Posted on June 22, 2021
WASHINGTON – The Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA), the national association representing the U.S. shipbuilding, maintenance, and repair industry, today honored Rep. John Garamendi (CA-03) with the SCA Maritime Leadership Award during this year’s annual membership meeting. The Award is given annually to national leaders who demonstrate exemplary dedication and support for the U.S. shipbuilding and repair industry.
“Rep. Garamendi has been a strong champion of the Jones Act and U.S. shipbuilding throughout his entire time in Congress,” said SCA President Matthew Paxton. “He understands the breadth of the domestic maritime industry and how the industry’s success is critical to our economic and national security, which can most recently be seen in his efforts to ensure the domestic maritime industry has a leading role in the development of offshore wind.”
“I’m honored to receive the 2021 Maritime Leadership Award. Supporting the U.S. maritime industry is critically important for our economy and national security. That’s why I’ve spent my tenure in Congress fighting to end Congressional neglect of our maritime industry by introducing my ‘Energizing American Shipbuilding Act,’ which would recapitalize America’s domestic shipbuilding and maritime industries by requiring increasing percentages of liquified natural gas (LNG) and crude oil exports to be transported on U.S.-built ships. As a senior member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, I will always fight to support our vital maritime industry,” Rep. Garamendi said.
Rep. Garamendi has been a strong proponent of the nation’s shipyard industrial base and American maritime industry as a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and four of its subcommittees, including the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation. In these roles, he advances his ‘Make it in America’ agenda to create new middle-class jobs and rebuild infrastructure using American materials and workers. His role in developing legislation for the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) helped reaffirm Congressional support for the Jones Act and resulted in significant funds being put into the domestic maritime industry. Rep. Garamendi has also been a champion of the defense industry, as well as the country’s veterans and active duty members of the military, during his time serving as the Chairman of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness, which oversees over one-third of the Department of Defense’s authorization.
Rep. Garamendi with SCA President Matthew Paxton and SCA Chairman Ben Bordelon
About the Shipbuilders Council of America
Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA) members constitute the shipyard industrial base that builds, repairs, maintains and modernizes U.S. Navy ships and craft, U.S. Coast Guard vessels of all sizes, as well as vessels for other U.S. government agencies. In addition, SCA members build, repair and service America’s fleet of commercial vessels. The Council represents 40 companies that own and operate over 82 shipyards, with facilities on all three U.S. coasts, the Great Lakes, the inland waterways system, Alaska and Hawaii. SCA also represents 87 partner members that provide goods and services to the shipyard industry. You can learn more by visiting https://shipbuildersusa.org.
