Consensus On Maritime Policy

Consensus On Maritime Policy

Senators Lott And Breaux Identify Bipartisan Legislative Goals

      Senators Trent Lott (R-MS) and John Breaux (D-LA) have pledged a bipartisan approach to maritime policy issues in the 107th Congress and cooperation with the White House on ways "to preserve and enhance our maritime and national security."
     In a recent letter to President Bush, the top lawmakers noted that the U.S.-flag merchant fleet and the U.S. shipbuilding industry had already earned broad support among Republican and Democratic House members and Senators over "more than two decades." They also noted that, during last year's Presidential election drive, both the Bush and Gore campaigns "put forth strong statements recognizing the value of the maritime industry to our economy and national defense."
     Without a U.S. merchant fleet and domestic shipbuilding industrial base, the U.S. would depend on foreign interests to "build and repair our nation's military vessels and provide the sealift required to mobilize its military forces."
     Senators Lott and Breaux said U.S. strategic sealift independence is as important to national security as greater energy independence--a priority for the Bush administration. To that end, the Senators endorsed:

Full funding for the 10-year, $1 billion Maritime Security Program, which was authorized in the Maritime Security Act of 1996. Under MSP, 47 U.S.-flag roll-on/roll-off, container, and lighter-aboard ships draw $2.1 million each per year in operating assistance to help them compete against foreign-flag ships in commercial overseas trade. In exchange, the ships, their crews, and any intermodal assets owned by participating companies are to be available to the Department of Defense during national security emergencies.
Additional funding at "historic levels" for the U.S. ship construction loan and mortgage guarantee program authorized in Title XI of the 1936 Merchant Marine Act.
Continued enforcement of the Jones Act and U.S.-flag cargo preference laws. The Jones Act is the 1920 cabotage law that reserves domestic waterborne trade for U.S.-owned, built, flagged and manned vessels. The cargo preference laws of 1904, 1954 and 1985 set aside specific shares of government-financed imports and exports for U.S. ships.

"We look forward to working with you to develop new ideas to revitalize the industry," Senators Lott and Breaux wrote. "We can assure you that ensuring our nation has the port and waterway infrastructure, shipbuilding and ship repair capacity, U.S.-flag ships, and U.S. crews it needs would be a bipartisan effort."

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