Posted:
July 24, 2015
The following letter dated July 21 and addressed to Congressmen Fred Upton (R-MI), chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), ranking member on the committee, was sent by Congressmen Bill Shuster (R-PA), chairman of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and Duncan Hunter (R-CA), chairman of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation. The letter refers to a markup of new legislation intended to "modernize energy infrastructure, build a 21st century energy and manufacturing workforce, bolster America's energy security and diplomacy, promote energy efficiency and government accountability, and for other purposes."
The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure has legislative jurisdiction over the non-national security aspects of United States merchant marine, including domestic cabotage laws. Those laws, found in chapter 551 of title 46, United States Code, are popularly known as the Jones Act. In conjunction with cargo preference and the Maritime Security Program, United States domestic cabotage laws allow the United States to retain a base level of expertise in shipbuilding and ship operations and maintenance. This base level of expertise provides stability to our commercial U.S. waterborne transportation industry and the access to vessels and vessel operators so vital to our national defense sealift needs. Billions of dollars of U.S. investment have been made in the Jones Act fleet and in training the mariners who operate those vessels.
We understand that on July 22, 2015, the Committee on Energy and Commerce will consider comprehensive energy legislation. We also understand certain interests have suggested modifying U.S. cabotage laws as part of such legislation. Cabotage laws are essential to maintaining a U.S. based merchant marine. Modification of cabotage laws would result in the referral of the bill to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Such changes would also be of significant concern to the many Members who, like us, serve on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Committee on Armed Services, and support both a reliable U.S. maritime transportation system and a sufficient pool of U.S. mariners and ships to meet national defense sealift needs.
We look forward to supporting a comprehensive energy package, which promotes U.S. production, the efficient use of energy, and U.S. energy independence. We hope that package will not include amendments detrimental to the U.S. maritime transportation system or our national defense sealift needs.
Congressmen Shuster, Hunter emphasize importance of Jones Act, U.S. maritime industry
The following letter dated July 21 and addressed to Congressmen Fred Upton (R-MI), chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), ranking member on the committee, was sent by Congressmen Bill Shuster (R-PA), chairman of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and Duncan Hunter (R-CA), chairman of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation. The letter refers to a markup of new legislation intended to "modernize energy infrastructure, build a 21st century energy and manufacturing workforce, bolster America's energy security and diplomacy, promote energy efficiency and government accountability, and for other purposes."
The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure has legislative jurisdiction over the non-national security aspects of United States merchant marine, including domestic cabotage laws. Those laws, found in chapter 551 of title 46, United States Code, are popularly known as the Jones Act. In conjunction with cargo preference and the Maritime Security Program, United States domestic cabotage laws allow the United States to retain a base level of expertise in shipbuilding and ship operations and maintenance. This base level of expertise provides stability to our commercial U.S. waterborne transportation industry and the access to vessels and vessel operators so vital to our national defense sealift needs. Billions of dollars of U.S. investment have been made in the Jones Act fleet and in training the mariners who operate those vessels.
We understand that on July 22, 2015, the Committee on Energy and Commerce will consider comprehensive energy legislation. We also understand certain interests have suggested modifying U.S. cabotage laws as part of such legislation. Cabotage laws are essential to maintaining a U.S. based merchant marine. Modification of cabotage laws would result in the referral of the bill to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Such changes would also be of significant concern to the many Members who, like us, serve on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Committee on Armed Services, and support both a reliable U.S. maritime transportation system and a sufficient pool of U.S. mariners and ships to meet national defense sealift needs.
We look forward to supporting a comprehensive energy package, which promotes U.S. production, the efficient use of energy, and U.S. energy independence. We hope that package will not include amendments detrimental to the U.S. maritime transportation system or our national defense sealift needs.