KITTERY — Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer paid a visit to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard as members of northern New England’s congressional delegation continued to lobby to preserve projects there.

Spencer and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard commander Capt. David S. Hunt joined U.S. senators from Maine and New Hampshire in a news conference at the shipyard following the visit Friday. Democratic U.S. Reps. Chellie Pingree of Maine and Chris Pappas of New Hampshire also attended.

Congressional delegation members have been working to prevent shipyard construction projects from being cut to fund President Trump’s wall at the southern border.

Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins said Spencer got to see the “extraordinary work that is done here each and every day.” Delegation members made the case the shipyard is a critical employer.

Sen. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, speaks at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery on Friday. Flanking her are Maine’s two senators, Angus King, an independent, and Susan Collins, a Republican. Associated Press/Robert F. Bukaty

Tall cranes dominate the waterfront at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery on Friday. Associated Press/Robert F. Bukaty