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US Senators Mark Kelly and Marco Rubio and US Representatives Mike Waltz and John Garamendi released the bipartisan report entitled "Congressional Guidance for a National Maritime Strategy," which provides a comprehensive vision for planning guidance, strategic objectives, and actionable steps to revitalise the nation's maritime sector.
The legislators believe that, in an era of great power competition, aging infrastructure, and the threat of high intensity war, the US Congress must adopt a maritime strategy vital to US national security and the world.
The legislators claimed that, despite calls from Congress for the last decade, such a comprehensive strategy has yet to be produced.
Senator Kelly said the bipartisan report provides a roadmap for the administration and Congress to work together to rebuild the US shipbuilding sector and fortify the US-flag fleet.
This report highlights the urgent need for comprehensive action to counter the People's Republic of China access to the ocean. It identifies maintaining access to the sea as a national security requirement and outlines a series of steps to ensure that capability.
The proposed steps include incentivising US-flagged shipping, restoring commercial shipbuilding capacity, and expanding the advanced maritime workforce required to build, operate, and maintain US ships.
The report can be read here.