IV
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. CON. RES. 65
Expressing the sense of the Congress that section 27 of the Merchant Marine
Act, 1920, popularly known as the Jones Act, and related statutes
are critically important components of our Nation’s economic and mili-
tary security and should be fully and strongly supported.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL 23, 1997
Mr. MOAKLEY (for himself, Mr. SOLOMON, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr. OBEY, Mr.
MURTHA, Mr. MCGOVERN, Ms. HARMAN, Mr. RAHALL, Mr. OBERSTAR,
Mr. CUNNINGHAM, Mr. DELLUMS, Mr. YOUNG of Alaska, Mr. CLEMENT,
Mr. LIVINGSTON, Mr. BORSKI, and Mr. HUNTER) submitted the following
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on National
Security
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the Congress that section 27 of
the Merchant Marine Act, 1920, popularly known as
the Jones Act, and related statutes are critically impor-
tant components of our Nation’s economic and military
security and should be fully and strongly supported.
Whereas a privately owned United States-flag merchant fleet
and maritime industry are vital to the economic, military,
and international political security of the United States;
Whereas it is essential for the Congress to reaffirm its sup-
port for those programs and policies that have success-
fully developed and maintained a strong, competitive, and
HCON 65 IH
economically viable United States-flag merchant marine,
including section 27 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1920
(46 App. U.S.C. 883), popularly known as the Jones Act,
which reserves the carriage of America’s waterborne do-
mestic commerce to privately owned United States-flag
commercial vessels that are built and repaired in United
States shipyards and owned and crewed by United States
citizens, and similar statutes pertaining to the domestic
dredging, fishing, salvage, and towing industries;
Whereas these statutes have fostered the growth of a highly
productive and diverse fleet of large, technologically ad-
vanced, and fuel-efficient vessels, that is capable of trans-
porting in a timely, economical, and responsive manner
all types of United States domestic commerce and that
carries approximately 21 percent of the freight moved in
the domestic transportation market while accounting for
less than 2 percent of domestic expenditures for freight
transportation;
Whereas the United States-flag domestic merchant fleet has
more than twice the number of large vessels than in 1965
and productivity of the fleet over the past 30 years has
more than tripled the fleet’s ability to serve American
shippers and consumers;
Whereas this increased growth and gains in productivity are
due largely to the increased capital investments by pri-
vate industry in the fleet and to the cooperative relation-
ship that exists between American vessel operators and
their American citizen crews;
Whereas more than 40 of America’s trading partners have
comparable laws and restrictions to limit access to their
domestic commerce to their national flag vessels in order
HCON 65 IH
to better enhance and support their own economic and
military security;
Whereas the Jones Act and related statutes are necessary to
prevent America’s domestic economy from being domi-
nated and controlled by foreign shipping interests which
today operate in international commerce outside the
scope of United States Government laws and regulations,
including tax obligations, that apply to all types of Unit-
ed States-flag vessels and their crews, to the entire do-
mestic transportation infrastructure, and to all other in-
dustries located in the United States.
Whereas the Jones Act and related statutes, along with the
comparable requirements applicable to America’s avia-
tion, rail, and trucking industries, play a vital role in en-
suring that America’s shippers and consumers continue
to have a reliable, efficient, and competitively balanced
domestic transportation system that uses equipment built
to American standards and operated by trained American
citizen workers;
Whereas allowing foreign flag vessels and foreign crews to op-
erate in America’s domestic trades will threaten the eco-
nomic viability of America’s transportation system, which
operates in compliance with all United States Govern-
ment laws and regulations, including tax obligations;
Whereas the Jones Act and related statutes and the construc-
tion and operation of the privately owned United States-
flag domestic fleet contribute significantly to the national
economy, generating approximately $300,000,000 annu-
ally in corporate tax revenues for the Federal Treasury,
and another $55,000,000 annually in State tax revenues,
all of which would be lost if foreign vessels were allowed
to enter America’s domestic trades;