President Donald Trump has announced a new agreement to acquire four Finnish icebreakers and build seven more in the United States, with three of those vessels set for construction by Davie Defense in Galveston, Texas. The initiative is described as the largest expansion of U.S. shipbuilding capacity in decades and is expected to have an economic impact of $9 billion across Texas while supporting over 7,000 skilled jobs in the state.
Senator Ted Cruz, who chairs the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, played a leading role in securing this investment through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. “As part of the Commerce Committee’s title of One Big Beautiful Bill, I fought to secure a historic investment in the Coast Guard, including funding for new Arctic Security Cutter icebreakers that can stand up to growing Chinese and Russian aggression,” said Sen. Cruz. “This deal will deliver world-class cutters and create thousands of good-paying jobs for our great state.”
Cruz emphasized that expanding U.S. icebreaker capabilities is important for national security interests in the Arctic region as global competition increases from China and Russia. He was instrumental in obtaining $8.6 billion for icebreaker funding within the legislation.
The agreement aims to diversify American shipbuilding by reducing reliance on a single contractor for most Coast Guard icebreaker construction work. It also seeks to enhance U.S. maritime security and resilience.
James Davies, co-owner and CEO of Davie Shipbuilding, commented on Cruz’s efforts: “Senator Cruz fought hard to bring icebreaker construction back to the United States in a big way – and he won. His leadership and tenacity have cleared the way for major investments, thousands of American jobs, and a new era of U.S. shipbuilding dominance.”
