Posted:
April 10, 2019
The U.S. Merchant Marine is the engine that drives military sealift operations, and without the Jones Act, the Armed Forces would be "dead in the water," testified Maritime Administrator Mark Buzby during a Senate hearing on April 4.
Rear Adm. Buzby (U.S. Navy, retired) was one of the witnesses to address the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee's Subcommittee on Security during a hearing titled: "Federal Maritime Agencies: Ensuring a Safe, Secure, and Competitive Future."
When asked by Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) about the potential impact of eliminating the Jones Act, Buzby was blunt about the severe predicament the nation would find itself in if such an action were to be taken.
"It would have a devastating effect, not just to MARAD, but on our nation's ability to deploy our forces and then sustain them overseas," Buzby answered. "Our Armed Forces move via the merchant marine, plain and simple. Without the Jones Act, which is not just the vessels, but primarily the mariners that operate the vessels ... we would be dead in the water. We would not be able to take this nation to war."
Also testifying during the hearing were Michael Khouri, chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission, and U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Karl Schultz.
Buzby told the senators the merchant mariners whose employment depends upon the Jones Act are also a vital part of national security at home. The importance of their presence and vigilance at ports and other entry points into the country cannot be overstated, he said.
"The operators of our Jones Act fleet, they are invested in our country. They know what normal looks like. They know when something looks out of sorts. They will say something if they see something," he said. "You cannot say that about a foreign operator in our waters. They have no reason to want to report. That's a bona-fide layer of our national security."
The hearing can be viewed online.
Importance of U.S. Merchant Marine, Jones Act to military sealift capabilities, national security underscored during Senate hearing
The U.S. Merchant Marine is the engine that drives military sealift operations, and without the Jones Act, the Armed Forces would be "dead in the water," testified Maritime Administrator Mark Buzby during a Senate hearing on April 4.
Rear Adm. Buzby (U.S. Navy, retired) was one of the witnesses to address the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee's Subcommittee on Security during a hearing titled: "Federal Maritime Agencies: Ensuring a Safe, Secure, and Competitive Future."
When asked by Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) about the potential impact of eliminating the Jones Act, Buzby was blunt about the severe predicament the nation would find itself in if such an action were to be taken.
"It would have a devastating effect, not just to MARAD, but on our nation's ability to deploy our forces and then sustain them overseas," Buzby answered. "Our Armed Forces move via the merchant marine, plain and simple. Without the Jones Act, which is not just the vessels, but primarily the mariners that operate the vessels ... we would be dead in the water. We would not be able to take this nation to war."
Also testifying during the hearing were Michael Khouri, chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission, and U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Karl Schultz.
Buzby told the senators the merchant mariners whose employment depends upon the Jones Act are also a vital part of national security at home. The importance of their presence and vigilance at ports and other entry points into the country cannot be overstated, he said.
"The operators of our Jones Act fleet, they are invested in our country. They know what normal looks like. They know when something looks out of sorts. They will say something if they see something," he said. "You cannot say that about a foreign operator in our waters. They have no reason to want to report. That's a bona-fide layer of our national security."
The hearing can be viewed online.