Reintroduction of the Energizing American Shipbuilding Act of 2023

Floor Speech

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Mr. GARAMENDI. Mr. Speaker, today I reintroduce the ``Energizing American Shipbuilding Act'' with U.S. Senator Roger F. Wicker (R-MS). I thank U.S. Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr. (D-PA) and Congressmen Robert J. Wittman (R-VA) and Brian K. Fitzpatrick (R-PA) for their support as the original cosponsors.

Our bipartisan bill would help to recapitalize America's domestic shipbuilding and maritime industries by requiring that increasing percentages of exported liquefied natural gas (LNG) and crude oil be transported on U.S.-built, flagged, and crewed vessels. In total, our bill would require that 15 percent of total seaborne LNG exports by 2045 and 10 percent of total seaborne crude oil exports by 2037 be on U.S. vessels. This would result in the construction of more than 40 American ships: approximately 28 LNG carriers by 2045 and 12 oil tankers by 2037. This will support thousands of new, well-paying jobs in American shipyards, vessel component manufacturers, and across the U.S. maritime industry.

As President Vladimir Putin's unconscionable invasion of Ukraine has shown, continental Europe's overreliance on imported Russian oil and gas is both untenable and dangerous. While I support the global transition away from fossil fuels to fight the climate crisis, I also support increasing American energy exports to Europe to replace Russian imports in the near term. Unless Congress acts, all U.S. seaborne LNG and crude oil exports will be on foreign-flagged vessels, operated by foreign crews.

In 1995, Congress required that crude oil exported from Alaska's North Slope be transported on U.S.-flagged vessels to preserve the tanker fleet essential to our national defense. The ``Energizing American Shipbuilding Act'' would implement a similar requirement. The vessels built under our bill would be available to meet the U.S. military's sealift and supply needs around the globe.

I am deeply troubled that our military, namely the Defense Logistics Agency, relies on foreign-owned oil tankers including state-owned enterprises closely linked to the Chinese government. Our bipartisan bill also counters other export countries' similar requirements including the Russian-flagged vessel requirement for arctic oil and natural gas exports announced by the Kremlin in December 2018.

The United States was a net crude oil exporter in 2022 and is projected to become the top LNG exporting nation in the coming years. Exports of these two strategic national assets--LNG and crude oil-- should be on American vessels, which is exactly what our bill would require. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members of the House to cosponsor the ``Energizing American Shipbuilding Act.''

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