U.S. Navy League: Jones Act is Critical to U.S. Economic, Homeland and National Security

Posted in Government,Jones Act on March 24, 2012

The Jones Act is essential to America as we know it, so says the Navy League of the United States. In a recently released annual policy statement, the Navy League of the United States, Maritime Primacy & Economic Security, says the Jones Act is critical to U.S. economic, homeland and national security – serving the nation by maintaining a skilled merchant marine, shipbuilding capacity and sea lift capability.

“The Jones Act and Passenger Vessel Act, which are important to economic and national security because they protect critical national infrastructure and provide added sealift capacity through the VISA, an expanded pool of trained and experienced mariners to crew U.S. government-owned sealift assets and help sustain the U.S. shipbuilding and repair industrial base that is vital to the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard,” states the Navy League in the policy letter.

Mandating the use of vessels that are American-crewed, -built and -owned to move cargo between two U.S. ports, the Navy League says the Jones Act boosts security by adding a sealift capacity as well as an expanded pool of trained and experienced mariners to crew U.S. government-owned sealift assets.

“We are pleased that the Navy League supports the Jones Act and understands the essential role the law plays in creating jobs and protecting our homeland,” said James Henry, President of the Transportation Institute and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the American Maritime Partnership. “The Jones Act makes America more secure economically and militarily by maintaining a skilled merchant marine that supports our military while providing nearly 500,000 American jobs.”

In the policy statement, the Navy League says that the Jones Act is critical to the long-term sustainability of the U.S. fleet, noting that without commercial capability, the U.S. government would be required to provide significantly more funds to build a replacement fleet and infrastructure while losing the pool of highly qualified Mariners needed to sail these vessels. In addition, the Navy League says the Jones Act has a positive impact on the U.S. economy.

“Shipbuilding, ship repair and ship modernization create well-paying jobs for thousands of workers and, when added to the equipment and material supply companies, add a large number of jobs to the U.S. work force,” the Navy League says.