critical role to play in this mission,” said Congressman Pappas. “Through the AUKUS agreement with our allies, the United Kingdom and Australia, we will bolster our naval capabilities and submarine industrial bases and strengthen our cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. New Hampshire manufacturers and workers can help lead the way, and I was glad to join this event focused on the increasing opportunities for them under the AUKUS agreement.”
Recently, the New Hampshire Congressional delegation held a press conference to discuss the impact the Trump Administration is having on the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Shaheen and U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) have called on the U.S. Department of the Navy to exempt Portsmouth Naval Shipyard employees from the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) deferred resignation program for federal employees. The Department of Defense recently announced that the shipyard workforce is exempt from the civilian hiring freeze
