OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2021

Floor Speech

Date: Dec. 8, 2021
Location: Washington, DC

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4996, the Ocean Shipping Reform Act.

I thank Mr. Johnson, Mr. Garamendi, and others for joining me in raising the alarm back in March in a letter to the Federal Maritime Commission about the empty container ships leaving American ports.

This bill follows on that effort, offering necessary reforms to Federal regulations overseeing the ocean shipping industry in order to address problems like this that have been discussed.

Agricultural exports are critical to not only feeding the world but to the livelihood of the producers I represent in Nebraska.

We cannot do that if container ships leave American ports completely empty.

This bill prohibits foreign ocean carriers from refusing U.S. exports unreasonably and gives the FMC more tools to ensure these carriers are held accountable and held to a high standard.

Trade only works if exports reach their final destination in a reliable and affordable way.

This bill is great step toward facilitating exactly that.

It is a reasonable bill, and I urge a ``yes'' vote.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT


Source
arrow_upward