Page 13: of Marine News Magazine (February 2020)

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Credit: AdobeStock © itsallgood into defending the Jones Act and decisively defeating at- I think a look at today’s geopolitical situation supports the tempts to waiver, weaken or water down the law; passing a exact opposite point: the Jones Act is more relevant than biennial Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) bill ever to maintaining our ability to keep economically criti- and changing the cost-share for inland waterways projects cal commerce ? owing.

to be consistent with that used for deep-draft navigation;

Many stakeholders tend to focus on the blue water as- ensuring that the federal government, and not a patch- pect of the Jones Act, but the threat to the inland and work of state and local regulations, governs the operations workboat sectors is just as great. Would you agree?

of vessels in interstate commerce; and working with the

Absolutely. The Jones Act is not a blue water issue, it’s an

Coast Guard to ensure that Subchapter is implemented issue for the American maritime industry as a whole – of consistency and enforced robustly.

which the inland and workboat sectors are the largest part!

Anyone who thinks our strategic competitors wouldn’t

As opponents try to chip away at the Jones Act’s fun- have an interest – and wouldn’t have the ability – to con- damentals, where does AWO ? t into that discussion, trol navigation on our inland waterways needs to do some and how are you involved in the debate?

There is no higher priority for AWO than safeguarding reading about the Maritime Silk Road, just to give one ex- the Jones Act, which is the statutory foundation of our ample. That’s not a xenophobic statement – I studied Chi- industry: it’s literally the basis for every job our members nese and Asian studies in college! The fact is that control provide and every dollar they invest in vessels to serve our of the U.S. inland waterways system is vital to the health nation’s domestic commerce. AWO works closely with of the American economy. Our 95,000 miles of coastline allied stakeholders through the American Maritime Part- and 25,000 miles of navigable waterways are a key reason nership, the pro-Jones Act industry coalition that brings for our superpower status. We’d be incredibly short-sighed together vessel owners, shipyards, labor, pro-defense orga- to think other nations don’t realize that and wouldn’t jump nizations, and others to educate Congress, the Administra- at the chance to establish a foothold in the U.S. maritime tion, the media and the public about the importance of industry if we let them. the Jones Act and the domestic maritime industry to the

With Subchapter M in effect for some time now, security of our country. I ? nd it ironic that Jones Act op- please describe how Sub M is impacting the value of ponents have seized on the 100th anniversary of the law the Responsible Carrier Program (RCP). How many this year to push their case that the law’s time has passed. 13 www.marinelink.com MN