Page 25: of Marine News Magazine (October 2024)

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ber Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA-2) may seek the chairmanship, which would be welcome news for the U.S. mari- time industry. Rep. Larsen has been a staunch advocate for all sectors of the maritime industry, providing vocal support for the Jones Act, and critical support programs, such as the Mari- time Security Program.

Presidential impact

Of course, any discussion of the election’s impact would be incom- plete without consideration of the next President’s impact on the mari- time industry. Vice President Harris received early support from the Seafar- ers International Union and has been working steadily to build support from the rest of the maritime base. Toward the end of his term, President Trump similarly courted maritime interests, as his Administration’s Buy American,

Hire American report issuing before the election stated that the Jones Act “helps ensure America has a robust do- mestic shipbuilding capability, which is a critical element of our defense in- dustrial base” and “helps ensure our nation has a merchant marine work force suf? cient to serve both our com- mercial and military needs.” However, the real impact of the next President on the maritime industry will not be revealed until they begin the nomina- tion process, ? lling critical positions that impact maritime stakeholders on a daily basis, such as the Secretary of

Transportation, Secretary of Home- land Securit, and the U.S. Maritime

Administrator. Accordingly, even when the election ends, numerous questions about its ultimate impact on the mari- time industry will remain unanswered.

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