The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE JONES ACT” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Commerce was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E517 on June 4, 2020.
The Department includes the Census Bureau, which is used to determine many factors about American life. Downsizing the Federal Government, a project aimed at lowering taxes and boosting federal efficiency, said the Department is involved in misguided foreign trade policies and is home to many unneeded programs.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
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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