ICYMI: WSJ Highlights SHIPS for America Act as Major Piece of Legislation to Revitalize Maritime Industry, Counter China

“If passed, it would be the first major piece of maritime legislation since 1936,” the piece notes

Sen. Kelly (D-AZ) introduced the bill this month with Sen. Young (R-IN), Rep. Garamendi (D-CA-8), and Rep. Kelly (R-MS-1)

In case you missed it, this weekend the Wall Street Journal published a piece about the historical decline of the U.S. maritime industry and highlighted the SHIPS for America Act led by Arizona Senator Mark Kellyas an important bipartisan, bicameral effort to reverse this trend. 

“The SHIPS Act, as it is known, aims to revitalize shipbuilding and shipping over more than a decade while rebuilding the merchant marine. It calls for resources and White House-level involvement comparable to policies on energy, semiconductors and aviation. Del Toro, whose term ends with the Biden administration, and his advisers helped shape the legislation. Dozens of other government offices and trade groups also weighed in,” the piece explains. 

For more than a year, Kelly has been sounding the alarm about the urgent need to prioritize the nation’s maritime industry to stay ahead of China and boost the U.S. economy. On December 19, he introduced the SHIPS for America Act with the support of more than 70 industry leaders and stakeholders. 

“Kelly, a Navy veteran and the first graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy to serve in Congress, said he was motivated by what he sees as a dangerous imbalance: China has more than 5,500 oceangoing merchant vessels in international trade while the U.S. has 80. ‘It’s a major problem for us, especially if we wound up in a conflict or we wind up in a situation where China decides for whatever reason that they want to, you know, stop our economy and put brakes on it in a big way,’ Kelly said in an interview. ‘They have the ability to do that,’” the story notes. 

Click here to read the piece.