The biggest challenge facing the U.S. maritime industry in 2011 will be to ensure the nearly 100 new members of Congress fully appreciate and understand the importance of the U.S. Merchant Marine to the U.S. economy and our national security. The maritime industry learned a hard lesson during the Gulf oil spill about how quickly misinformation about maritime laws can generate confusion and negative perceptions in Congress and the public. Despite Coast Guard Ret. Adm. Thad Allen’s repeated assurance that the Jones Act did not hinder the oil spill cleanup, there were calls for draconian legislation to address a nonexistent problem. The maritime industry has a good story, and our goal in 2011 is to share it.
A strong U.S. Merchant Marine and Jones Act fleet ensures the nation has world-class vessels to meet sealift needs; experienced seafarers to operate the U.S. government’s sealift needs in times of national emergency; a modern shipyard industrial base that is critical to military and economic security; and intermodal transportation systems available through the Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement.
And the economic benefits are substantial. According to a recent PricewaterhouseCoopers study, the unsubsidized Jones Act fleet of U.S.-owned, U.S.-built and U.S.-crewed vessels generates 500,000 jobs and $100 billion in total economic output, while adding $46 billion to U.S. economic output. Equally important, U.S.-flag vessels are built and operated to comply with the world’s highest safety and environmental standards.
At a time in which partisan politics has dominated the congressional agenda, it is important to remember that the current and previous four presidents have supported the Jones Act and the U.S. Merchant Marine. The same can be said of our military leaders. The priority for our industry in 2011 is not persuasion, but rather education. Armed with the facts, support for the U.S. maritime industry should come from both sides of the