WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ), along with U.S. Congressman Mike Waltz (R-FL-06) and over a dozen of their colleagues, urged President Biden to strengthen the United States’ maritime power at a moment when the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is extending its influence in the South China Sea and the Houthis are attacking shipping in the Red Sea.

In a letter to the president, the bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers called on him to establish an interagency maritime policy director, designate maritime infrastructure as “critical infrastructure,” invoke the Defense Production Act for shipbuilding and develop a whole-of-government maritime “de-risking” strategy to reduce dependency on Chinese maritime infrastructure and industry. 

“U.S. maritime infrastructure is aging, including in our naval and commercial shipyards, which once produced the world’s finest ships. We have allowed the U.S.-flagged international trading fleet to decline precipitously, underinvesting in our Merchant Marine and maritime workforce to man our ships and shipyards,” the lawmakers pointed out. 

The letter also highlighted the United States’ strong maritime tradition and acknowledged that changing the trajectory of our shipbuilding and shipping industries won’t be quick after years of neglect. 

“We stand at an inflection point. We must act now—before it is too late—to reinvigorate American and allied maritime power on the seas,” they continued.

In addition to Boozman, Kelly and Waltz, Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Rick Scott (R-FL), along with Representatives James Baird (R-IN-04), Jack Bergman (R-MI-01), Byron Donalds (R-FL-19), Neal Dunn (R-FL-02), Brad Finstad (R-MN-01), Scott Franklin (R-FL-18), John Garamendi (D-CA-08), Nick LaLota (R-NY-01), Doug Lamborn (R-CO-05), Richard McCormick (R-GA-06), James Moylan (R-GU- District At Large) and John Rutherford (R-FL-05) also signed the letter to the Biden administration.