Lawmakers introduce bipartisan SHIPS Act to boost commercial shipping – Breaking Defense

WASHINGTON
—
A
bipartisan,
bicameral
group
of
lawmakers
today
introduced
legislation
aimed
at
strengthening
the
American

shipbuilding
and
commercial
maritime
industries
following
what
they
characterized
as
“decades
of
neglect.”

The
bill
in
question,
dubbed
the

Shipbuilding
and
Harbor
Infrastructure
for
Prosperity
and
Security
for
America
Act,
is
being
sponsored
by
Sens.
Mark
Kelly,
D-Ariz.,
and
Todd
Young,
R-Ind.,
as
well
as
Reps.
John
Garamendi,
D-Calif.,
and
Trent
Kelly,
R-Miss.
Rep.
Mike
Waltz,
R-Fla.,
who
has
been
tapped
by
the
new
Trump
administration
to
be
national
security
advisor,
has
also
previously
expressed
support
for
the
bill.

“This
historic
bipartisan
proposal
would
restore
American
leadership
across
the
oceans
by
establishing
national
oversight
and
consistent
funding
for
U.S.
maritime
policy,
incentivizing
domestic
shipbuilding,
enabling
U.S.-flagged
vessels
to
better
compete
in
international
commerce,
rebuilding
the
U.S.
shipyard
industrial
base,
and
expanding
the
mariner
and
shipyard
workforce,”
according
to
a
written
statement
from
the
lawmakers.

The
bill
would
establish
a
maritime
security
advisor
within
the
White
House
tasked
with
coordinating
inter-agency
decisions
for
how
to
implement
a
national
maritime
strategy.
It
would
also
create
a
“Strategic
Commercial
Fleet
Program”
focused
on
expanding
a
US-flagged
international
fleet
to
250
ships
within
10
years.
The
four
lawmakers
said
that
fleet
currently
sits
around
80
ships
compared
to
China’s
5,500.
The
bill
would
also
require
that
government-funded
cargo
be
moved
aboard
US-flagged
vessels
as
well
as
requiring
a
portion
of
imported
goods
from
China
to
do
the
same,
among
other
things.

“We’ve
always
been
a
maritime
nation,
but
the
truth
is
we’ve
lost
ground
to
China,
who
now
dominates
international
shipping
and
can
build
merchant
and
military
ships
much
more
quickly
than
we
can,”
said
Sen.
Kelly.
“The
SHIPS
for
America
Act
is
the
answer
to
this
challenge.”

Outgoing
Navy
Secretary
Carlos
Del
Toro
has
made
commercial
shipping
and
shipbuilding
a
focus
area
of
his
this
year.

“I’m
very
pleased
the
bipartisan
SHIPS
for
America
Act
is
making
progress
in
Congress
since
it
was
announced
in
September
and
look
forward
to
the
day
when
it
is
signed
into
law. 
From
my
perspective,
the
SHIPS
for
America
Act
and
the
Navy’s
Maritime
Statecraft
complement
each
other
perfectly. 
Both
speak
to
the
growing
momentum
of
a
national
conversation
around
American
Maritime
Power,”
Del
Toro
said
in
a
statement
published
subsequent
to
the
bill’s
filing.

“These
initiatives
are
about
working
together
in
the
Department
of
the
Navy,
interagency,
Congress,
industry,
and
academia
to
find
innovative
ways
to
re-vitalize,
strengthen
and
expand
our
maritime
power.
 
The
SHIPS
for
America
Act
is
a
vital
step
forward
in
our
Maritime
Statecraft,
and
I
think
this
critical,
bipartisan
piece
of
legislation
will
reshape
our
nation’s
maritime
future,”
the
statement
continued.

During
an
event
last
week
hosted
by
the
American
Society
of
Naval
Engineers,
he
urged
the
new
administration
to
continue
his
efforts,
theorizing
that
the
neglect
the
commercial
shipbuilding
sector
has
faced
in
recent
decades
presents
an
opportunity
for
the
White
House
to
boost
the
economy
with
new
jobs.

“If
we
want
to
expand
our
economy,
you’ve
got
to
expand
the
supply
chain.
You’ve
got
to
expand
the
number
of
companies
that
are
participating
in
the
growth
of
the
economy
itself,”
he
said.
“And
there
aren’t
a
lot
of
places
where
you
could
effectively
do
that
here
in
the
United
States,
[but]
because
we
have
abandoned
the
commercial
shipbuilding
industry
since
about
the
1980s,
that
creates
a
new
opportunity
for
growth
in
a
significant
way.”

Given
the
limited
time
the
current
Congress
has
left
in
session,
the
bill
will
almost
certainly
need
to
be
refiled
next
year
before
it
can
be
considered
by
the
relevant
committees
or
the
larger
chambers.
Legislation
related
to
national
security
often
doesn’t
receive
standalone
votes,
but
rather
is
included
in
the
annual
defense
policy
bill.

Updated
12/20/2024
at
9:04
am
ET
with
comments
from
Navy
Secretary
Carlos
Del
Toro.