Posted:
May 22, 2012
In a letter dated May 17 to Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, 15 members of Congress emphasized the important roles of the U.S. merchant marine in defense transportation, sealift operations and domestic security, and urged the administration to make a strong statement of unwavering support for American mariners and enforcement of the Jones Act.
In the letter, the Congressional representatives noted President Obama proclaimed May 18 to be National Defense Transportation Day. "As you know, the Jones Act is an important piece of our defense transportation network as it helps ensure that our military can deploy to far corners of the globe," they wrote.
The representatives pointed to the dominant role of commercial U.S.-flagged vessels in sealift missions. "During Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, privately owned domestic vessels helped move 90 percent of all Iraq- and Afghanistan-bound cargo," they wrote.
The representatives cited statements from the U.S. Department of Defense underscoring the importance of the U.S. merchant fleet and domestic maritime industry to national defense: "we believe that the ability of the nation to build and maintain a U.S.-flagged fleet is in the national interest; we also believe it is in the interest of the DOD for U.S. shipbuilders to maintain a construction capability for commercial vessels."
The representatives also noted the U.S. merchant fleet's cost-effective contributions to commerce and vital service to homeland security.
"The Jones Act is important to our economic security, supporting 500,000 jobs and adding more than $100 billion to our economy," they wrote. "In return, our domestic mariners move approximately one quarter of domestic cargo for only two percent of the total transportation costs of our nation. This low-cost transportation system makes the products Americans buy less expensive and our exports more competitive in international markets.
"Finally, the Jones Act is vital to our nation's domestic security. The security of our ports, waterways and coastal waters is of equal importance as the security of our borders. Each year, more than one billion tons of cargo are transported through these ports and waterways. The Jones Act ensures that U.S. built, U.S. crewed vessels move this cargo within the United States, thereby ensuring that Homeland Security officials are not forced to monitor tens of thousands of foreign-crewed vessels throughout our inland and coastal waters."
Signing the letter were Representatives Jeff Landry (R-LA), Elijah Cummings (D-MD), Don Young (R-AK), Colleen Hanabusa (D-HI), Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Adam Smith (D-WA), Steve Scalise (R-LA), Edward Markey (D-MA), Steven Palazzo (R-MS), Nick Rahall II (D-WV), Steve Southerland II (R-FL), Tim Bishop (D-NY) and Rick Larsen (D-WA).
Congressional representatives highlight defense transportation role of U.S. merchant fleet, urge strong support for Jones Act
In a letter dated May 17 to Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, 15 members of Congress emphasized the important roles of the U.S. merchant marine in defense transportation, sealift operations and domestic security, and urged the administration to make a strong statement of unwavering support for American mariners and enforcement of the Jones Act.
In the letter, the Congressional representatives noted President Obama proclaimed May 18 to be National Defense Transportation Day. "As you know, the Jones Act is an important piece of our defense transportation network as it helps ensure that our military can deploy to far corners of the globe," they wrote.
The representatives pointed to the dominant role of commercial U.S.-flagged vessels in sealift missions. "During Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, privately owned domestic vessels helped move 90 percent of all Iraq- and Afghanistan-bound cargo," they wrote.
The representatives cited statements from the U.S. Department of Defense underscoring the importance of the U.S. merchant fleet and domestic maritime industry to national defense: "we believe that the ability of the nation to build and maintain a U.S.-flagged fleet is in the national interest; we also believe it is in the interest of the DOD for U.S. shipbuilders to maintain a construction capability for commercial vessels."
The representatives also noted the U.S. merchant fleet's cost-effective contributions to commerce and vital service to homeland security.
"The Jones Act is important to our economic security, supporting 500,000 jobs and adding more than $100 billion to our economy," they wrote. "In return, our domestic mariners move approximately one quarter of domestic cargo for only two percent of the total transportation costs of our nation. This low-cost transportation system makes the products Americans buy less expensive and our exports more competitive in international markets.
"Finally, the Jones Act is vital to our nation's domestic security. The security of our ports, waterways and coastal waters is of equal importance as the security of our borders. Each year, more than one billion tons of cargo are transported through these ports and waterways. The Jones Act ensures that U.S. built, U.S. crewed vessels move this cargo within the United States, thereby ensuring that Homeland Security officials are not forced to monitor tens of thousands of foreign-crewed vessels throughout our inland and coastal waters."
Signing the letter were Representatives Jeff Landry (R-LA), Elijah Cummings (D-MD), Don Young (R-AK), Colleen Hanabusa (D-HI), Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Adam Smith (D-WA), Steve Scalise (R-LA), Edward Markey (D-MA), Steven Palazzo (R-MS), Nick Rahall II (D-WV), Steve Southerland II (R-FL), Tim Bishop (D-NY) and Rick Larsen (D-WA).