[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 104 (Thursday, June 4, 2020)]
[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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