All eight members of the New Hampshire and Maine Congressional delegation joined state officials at the front gates of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard today.
And they vowed to keep the base open.
NHPR Correspondent Roger Wood reports.
The four Representatives and the four Senators joined Governors from both states to show solidarity with the yard workers.
Tthey marched out of the yard with some 3 thousand civilian employees, who were carrying signs and chanting.:
(We’re number one chant) :15
Next, the workers heard promises of support from the politicians.
New Hampshire Governor John Lynch
(Lynch speaking to workers) :20 (plus cheers)
“You all have shown the Department of Defense and the Navy, you’ve shown them a higher standard because of the work that you’ve done. It’s a standard that other shipyards try to emulate. And because of that, the decision should be made to keep the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard open”. (Cheers and applause out)
Just a day before Friday's announcement that the Pentagon recommended closing Portsmouth, the Navy had given the Shipyard a Meritorious Commendation.
The award said in part that the shipyard had out-performed others in its class.
Maine Senior Senator Olympia Snowe told reporters that she spoke to Navy Secretary Gordon England after last weeks announcement.
She had probably the harshest comments about the decision.
(Snowe) :09 plus (Cheers)
“Now either that is an act of cruelty, which it is, but it mostly is an act of incompetence, because you (interrupted by cheering)
She also said that she asked England what message the decision sends to the men and women of the shipyard who are the overachievers and over-performers.
(Snowe 2) :06
“What message, that you’re going to transfer the work to the underperformers?”
If the decision stands, more than 4 thousand civilians stand to lose their jobs.
About 18 hundred of them live in New Hampshire and contribute 120 million dollars to the state's economy.
And New Hampshire's Senior Senator Judd Gregg argued that keeping the Navy yard open is a matter of national defense.
(Gregg) :22
“It’s pretty obvious that a colossal mistake has been made by the Navy and the Defense Department, and the delegations of the two states working with you the people who work here, intend to point that out with them and reverse this decision. We’ve been through this before, we know how to make our case and we have the case to make.”
The Portsmouth yard has been on the Base closing list before.
And each time lobbying efforts have bought the Shipyard time.
The Pentagon's recommendations have gone to the Base Realignment and closing commission, which is required to offer its final list to the President by the September 8th.
Although it's called the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, and although its location has been the subject of legal wrangling, The Navy Yard is physically located in Governor John Baldacci’s home state of Maine.
Asked whether he’d given any thought to planning for a possible future with the facility, Baldacci responded, “This Base is not going to close.”
For NHPR News, this is Roger Wood.
