The shipbuilding industry and its marine suppliers are major employers in many regional markets in . The industries provide high-paying and highly skilled jobs that help workers and the communities they live in. Over the next 25 years, the federal government has plans to spend billions of taxpayer dollars on new ships for the Navy and the Coast Guard. Some decision-makers in , as evidenced in recent public statements, are actually considering buying these ships in places like and . These ships paid for by taxpayers can and should be built in . These countries will not buy ships from us. The federal government has determined that Arctic Sovereignty is a national priority and as a result the Navy and the Coast Guard should be providing additional surveillance and services to the North.