Long trek to Lone Star State sparked plan for SC maritime academy
by David Wren, SC Daily Gazette, August 8, 2025. With more than 1,100 miles to think while driving from Charleston to Galveston, Texas, three years ago, state Rep. Tom Hartnett Jr. found himself asking the same question again and again. Why doesn’t South Carolina have its own maritime academy? Hartnett was taking his son, Rhett, […]
‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ bolsters Coast Guard shipbuilding programs
By Steve Wilson. (The Center Square) — Passage of the “Big, Beautiful Bill” this summer has provided a jolt to the U.S. Coast Guard’s shipbuilding program as it seeks to replace most of its aging fleet. The service’s most important shipbuilding program, the Heritage class Offshore Patrol Cutter, is years behind schedule and its cost […]
The Impact of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” on the Jones Act and U.S. Maritime Growth
By VOICES Staff. On July 4th, 2025, President Donald Trump signed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBB), a massive reconciliation package that includes significant provisions for the maritime industry. The bill delivers critical funding to enhance U.S. maritime security, shipbuilding, and defense capabilities, while fostering economic growth and job creation in maritime-related sectors. The […]
As Coast Guard receives billions in new Arctic funding, Alaska region gets new commander and name
By James Brooks, Alaska Beacon. July 12, 2025. Last week, President Donald Trump signed a budget bill with almost $25 billion for new Coast Guard construction, including almost $9 billion for new icebreakers and $300 million for new Coast Guard facilities in Juneau. On Friday, Rear Adm. Bob Little, the new commander of the Coast […]
Muscular new escort tug supports a resurgent Port of Baltimore
By Casey Conoly, Professional Mariner. McAllister Towing & Transportation’s multiyear fleet renewal gained momentum this spring with the arrival of Isabel McAllister in the Port of Baltimore. The 6,770-hp tug is the fourth delivery in a six-boat series from Washburn & Doughty Associates in East Boothbay, Maine. The shipyard also designed Isabel using its proven […]
U.S. Shipyards Set the Standard for Safety: SCA Honors 14 Facilities for 2024 Excellence
By VOICES Staff. WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA) has announced its annual Safety Awards, honoring 14 U.S. shipyards for their outstanding safety performance in 2024. The awards recognize facilities that met rigorous standards in promoting safe work environments across the shipbuilding, repair, and maintenance sector. This industry plays a vital role […]
Jones Act Debate Takes Center Stage on Leading Podcast – Bloomberg’s Odd Lots
By VOICES Staff. The Miracle Theatre, Washington, DC’s oldest movie theater, was packed with an engaged audience as one of the nation’s leading podcasts – Bloomberg’s “Odd Lots” – recorded its first-ever episode on the Jones Act. Hosted by analysts Joe Weisenthal and Tracy Alloway, this was also the show’s first live event in the […]
Column: Anti-Jones Act attacks don’t hold water
By Captain Ed Enos. It’s curious why some are pushing so hard against the Jones Act in Hawaii lately (“Jones Act hurts more than it helps,” Island Voices, Star-Advertiser, Feb. 23). Contrary to what Grassroot Institute-affiliated scholar Colin Grabow writes, the Jones Act doesn’t impact the cost of fuel in Hawaii because our island refinery […]
Michael Lind: A libertarian radical sank America’s maritime industry. It needs to be restored.
By Michael Lind, Economics Editor at Commonplace. Ironically, it was the administration of President Ronald Reagan, an ardent Cold Warrior, that crippled American shipbuilding and America’s merchant marine. The individual most responsible for the destruction of America’s commercial ship construction industry was Martin Anderson, who served in the Reagan White House as assistant to the […]
BALZANO: Why New Hampshire Needs the Jones Act
There has been a lot of discussion in New Hampshire lately about the effectiveness of a pro-American law that has been providing national and economic security for the United States for many years. I want to provide some stakeholder’s perspective and perhaps add some context as to how this issue relates to New Hampshire. The Jones […]
