Press Releases

(Washington D.C.) - Congressman Rob Wittman (R-VA), in the wake of news that Newport News and Ship Systems will realign into one sector, Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding, today urged Northrop Grumman executives to maintain employment levels and offered his support for locating its headquarters in Newport News.

In a letter to Dr. Ron Sugar, Chairman and CEO of Northrop Grumman, Wittman, along with Senators Jim Webb and John Warner, and Representatives Thelma Drake, Bobby Scott and Randy Forbes, reminded Dr. Sugar of the strong maritime traditions of the Hampton Roads region and urged him to make sure that all current jobs stay in the Newport News facility. Wittman also asked that the headquarters of the new entity be located in Newport News as the area has played a pre-eminent role in U.S. shipbuilding over the years.

"As you know, Northrop Grumman Newport News employs more than 21,000 Virginians and is a linchpin of the regional economy.  It has helped sustain the Hampton Roads region for many years, and any transfer of jobs would have a detrimental impact on the local economy.  We encourage you to do everything you can to make sure these jobs stay in Newport News," the delegation wrote in their letter to Sugar.

Also critical to Wittman and the delegation is the importance of maintaining the headquarters for Northrop's Shipbuilding sector in Newport News.

"We would appreciate your assurance that our area will continue to play its customary pre-eminent role in U.S. shipbuilding.  Should you choose to locate the new Shipbuilding headquarters in Newport News, we can assure you that we will work diligently to make this transition as mutually beneficial as possible," the letter added.

"Newport News has become synonymous with Northrop Grumman's shipbuilding operations over the years. It has been a major economic force for the region, and I am committed to doing what ever I can to keep this relationship, and tradition, alive," said Wittman.

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