$6.5 Million for Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Secured by Senator Collins in Funding Bill

The funding now heads to the President to be signed into law

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that she secured $6,500,000 in Congressionally Directed Spending to support the necessary design and reconfiguration work to construct a new security facility at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY) in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. The projects in this bill were approved as part of the negotiation that Senator Collins led to reopen the federal government. The legislation, which was officially approved by the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, will now be signed into law by the President.

"Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is the gold standard for repairing, retrofitting, and refueling our nation's nuclear submarines. Its talented workforce helps maintain our Navy's fleet and our national security, while the Shipyard's fire department and first responders work long hours to ensure their safety," said Senator Collins. "This new, consolidated facility will help to improve response times, mitigate hazards, and provide the PNSY fire department with an adequate space to work, train, and live. As the Chair of the Appropriations Committee, I worked hard to secure this important funding."

"The members of the Shipyard Professional Fire Fighters, IAFF Local F-123 are incredibly grateful and fully support Senator Collins and her hard work on our behalf to advance funding for a new firehouse," said Kyle Mosher, President Shipyard Professional Fire Fighters, IAFF Local F-123. "This project is long overdue as our current quarters, though historic, no longer meet the day-to-day needs of a modern fire department. Federal Firefighters work a grueling 72-hour work week and, specifically here at the Shipyard, we work in 48 continuous hour shifts, so the firehouse, like all firefighters, is our home away from home."

Constructed in the 1800s, the current facility that houses the PNSY fire department is poorly configured and is at maximum capacity. The Shipyard fire department responds to an average of 2,000 calls a year and assists the surrounding communities. This funding would support the planning and design of a renovated and expanded facility to consolidate the Shipyard's security, police, NCIS, and fire departments.

In 2021, Congress reinstituted Congressionally Directed Spending. Following this decision, Senator Collins has secured more than $1 billion for hundreds of Maine projects for FY 2022, FY 2023, and FY 2024. As the Chair of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Collins is committed to championing targeted investments that will benefit Maine communities.

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