Press Releases

This week, Representative Jack Bergman (R-MI) joined with Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and 18 bipartisan, bicameral lawmakers in sending a letter to President Biden, urging him to strengthen the United States’ maritime power at a moment when the People’s Republic of China is extending its influence in the South China Sea and the Houthis are attacking shipping in the Red Sea.

The bipartisan group called on the president to establish an interagency maritime policy director, designate maritime infrastructure as “critical infrastructure,” invoke the Defense Production Act for shipbuilding, and develop a whole-of-government maritime “de-risking” strategy to reduce dependency on Chinese maritime infrastructure and industry.

“U.S. maritime infrastructure is aging, including in our naval and commercial shipyards, which once produced the world’s finest ships. We have allowed the U.S. flagged international trading fleet to decline precipitously, underinvesting in our Merchant Marine and maritime workforce to man our ships and shipyards,” the lawmakers pointed out.

The letter also highlights the United States’ strong maritime tradition and that changing the trajectory of our shipbuilding and shipping industries won’t be quick after years of neglect.

They continued, “We stand at an inflection point. We must act now—before it is too late—to reinvigorate American and allied maritime power on the seas.” 

Co-signers of the letter are Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ), John Boozman (R-AR), John Cornyn (R-TX), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Rick Scott (R-FL), along with Representatives James R. Baird (R-IN), Byron Donalds (R-FL), Neal P. Dunn (R-FL), Brad Finstad (R-MN), C. Scott Franklin (R-FL), John Garamendi (D-CA), Nick LaLota (R-NY), Doug Lamborn (R-CO), Richard McCormick (R-GA), James C. Moylan (R-GU), John H. Rutherford (R-FL), and Mike Waltz (R-FL).

Read the letter to President Biden here.