A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has introduced legislation to shield America\u2019s public shipyards from federal hiring freezes and mass layoffs as the Trump administration has sought to shrink the federal civilian workforce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., along with Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Angus King, I-Maine, announced on Aug. 5 the Protecting Public Naval Shipyards, or PSNY, Act<\/a>, which would exempt <\/b>certain jobs at public shipyards from workforce reductions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur shipyard workforce represents an essential component of our national defense and preparedness \u2014 they should have never been subjected to this administration\u2019s ill-considered hiring freezes,\u201d Shaheen said in a release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The bill seeks to exempt America\u2019s four public shipyards: Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Virginia, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Maine, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility in Washington state and Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility in Hawaii.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In doing so, the release said, the bill \u201censures that the maintenance and overhaul of America\u2019s nuclear-powered submarine fleet continues uninterrupted.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The bill lists a host of civilian positions to be excluded from workforce reductions and hiring freezes, including welders, mechanics and positions supporting nuclear maintenance and refueling, among others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The bill also eliminates a hiring cap for these positions.<\/p>\n\n\n\t