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Home - Blank Rome Government Relations LLC

Washington, D.C.

New York, NY

You won’t hear presidential candidates Donald Trump or Kamala Harris talking about the need to rebuild the US merchant marine or shipyards.

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But in the halls of Congress, there is growing attention to proposals to reinvigorate the long-neglected US-flag shipping sector.

Will this last after voters take to the polls to cast ballots for all House of Representatives seats and one-third of the Senate?

Industry lobbyists in Washington say the conversation is being led by Congress and navy secretary Carlos Del Toro, but proposals like the Ships for America Act aim to elevate domestic maritime policy within the US government with more direct access to the president.

Past maritime administrators appointed by presidents of both political stripes have complained of the difficulty of getting proposals through inter-agency reviews in Washington.

The Kelly-Waltz bill would tackle that by creating a maritime czar in the White House. It would also create a Maritime Advisory Board that includes shipbuilders, vessel operators, unions and other stakeholders.

Joan Bondareff, a senior counsel at Blank Rome government relations in Washington, DC, said&nbsp;the legislation could have a chance because of its bipartisan, bicameral nature.

And&nbsp;she said&nbsp;she could envision either a Harris or a Trump administration supporting such legislation because its proponents are talking about competing with China on shipbuilding.

“That’s really what we’re lacking,”&nbsp;Bondareff said. “We’re lacking mariners and a commitment to the growth of the US maritime industry. We don’t have an adequate number of mariners to fill slots offshore or onshore. For this reason and others, we can’t compete in commercial shipbuilding.”

To read the full article, please click&nbsp;<a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.tradewindsnews.com/insight/congress-is-waking-up-to-us-maritime-vulnerability-will-that-survive-the-election-/2-1-1731767__;!!BzMsqVLNNjU!PTk1N9DnyKE4BCArH7P6CpGekUArkbfkrrdgoLaBYcGlaqL1kErPSLAu0dFE3Vus2Ht9i6DpdWrMZDVapY7jqWtV1I6v_RIzCtu6$">here</a>&nbsp;(subscription required).

“Congress Is Waking Up to US Maritime Vulnerability. Will That Survive the Election?” by Eric Priante Martin, was published in&nbsp;<a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.tradewindsnews.com/insight/congress-is-waking-up-to-us-maritime-vulnerability-will-that-survive-the-election-/2-1-1731767__;!!BzMsqVLNNjU!PTk1N9DnyKE4BCArH7P6CpGekUArkbfkrrdgoLaBYcGlaqL1kErPSLAu0dFE3Vus2Ht9i6DpdWrMZDVapY7jqWtV1I6v_RIzCtu6$">TradeWinds</a>&nbsp;on October 30, 2024.

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Congress Is Waking Up to US Maritime Vulnerability. Will That Survive the Election?

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