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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Vice President


For Immediate Release December 5, 1997
                  VICE PRESIDENT GORE ANNOUNCES UP TO 
                $80 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDS TO COMPLETE 
             REVITALIZATION OF PHILADELPHIA NAVAL SHIPYARDS

PHILADELPHIA -- Vice President Gore today (12/5) announced up to $80 million in federal funds to complete the revitalization of the Philadelphia Naval Shipyards in Pennsylvania.

"For more than two years, this shipyard has been closed to the world and it's equipment has been gathering cobwebs," the Vice President said. "But today, we're chasing away those cobwebs, and launching what will be a thriving, state-of-the-art shipyard, with new jobs for this city, and new hope for America's shipbuilding industry."

The $80 million includes up to $30 million in grants from the Department of Labor to help former employees of the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard through training in cutting-edge technology, transportation assistance, day care, and other critical services and $50 million in federal funds from the Department of Defense to assist in the reopening and revitalization of the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard.

These commitments complete a crucial state, local, and private partnership that will create more than 1,000 new jobs in the shipyard, and more than 8,000 new jobs overall -- helping to strengthen our economy, and breathing new life into America's commercial shipbuilding industry. The Department of Labor grants, authorized under Title III of the Job Training Partnership Act, will provide project participants with dislocated worker programs, special skills assessment, on-the-job training, commuting assistance, day care assistance and post-termination services.

The Department of Defense funds were included in the Defense Department appropriations bill. State, local, and federal officials from both parties helped to have funds for the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard included in the bill.

In the Fall of 1993, President Clinton launched the National Shipbuilding Initiative to help revive the shipbuilding industry. This initiative worked to streamline regulations, cut red tape, tear down foreign shipbuilding subsidies and invest $220 million over five years in new technology. It also extended new loan guarantees to foreign-owned companies building ships in American yards. As a result, 1996 was the best year in the last 12 for shipbuilding orders.

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