WASHINGTON DC, May 21 – A chorus of congressional leaders, White House officials, and maritime industry stakeholders used National Maritime Week as a platform to call for sweeping reforms to restore the country’s shipping and shipbuilding prowess, spotlighting the Executive Order on Shipbuilding and proposed SHIPs Act as a transformative piece of legislation.
At the Maritime Accelerator for Resilience (MAR) summit in Washington, Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Representative John Garamendi (D-CA) issued a strident call to arms, imploring Congress to “urgently rebuild the entire maritime industry” and champion the bipartisan SHIPs Act.” The bill aims to rebuild the nation’s fleet of U.S.-flagged, U.S. built and U.S.-crewed commercial vessels and reclaim maritime dominance from global competitors.
“Our economic and national security depend on ships built and flagged in America,” Senator Kelly told the packed room. “We cannot cede the seas to foreign powers.”
Ian Bennitt, Special Assistant to the President for Shipbuilding and Maritime Policy, underscored the Trump Administration’s support, pointing to the “all-of government” approach to U.S. maritime revitalization contained in the Executive Order. “The President is committed to rebuilding this industry—not just for economic growth, but for our national resilience,” he said.
The SHIPs Act would complement the administration’s recent shipbuilding-focused Executive Order and proposed trade penalties targeting Chinese-built and -owned ships. The U.S. Trade Representative’s actions are expected to level the playing field, opening trans-Pacific lanes to American shipping and establishing a trust fund for expanding the domestic maritime industrial base and workforce.
Industry and labor leaders backed the move, stating unequivocally that American workers are ready. “We can build the ships. We can sail them. We just need the policy backbone to do it,” said a shipbuilding spokesperson.
Technological innovation was also a focal point, with stakeholders unveiling concepts including modular nuclear propulsion, SeaTrainTM’s submersible cargo vessels for commercial and defense use, and a new greenfield shipyard-city on California’s Sacramento River. The American Bureau of Shipping, supported by the Maritime Administration, announced a new public-private coalition to validate these technologies and drive investment called the US Maritime Innovation Center.
Event sponsor, Navaya Maritime through its Chairman and Founder Prasad Menon, highlighted what may be possible with the revitalization of U.S. shipping by sharing his vision for a fleet of rapid, next-generation U.S.-designed nuclear-powered commercial vessels. “This is about unlocking potential that has long been dormant” stated Menon.
The MAR initiative—founded by the authors of Zero Point Four—seeks to make U.S. maritime leadership central to national security and economic future. While May 22 traditionally honors maritime history, this year’s May 21 event looked ahead.
“This isn’t just a commemoration,” stated Congressman Garamendi. “This is a declaration that America is ready to lead the seas again.”
Photo: Congressman John Garamendi addresses MAR delegation