[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 108 (Thursday, June 11, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2929-S2930]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               TRIBUTE TO THE AMERICAN MARITIME WORKFORCE

  Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, I offer remarks to honor the men and women 
of the American maritime workforce and to thank them for their service. 
June 5, 2020, marks the 100th anniversary of the enactment of the U.S. 
Merchant Marine Act of 1920. Commonly referred to as the Jones Act, the 
act has served over the last century as the foundation of the Great 
Lakes and domestic shipping industry. This vital maritime law ensures 
that cargo moving between domestic ports is carried aboard vessels that 
are American-built, American-owned, and American-flagged, which in turn 
strengthens and supports U.S. homeland security while driving economic 
benefits to local communities. Each and every day, 365 days a year, the 
Jones Act functions to protect our Nation's 95,000 miles of coastline 
and inland waterways, limiting inland access to foreign vessels and 
crews while mariners serve as the eyes and ears to strengthen border 
and homeland security.
  America's dependence on the Great Lakes and the seas is integral to 
our economic health and our sovereignty. Nowhere is this more evident 
than in my own State of Michigan. According to The American Maritime 
Partnership, Michigan's Great Lakes domestic maritime industry 
contributes $2.8 billion annually to our State economy, including 
12,140 jobs and $703.6 million in worker income. With 37 deep-draft 
ports, Michigan has more than the 7 other Great Lakes States combined.
  Over the last 100 years, the men and women of the U.S. maritime 
workforce

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have also unfailingly answered the call to duty, providing vital 
services to support the Nation in times of crisis. Their service was 
never clearer than during the activation of civilian merchant mariners 
amidst the Second World War. These men and women moved critical 
supplies to overseas troops and allies, while enduring the highest rate 
of casualties of any service. More recently our domestic maritime 
workforce has respond swiftly to a range of crises facing the Nation, 
including facilitating the largest boatlift in world history following 
9/11 and the current and ongoing delivery of essential medical supplies 
and goods to communities in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  On this week's centennial anniversary of the Jones Act, I thank the 
men and women of the U.S. maritime industry for their service, and I 
vow to continue to work here in the Senate to uphold the integrity of 
the act's protections for our Michigan and Great Lakes workforce.

                          ____________________