{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://golden.house.gov/media/press-releases/golden-calls-for-renewed-investment-in-american-shipyards-at-boston-ship-repair", "Golden calls for renewed investment in American shipyards at Boston Ship Repair", "2025-06-18", "2025", "2025-06", "Democrat", "House", "ME", "Jared F. Golden", "G000592", "golden.house.gov", "golden", "https://golden.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "BOSTON \u2014 Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) joined other members of Congress and the International Association of Machinists (IAM) Tuesday at Boston Ship Repair to call for the revitalization of America\u2019s shipbuilding industry.\n\nGolden, a member of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) was joined by fellow committee member Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) at the invitation of Congressman Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08). The trio of lawmakers met with management from Boston Ship Repair and Machinists who work at the shipyard.\n\n\u201cAmerica needs strong shipyards. On the defense front, we are lagging in the production of American warships necessary to meet current and future force needs. We also lack the commercial vessels we need to compete in the global economy,\u201d Rep. Golden said. \u201cThe reality is simple: If we aren\u2019t giving work to the men and women who power America\u2019s shipyards, they will find new jobs and we will fall further behind. Congress needs to keep up demand for warships to sustain the world\u2019s greatest Navy and we need to pass the SHIPS Act to strengthen our shipyards, our commercial fleet and our supply chains. Our future demands it.\u201d\n\nCurrently, about 80 U.S.-flagged ships are engaged in international commerce compared to over 5,500 China-flagged vessels. China recently overtook the U.S. in Navy fleet size.\n\nDuring HASC hearings last week, Golden questioned the Secretary of the Navy and the Secretary of Defense (video) about the potential lapse in destroyer procurement in the FY26 Presidential budget request, and the risk it posed to Bath Iron Works, Maine\u2019s shipbuilders, and the national defense.\n\nThe group has backed the U.S. Trade Representative penalties on Chinese ships and steps to incentivize the production and purchase of U.S.-built vessels. They are also championing the bipartisan SHIPS for America Act, which would rebuild the U.S. shipyard base and invest in recruitment and training of shipyard workers and mariners. The coalition is highlighting the need to efficiently utilize and grow domestic shipbuilding and repair capacity to increase the workforce at Boston Ship Repair and across the country.\n\n\u201cOur shipbuilding and ship-repair industries have a tremendous impact on our national security and our ability to maintain freedom of navigation for all nations,\u201d said Rep. Lynch. \u201cToday we are facing a critical shortage among our U.S. shipbuilding and repair capacity, and we are falling behind in production and upkeep of both our commercial and naval vessels. We must continue to make substantial federal investments in our shipyards and ship-repair facilities in order to maintain our position in the world. I am grateful to my congressional colleagues, U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney and Jared Golden for traveling to Boston Ship Repair in South Boston today to join me to show support for our shipbuilding and ship-repair industry. My thanks as well to International Machinists Union VP David Sullivan, BSR owner Jon Cronin, CEO Ed Snyder, and IAM Local President Andre Lavertue and all the union members of the IAM for their continued support of our regional ship-repair industry.\u201d\n\n\u201cRevitalizing American shipbuilding is critical to our national and economic security. It\u2019s a bipartisan goal in Washington, and we need to use all of our available shipyard capacity to get the job done if we're going to deliver on it,\u201d said Rep. Courtney. \u201cWe must provide American shipyards and shipbuilders, like Boston Ship Repair, with the demand they need to make investments in their future and the future of our domestic shipbuilding industry.\u201d\n\n\u201cAmerican national and economic security depends on urgent and long overdue investments in our shipbuilding and repair industry,\u201d said IAM Union Eastern Territory General Vice President David Sullivan. \u201cThat\u2019s why the IAM Union has led the way toward tougher trade rules on China, much-needed investments in U.S. shipyard workers, and a strong call for the efficient use of our existing shipyards, like Boston Ship Repair. We\u2019re incredibly grateful for our champions in this fight, including Congressmen Lynch, Courtney and Golden.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe\u2019ve invested in Boston Ship Repair because we believe in its potential\u2014not just as a business, but as a critical national asset,\u201d said Boston Ship Repair Owner Jon Cronin. \u201cWith a highly skilled union workforce, proven infrastructure, and the experience to deliver, BSR stands ready to be part of the solution to America\u2019s shipyard capacity crisis. But we can\u2019t do it alone. Without consistent work and federal investment, this vital facility \u2014 and the hundreds of jobs it sustains \u2014 are at risk. We\u2019re calling on Congress and the Navy to recognize BSR not just as a shipyard, but as a strategic pillar of the defense industrial base. With immediate support, we can expand our capacity, modernize our infrastructure, and begin reducing the Navy\u2019s repair backlog today \u2014 while preserving American maritime strength for generations to come.\u201d\n\nBoston Ship Repair is one of the largest docks on the Eastern and Gulf Coasts and can handle vessels up to 1,000 feet with a 105-foot beam. It provides vessel maintenance, repair, overhaul and conversion services for domestic, international and government customers.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T01:08:28Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://golden.house.gov/media/press-releases/golden-calls-for-renewed-investment-in-american-shipyards-at-boston-ship-repair"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8414541371166706, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}