Maine officials, workers blast Pres. Trump's plan to build US warships overseas
BATH (WGME) -- A plan by President Donald Trump to let foreign countries build U.S. warships is being criticized by BIW shipbuilders and Maine's Congressional delegation.
The Memorandum of Understanding signed by Trump would allow a foreign country to build up to two U.S. warships in their home country, taking contracts and jobs away from BIW and other American shipyards.
Maine's Congressional delegation responded strongly against the plan to allow foreign countries to build Navy ships.
The House passed the Defense Authorization Act, with an amendment by Congressman Jared Golden, to prohibit federal funds from building ships overseas.
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"This administration appears to be bound and determined to send American shipbuilding jobs overseas and sell American shipyards to foreign corporations," Golden said.
However, the Secretary of the Navy says American shipbuilding is falling behind.
"There's 11 destroyers that are on contract for Bath alone. And seven are in construction. We haven't even begun cutting metal for the other four. We're trying to allow for the industrial base to catch up," Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao said.
"He's wrong. It needs to stay in the U.S.," BIW worker David Collomy said.
Collomy says allowing foreign countries to build U.S. warships would undermine national security.
"There's too many highly potential secrets that go on these ships,” Collomy said. “I mean, I've been here for 38 years. And there's a lot of areas that I can't even get into."
Senator Angus King agrees.
"That's the worst idea since the Red Sox traded Babe Ruth to the Yankees. I mean, it just doesn't make sense to be handing over that level of technology, even to our allies," King said.
Six months ago, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth called BIW the workhorse of the Naval fleet.
"What you're building here in Bath is essential to the arsenal of freedom," Hegseth said.
"Cooperation with our allies can bring valuable investment and new technologies,” Senator Susan Collins said. “But those partnerships should result in more ships being built in America by American workers."
"It needs to stay here in this country, plain and simple," Collomy said.
Congressional amendments could prevent Trump from allowing U.S. warships to be built overseas, but it's unknown how Trump will respond.