WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Susan Collins (R-ME), Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), and Angus King (I-ME) released the following statement responding to reports that indicate the Defense Department plans to issue furlough notices to civilian employees, including those at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, later this week:

“These furloughs are a product of an entirely avoidable situation and it’s disappointing that Congress and the President failed to replace the automatic cuts known as ‘sequestration’ with a comprehensive plan to stabilize our debt and deficits. We need a bipartisan and long-term deficit reduction solution that will avoid the impacts of these cuts, which are already threatening jobs and families in New Hampshire and Maine, and we remain committed to working together to finding that solution.”

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