By VOICES Staff.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Bipartisan Congressional leaders are demanding answers from the European Union over its involvement in a lobbying campaign to weaken the Jones Act, a key U.S. maritime law that supports American shipping, shipbuilding, and national security.
In a letter sent to EU Ambassador Jovita Neliupšienė, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure raised “serious concerns” over recently disclosed Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) filings, which reveal that the EU financed an American firm to produce TikTok-style videos and other media criticizing the Jones Act.
The letter, signed by Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO), Ranking Member Rick Larsen (D-WA), and Congressman Mike Ezell (R-MS) and Representative Salud Carbajal (D-CA), leaders of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, warned against foreign efforts to shape U.S. policy outside of traditional diplomatic channels.
“The lobbying efforts by the E.U. raise significant concerns,” the letter states. “It appears that the EU is seeking to influence United States policy on the Jones Act not through diplomatic means, but instead through an advocacy campaign, including collaboration with previously undisclosed United States organizations and social media influencers.”
The controversy stems from an October 17, 2024, FARA filing by StorySquad Media, a U.S.-based media firm, revealing it had been hired by IBF Connect SA, a Belgian consulting company tied to the EU. The contract outlined the creation of “one or two funny but informative” TikTok-style videos designed to attack the Jones Act as part of a broader lobbying effort.
That effort included private meetings with policymakers, op-eds, and targeted messaging campaigns aimed at influencing U.S. maritime policy. Shortly after the FARA filing became public, key documents outlining the full scope of the operation were removed from the Justice Department’s online records, further fueling concerns over transparency, according to the letter.
The CATO Institute has reportedly been involved in this effort, though the notoriously opaque think tank has denied it has been in contact with the EU over this effort. A spokesperson for the EU delegation told gCaptain that the delegation often works with the CATO Institute, leading some to doubt the truth of their involvement.
Concerns Over U.S. Sovereignty and National Security
The Jones Act, formally known as the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, ensures that goods transported between U.S. ports are carried on American-built, American-owned, and American-crewed vessels. Supporters argue the law is critical to national security.
The EU’s involvement in a campaign to undermine the Jones Act raises economic and security concerns. If successful, the effort could give foreign shipping companies unlimited access to U.S. waters, impacting American jobs, supply chains, and critical sectors of the U.S. economy like the oil and gas industry and coastal dredging.
Lawmakers also point out that the EU’s campaign to weaken the Jones Act was not openly conducted through trade negotiations but rather through indirect advocacy efforts. The congressional letter urges the EU to use traditional diplomatic channels rather than media influence campaigns to discuss any concerns over U.S. policy.
Congress Seeks Transparency
The letter calls on the EU to explain its involvement in the anti-Jones Act lobbying campaign and reinforces Congress’s commitment to protecting U.S. maritime laws. The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure has requested a formal response from the EU regarding its activities.
As scrutiny over foreign influence in U.S. policy intensifies, the investigation into the EU’s role in the anti-Jones Act campaign is expected to continue. We need VOICES like you to be prepared. Join the fleet and Come Aboard!
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