The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery could stand to lose more than $150 million in federal funds if President Trump's emergency declaration to fund a southern border wall is allowed to stand.
Richard Smith is president of Portsmouth Federal Employees Metal Trades Council, one of the unions that represent many of the shipyard's workers. He says the loss of funding wouldn't cost jobs, but it would stall several modernization projects at the shipyard.
“A lot of contractors will be coming in here to work on things, they're going to need a place to stop and get their coffee in the morning, gasoline. So by taking that away it takes away a small chunk of what happens on the outside of these gates,” he says.
“Working here 20-plus years, I hate to see us stop on the mission we're on to make this the best facility that we possibly can for the future generations to work here, so, it frustrates a lot of people here.”
The Department of Defense Monday released a list of military construction projects that have been funded, but lack signed contracts with the Pentagon. Those projects are vulnerable to having their funding diverted toward the southern border wall.
