“While today’s news is extremely disappointing, I look forward to working with Electric Boat and my colleagues on the House Armed Services Committee to minimize the impact of these cuts on Rhode Islanders and to ensure that our state and region enjoy a robust shipbuilding industry far into the future.

“I am a longtime advocate for this industry, and I will continue to fight for it. I successfully worked to secure a multi-year procurement of Virginia-class submarines, which has made the cost of submarines more affordable for the Navy and the taxpayer. Recently too I sent a letter to the Navy questioning their decision to increase staff levels at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for maintenance work that could be done at Electric Boat. I will also continue to argue for sending more work to Electric Boat by funding the design of the Multi-Mission Module and promoting the construction of two Virginia-class submarines per year.

“We have worked too long and hard to maintain southeastern New England’s position as a center of excellence for undersea technology development to become discouraged by the news coming from Electric Boat today.”

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