Posted on May 22, 2023
The Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA), the national association representing the U.S. shipbuilding, maintenance, and repair industry, has presented U.S. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana) with the SCA Maritime Leadership Award. The award is given annually to national leaders who demonstrate exemplary dedication and support for the U.S. shipbuilding and repair industry.
Leader Scalise was presented the Maritime Leadership Award during the SCA annual membership meeting in Washington, D.C.
“Louisiana is a foundational maritime state and Leader Scalise is a tireless champion and advocate for the shipyard industry, industrial base and the dedicated maritime workforce,” said SCA President Matthew Paxton. “It is with great honor that we present this award to recognize the significant contributions that Leader Scalise has made for our industry – a thriving industry that drives nearly $8 billion in economic output in his home district alone and $18.2 billion statewide.”
Throughout his entire career in Congress, notes SCA, Scalise has been influential in advancing policies that support the domestic shipbuilding industry, such as increased funding for the Maritime Security Program and the Jones Act – a foundational national security law. He is also an ardent supporter of the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard and has pushed for added appropriations for naval shipbuilding as a critical component of the U.S. defense industrial base.
SCA adds that Scalise has also strongly advocated for the industry’s workforce and job training programs to ensure the highly skilled workforces needed are prepared to construct the vast number of vessels in the U.S. fleet – everything from tugboats to aircraft carriers.
“Leader Scalise understands firsthand the importance of this industry and has been a true champion for the nearly 30,000 men and women in his district and the over 400,000 individuals nationwide that make up the shipbuilding and maritime industry. In his 15 years in Washington, Leader Scalise has established an unparalleled record as a fierce advocate for American shipyards and our industrial base. There is no one more deserving of this year’s Maritime Leadership Award than Steve Scalise,” said Ben Bordelon, CEO of Louisiana-based Bollinger Shipyards and outgoing Chairman of SCA. “From the Mississippi River down to Port Fourchon, the maritime industry in Southeast Louisiana builds ships to protect our men and women in uniform, moves essential manufactured goods and supports offshore energy exploration and production to meet the needs of our entire nation and allies abroad. Our region leads the nation with a maritime workforce of over 30,000 jobs and generates billions of dollars in economic impact annually.”
“I am honored to receive the Maritime Leadership Award and thank the Shipbuilders Council of America for their commitment to the maritime industry in Louisiana. I will continue to fight for common sense policies that reduce red tape for our maritime industry and keep these high-skilled, high-paying jobs in Louisiana,” said Leader Scalise.
