Page 12: of Marine News Magazine (March 2021)

11 13

Insights

We’ve worked very hard to maintain those as a focus of

Both President Biden and Transportation our advocacy and to explicitly make the point to policy-

Secretary Buttigieg have voiced their support makers. There’s a connection with COVID here. Our abil- for the Jones Act. How do you anticipate ity to do what we do on a day-in day-out basis and keep the this support will manifest through this supply chain moving, help the country keep the economy

Administration? What do you hope to see from a? oat, keep vital commodities moving during COVID de- the new Administration in the years ahead?

pends on having the certainty of the Jones Act that keeps JC: It’s a great start. It was fantastic to see the president on day the supply chain in American hands, depends on having ? ve of his administration issue that new executive order and a port and waterways infrastructure where we don’t have explicitly reaf? rmed his support for the Jones Act. We are al- channels that have been silted up for lack of dredging or ready seeing positive change as result of that. And the NDAA lock gates that are failing and now we’ve got a queue of tows provision that I mentioned. A huge thing that those af? rma- that can’t move, export grain that needs to get to market.

tions of support and that legislation provide is certainty that

The good news is that the message has resonated with underguards investment by the maritime industry. That is policymakers. When we look back at 116th Congress, our so important given the emerging offshore renewable energy industry got some big things done. The National Defense market and given industry efforts to reduce carbon footprint

Authorization Act had some very important provisions with and emissions. If you want to make a big bet on investing in respect to the Jones Act, tightening up procedures for Jones purpose-built vessels to serve offshore wind farms, or if you

Act waivers to make sure that they’re not being issued when want to repower your ? eet with LNG to serve the Puerto Rico not absolutely necessary. Clarifying that the constitution market or build barges to fuel LNG propelled vessels, it’s good and U.S. laws, including the Jones Act, apply to renewable to know that the Jones Act isn’t going away anytime soon.

energy, development on the outer continental shelf, hugely

I hope and expect that we won’t have to spend resources important WRRDA, which got rolled into the end of year and time ? ghting extra legal Jones Act waiver requests. omnibus COVID relief bill. Very important in establishing Over the last years, we had some real challenges, just un- a cost share change between the Treasury and the Inland precedented requests, for long-term ? ve-, 10-year Jones

Waterways Trust Fund that’s going to infuse as much as a Act waivers, which would have been absolutely devastat- billion additional dollars into inland waterways lock and ing. I hope those are off the table. We’re looking for vig- dam modernization over the next 10 years.

orous enforcement of the law. There is a division within

We’ve worked hard to address the many challenges and Customs and Border Protection called JADE, the Jones needs driven by COVID, while at the same time keeping Act Division of Enforcement. They need to do their job our eye on the ball and not letting the foundation crumble and we’re hopeful and optimistic that we’ll see increased underneath us. The policymakers have joined us in under- support and funding for that agency. We just saw within standing the importance of doing both.

the last couple of days, the ? rst Customs and Border Pro-

I’m proud and humbled to work for an industry that gets the job done 24-7. And I put companies and mariners in that category. They have kept the supply chain moving and kept people healthy and safe throughout this pandemic.

© David / Adobe Stock 12 | MN March 2021