The defense department is exempting the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery from a federal civilian hiring freeze, according to Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.

“The men and women who work at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and shipyards across the country are critical members of our defense industrial base, without whom the ability to repair, retrofit and refuel our country’s nuclear submarines would be in jeopardy,” Collins said on Tuesday. “I am thankful the Department of Defense has elected to exempt our nation’s shipyards from the hiring freeze, and I will continue to work with the Department and advocate for the Shipyard and our shipyard workforce to make sure their critical work is able to continue unimpeded.”  

The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard services the Navy’s nuclear-powered attack submarines and employs more than 6,800 workers.

The shipyard announced a hiring freeze in late February, along with a pause in recruitment as it sought to “understand and prioritize resources.” 

At the time, union officials said the administration has kept most workers in the dark about their future amid fears of layoffs as the Trump Administration moved to cut the federal workforce.

Last month, Collins and New Hampshire Democrat Sen. Jeanne Shaheen sent a letter to the Department of the Navy urging the exemption.

The senators noted that any reduction to the Shipyard’s workforce would jeopardize our nation’s security by increasing submarine maintenance timelines.

Earlier this month in an address to Congress, Trump said he wanted to resurrect the shipbuilding industry in America and announced plans to create a federal Office of Shipbuilding at the White House.