On Wednesday, April 22, more than 100 representatives from U.S.-flag shipping companies, American maritime labor unions, State Maritime Academies, the US Merchant Marine Academy Alumni Foundation, and related U.S.-flag shipping associations and organizations will travel from all over the country to Capitol Hill for the fourteenth Maritime Industry Congressional Sail-In. These individuals, representing virtually every segment of America’s maritime industry, will meet with Senators, Representatives, and their staffs to discuss the importance of the U.S. flag merchant marine to our Nation’s economic, military, and homeland security. They will convey to the Members of Congress that as China rapidly expands its domination and control over both the transportation of America’s foreign trade and the world’s ocean shipping supply chain, it is more important than ever that our nation has the U.S.-flag vessels and American merchant mariners necessary to serve as a deterrent to China and to provide the commercial sealift readiness capability needed by the Department of Defense to support American troops deployed overseas.

The Members of Congress will be asked to support and fund existing maritime programs and to cosponsor and support innovative and comprehensive bipartisan legislation known as the SHIPS for America Act.  This legislation has as its overall objective to increase the number of vessels operating under the U.S.-flag, to increase the share of commercial cargo carried by U.S.-flag vessels, and to increase the number of maritime jobs available to American merchant mariners, all of which are critically important to bolster America’s economy and to strengthen America’s national security. The bills – HR 3151 and S 1541 – were introduced by Senators Mark Kelly and Todd Young and Representatives Trent Kelly and John Garamendi.