DCA Touts President Trump’s Support of the Jones Act
On May 1, President Trump met with Congressional leaders from the Senate and House to discuss U.S. Maritime Policy assuring the Congressional leaders that the administration is not seeking any changes to the Jones Act, nor seeking any waivers.
“President Trump had the Jones Act matters all under control from the get-go”, said William P. Doyle, CEO & Executive Director of the Dredging Contractors of America. “Mr. Trump is all about jobs and national security — he’s never wavered on this. We appreciate the President’s support for the Jones Act,” William Doyle stated. “Nevertheless, it was important for President Trump to invite Congressional leaders to the White House today for a discussion on Jones Act policy,” Doyle finished.
Sharing news of the President’s support, the Dredging Contractors of America (DCA) said in a press release that the U.S-flag Jones Act dredging industry stands with the United States as stewards of the nation’s strategic ports and committed to maintaining channels and points of access.
In its press release, the organization went on to highlight the value of ports and the dredging companies that maintain them.
DCA said the strategic ports that the U.S. dredging companies maintain are ports designated by the Department of Defense to support major force deployments during national defense emergencies. These ports include naval bases such as Norfolk Naval Station in Virginia; and ammunition supply ports such as the Military Ocean Terminal at Sunny Point, North Carolina, the Concord Naval Weapons Station in California, and the Naval Magazine Indian Island in Port Hadlock, Washington.
Ports in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Charleston, South Carolina, Jacksonville, Florida and Beaumont, Texas play logistics roles, loading cargo to supply American troops in war zones. These have been the top four ports for supplying U.S. troops with ocean-borne cargo over the past fifteen years.
This past year, U.S. Jones Act dredging companies maintained, deepened or widened strategic seaports around the nation.
The American dredging industry is undergoing a $1.5 billion dredging fleet expansion, according to DCA. New investments include four large cutter suction dredges, two large hopper dredges and approximately 50 barges built in shipyards across the United States. Callan Marine is constructing a 32-inch hydraulic cutter suction dredge; Dutra Group is building two 6,000-cubic-yard hydraulic dump scows; Weeks Marine is building a 30-inch cutter suction dredge; Manson Construction has started the design phase on a large-scale, self-propelled Glenn Edwards Class hopper dredge; and Cashman Dredging is procuring long-lead time equipment for the construction of two 6,000 cubic yard hopper dredges.
