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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are supportive of federal statutes that ensure
4that vessels engaged in the coastwise and inland trades are
5built and crewed by American workers; the Jones Act, the
6Maritime Security Program, the Passenger Vessel Services Act,
7and U.S. cargo preference laws are critical in maintaining a
8viable American Merchant Marine; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Without the Jones Act, the American Merchant
10Marine and its well-paying jobs would be destroyed, and the
11domestic waterborne commerce of the U.S. would be controlled by
12foreign interests; and
 
13    WHEREAS, The Maritime Security Program ensures that 60
14American vessels are engaged in the foreign commerce of the
15U.S.; the program requires that the vessels, crews, and
16participating companies' intermodal assets are immediately
17available to the Department of Defense in times of crisis;
18military experts have said it would literally cost tens of
19billions of dollars to replicate the program's assets, which
20currently are delivered for a few hundred million dollars per
21year; and
 
22    WHEREAS, The Passenger Vessel Services Act provides the

 

 

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1same requirement for passenger vessels, for example, ferry
2boats, that the Jones Act stipulates for cargo vessels; like
3the Jones Act, it is considered vital to homeland security; and
 
4    WHEREAS, A key element of U.S. cargo preference laws is the
5Food for Peace Program, whose purpose is to promote the food
6security of developing countries; food aid is grown by American
7farmers, processed by American workers, and transported on
8board U.S. vessels to countries in need; since the program's
9inception in 1954, more than three billion people in 150
10countries have benefited directly from U.S. food aid that was
11delivered by the U.S. Merchant Marine; and
 
12    WHEREAS, The development and expansion of America's marine
13highway system is an ongoing, joint government-private
14industry effort; the resultant increase in the coastwise
15waterborne transportation of cargo will help to significantly
16alleviate congestion on our nation's highways and rails,
17achieve a greater measure of energy efficiency in the
18transportation of domestic cargo, and create jobs for American
19workers in the maritime industry and its related service and
20supply industries; and
 
21    WHEREAS, The so-called "flag of convenience" system in
22which avaricious shipowners around the world register their
23vessels in phony flag states to evade labor, safety,

 

 

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1environmental, and tax laws deserves condemnation; this system
2has resulted in the global exploitation of seagoing maritime
3labor and the reduction of international commercial cargo
4carried by U.S. vessels to less than 2 percent; therefore, be
5it
 
6    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
7HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
8we support the U.S. Merchant Marine as America's fourth arm of
9defense and recognize that the American maritime industry is
10critical for U.S. national, economic, and homeland security and
11that our mariners and our maritime industry deserve our full
12support.