Jeff Vogel discusses the congressional hearings focused on the shipbuilding industry's role as a critical component of the U.S. national security industrial base in his op-ed, "Maritime Challenges: A Time to Act Boldly" for Marine News. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019, which was signed into law on February 15, contained mixed news for shipbuilding programs. Through the congressional hearings and enacted legislation, two opposing themes have emerged. First, on the positive side, there is strong support for domestic shipbuilding projects to recapitalize U.S. government-owned fleets. Second, on the negative side, support for commercial projects in U.S. shipyards remains intermittent and falls well short of the support shown by foreign governments for their domestic shipbuilding industries.
Congressman John Garamendi, who currently sits on the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, working to ensure needed transportation and infrastructure investments to create American jobs and enhance domestic manufacturing, republished Jeff's article on his government website. As a member of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) Conference Committee, Garamendi is part of a bipartisan bicameral delegation responsible for shaping the nation's water infrastructure policies.
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