NAVY PRESENTS SHAHEEN WITH HIGHEST CIVILIAN HONOR

(Washington, D.C.) –U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) has received the Navy’s Distinguished Public Service Award, the Navy’s highest award for non-navy civilians. Shaheen, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, was recognized for her commitment to the Navy and Marine Corps.

"This award recognizes Senator Shaheen's outstanding support of the Department of the Navy," said Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, who presented Shaheen the award. "Senator Shaheen's willingness to chair last year's Senate Energy Committee's field hearing on board USS Kearsarge in Norfolk was just one of many examples of her vision and commitment to ensuring our Navy and Marine Corps remains the world's most formidable expeditionary force."

"There are very few things more important for our national security than a strong Navy and Marine Corps.  I’m incredibly humbled and honored by their recognition,” said Shaheen. “The Navy has made remarkable, cutting-edge technological advances, particularly in the field of renewable energy, that have improved their combat capabilities and their effectiveness and I’m proud to have supported their efforts all along the way. In the future I will continue working to help provide the Navy with the resources they need to remain the strongest, most capable naval power in the world.”

In 2012, Shaheen held a hearing aboard the USS Kearsarge, one of the Navy’s amphibious assault ships, under the jurisdiction of the Senate Energy Committee that highlighted the Navy and Marine Corps’ energy advancements.  The Navy’s adoption of new energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies have improved the combat capabilities and effectiveness of Marines operating in remote regions of Afghanistan and reduced our nation’s dependence on foreign oil, all while dramatically reducing energy costs. Shaheen has also worked in the Senate Armed Services Committee to support an additional Virginia-class submarine in the five-year federal shipbuilding budget. 

Shaheen also recently joined Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) to call on Senate Leadership to protect Portsmouth Naval Shipyard from automatic budget cuts and sequestration because of the potentially serious impact these cuts could have on national defense and our economy.  Shaheen was also a lead cosponsor of an amendment last fall to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that restored the Department of Defense’s ability to invest in advanced biofuels.