ICYMI: Shaheen Discusses Impact of Tariffs on Businesses and Supply Chains at NH Ball Bearings, Visits New LaValley Family Community Center Made Possible by Funds She Helped Secure

(Newport, NH) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a top member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, on Wednesday visited New Hampshire Ball Bearings (NHBB) – a Granite State manufacturer of parts that are integral to global aerospace and defense machinery – to discuss how the administration’s tariffs raise costs for businesses like theirs and exhaust supply chains they rely on. Later, Shaheen visited the newly opened LaValley Family Community Center in Newport to tour the state-of-the-art facility that was constructed using Congressionally Directed Spending funds the Senator helped secure. Photos from the events can be found here. 

In Peterborough, Shaheen toured the New Hampshire Ball Bearings (NHBB) factory with NHBB President Dan Lemieux and members of the leadership team. Afterwards, the Senator heard from NHBB about how the expansion of U.S. tariffs increases costs for their business and further exacerbates existing shortages of aerospace raw materials.  

“NH Ball Bearings supports local jobs, contributes to our national defense and strengthens America’s military readiness – and still, they’re facing higher costs and uncertainty due to the administration’s reckless trade war and harmful tariffs,” said Senator Shaheen. “With the increasing globalization of supply chains, President Trump’s unnecessary trade war with many of America’s allies weaken an already strained defense supply chain and forces our small businesses to pay. I intend to take what I heard back to Washington to make clear the administration must reverse course.” 

In a letter to U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth last week, Shaheen raised concerns about how the President’s trade war harms defense supply chains and ultimately weakens America’s military readiness. The Senator expressed how tariffs on imports from virtually every country in the world will increase prices for the Department of Defense’s defense acquisitions – harming its purchasing power and further raising costs on small businesses. 

Senator Shaheen is helping lead efforts in Congress to mitigate the harmful impacts of President Trump's tariffs. Earlier this month, Shaheen took to the Senate floor to highlight the devastating impacts that President Trump’s tariffs and trade war will have on American families and the economy. In January, Shaheen introduced the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes on Imported Goods Act which would limit the president’s ability to leverage sweeping tariffs that increase costs for American consumers and families. Her effort to pass this bill by unanimous consent was blocked by Senate Republicans. In recent months, Shaheen has traveled across the Granite State to visit businesses including Chatila’s Bakery, C&J, DCI Furniture, Mount Cabot Maple and American Calan Inc. to hear directly from Granite Staters impacted by the administration’s tariffs.     

Shaheen then visited the LaValley Family Community Center in Newport, which opened its doors last month and serves as a hub for youth programs, recreational sports, health and wellness activities and community events. Shaheen helped secure $4,785,000 in Congressionally Directed Spending in Fiscal Year 2023 that was crucial to the community center’s construction. 

“I was incredibly pleased to see firsthand how the vibrant new center fosters a sense of community and boosts quality of life for the entire Newport region,” said Shaheen. “I’m proud to have worked with local leaders and advocates to secure critical funding to bring the LaValley Family Community Center to life – and I look forward to seeing how the center will help Newport thrive for years to come.” 

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