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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E517]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE JONES ACT
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HON. FILEMON VELA
of texas
in the house of representatives
Thursday, June 4, 2020
Mr. VELA. Madam Speaker, this week we celebrate the 100th Anniversary
of the Jones Act and its century of fostering our domestic maritime
industry and supporting our national security. Named in honor of its
author, former Senator Wesley Jones, the Jones Act has helped provide
economic benefits in times of peace and has safeguarded resources to
expand our military maritime capacity for times of war.
For the Department of Defense, maintaining a U.S. flagged fleet is
critical to ensuring we have sufficient U.S. sealift capacity,
available at a moment's notice, to defend our nation. For example,
during Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom from 2002 to 2010,
U.S.-flag commercial vessels transported nearly 60% of all military
cargoes into Afghanistan and Iraq.
Not only does the Jones Act support this vital national security
requirement, it also provides an economic benefit to our nation.
Currently, there are about 40,000 vessels in the American domestic
fleet. The domestic maritime industry supports nearly 650,000 jobs and
has a gross economic output of $154 billion annually, generating $41.6
billion annually in income with a $16.8 billion tax impact.
In my state of Texas, the domestic maritime industry is a major
economic driver. According to a study by PricewaterhouseCoopers for the
Transportation Institute, Texas ranks No. 3 among all U.S. states for
jobs related to the American domestic maritime industry. The state is
home to an estimated 56,000 Jones Act-related domestic maritime
industry jobs, and the domestic shipping industry contributes
approximately $14 billion in annual economic impact and $4 billion in
worker income to the Texas economy.
In the 34th Congressional District, which I have the honor to
represent, there are 1,100 Jones Act-related jobs. This translates into
over $174 million in economic impact to my Congressional district.
On March 16th, I was scheduled to participate in an event at the Port
of Brownsville in my district, highlighting the importance of our
domestic maritime industry and the Jones Act. As with so many
activities throughout our nation and the world over the past several
months, this event was postponed due to COVID-19, but I am pleased to
have this opportunity today to express my support for this important
industry and its workforce.
At the Port of Brownsville, Keppel AmFels is currently constructing
two 'Ohana Class containerships for Pasha Hawaii, an American shipping
company. These ships will be used to transport containers of goods
between Hawaii and the U.S. mainland.
It was just a few years ago that Keppel AmFELS decided to invest over
$30 million to start this new industry at the Port of Brownsville. We
worked with the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development
Administration to secure nearly $2 million in federal funds for the
vessel assembly pad to help make this happen.
I look forward to the time when we can celebrate the building of
these two ships--the M/V Jean Marie and the M/V George III--in person.
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