[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 46 (Thursday, April 17, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E710]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          JONES ACT RESOLUTION

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. GERALD B.H. SOLOMON

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 17, 1997

  Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, today, I and my distinguished colleague on 
the Rules Committee, Mr. Moakley, join a bipartisan group of our 
colleagues in introducing a resolution that will strongly reaffirm the 
Congress' support for the Jones Act--section 27 of the Merchant Marine 
Act of 1920.
  The Jones Act has its origins in the earliest days of our Nation. Its 
basic requirement is that any vessel used to transport cargo between 
ports in the United States must be built in the United States, 
registered under the U.S. flag, and carrying a crew made up of U.S. 
citizens. Relying on American ships and crewmembers, the Jones Act 
provides tangible benefits for our national defense. The Jones Act 
fleet provides the experience needed to maintain trained and loyal 
American-citizen merchant mariners. Our merchant marine vessels, both 
private sector and Government owned, rely on the abilities of these 
merchant mariners to operate. Without the Jones Act, we jeopardize our 
national security interests and place our men and women in the Armed 
Forces in tremendous danger.
  As important as our national security, our Jones Act fleet is also an 
essential part of the transportation industry in this country. The 
fleet contributes approximately $15 billion a year to our economy and 
employs 124,000 American workers. Because of the Jones Act, the United 
States will always have a safe and reliable maritime system.
  With these important benefits in mind, I rise today to urge my 
colleagues to support this resolution and to reaffirm in the strongest 
possible terms our support for the Jones Act.
  This resolution spells out, loud and clear, that Congress will not 
allow the Jones Act to be weakened. It says that we will not allow 
substandard foreign-flag vessel--and their foreign crewmembers who are 
paid less than minimum wage--to push the U.S.-flag fleet out of its own 
market. It declares that if we did not have the Jones Act, these same 
foreign-flag vessels, free of virtually all U.S. laws and taxes, would 
also be able to compete unfairly against our domestic trucking, 
railroad, and pipeline industries. This resolution says that we will 
not allow that to happen.
  This resolution says we are not going to hand over an entire American 
industry to foreign operators. More than 40 other maritime nations have 
laws similar to the Jones Act, and in this country we have similar laws 
that preserve our other transportation markets--like trucking and 
aviation--to American companies and American workers. With this 
resolution, Congress reasserts this Nation's commitment to maintaining 
a strong domestic maritime industry--with American ships and American 
workers.
  This resolution promotes fairness to American businesses and American 
working men and women. It promotes our commitment to a strong national 
defense with no cost to the taxpayer. It promotes a safe and reliable 
national transportation system. And it promotes a vital sector of our 
economy. I ask my colleagues to join in supporting this resolution.

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