Latest news with #SHIPSAct
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Meet the fleets shaping the future generation; driver on visa charged; SHIPS Act
On Episode 836 of WHAT THE TRUCK?!?, Dooner is talking to Next Generation in Trucking's Lindsey Trent about the company's Career Catalyst award, which honors the fleets shaping our nation's future drivers. This recognition highlights fleets — both for-hire and private — that are creating meaningful career paths for young truck drivers, diesel technicians, warehouse associates and more. Can we bring big ship building back to the USA? With all this trade war talk, Dredging Contractors of America's William Doyle talks about how ship building is essential to national security and balancing trade. We'll take a look at the SHIPS Act, the latest on the trade deals and how they're all tied together. Plus, driver on visa charged in fatal wreck; does Jerome Powell need a SONAR account; and more. Catch new shows live at noon EDT Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays on FreightWaves LinkedIn, Facebook, X or YouTube, or on demand by looking up WHAT THE TRUCK?!? on your favorite podcast player and at 5 p.m. Eastern on SiriusXM's Road Dog Trucking Channel on YouTube Check out the WTT merch store Visit our sponsor Subscribe to the WTT newsletterApple Podcasts Spotify More FreightWaves Podcasts The post Meet the fleets shaping the future generation; driver on visa charged; SHIPS Act | WHAT THE TRUCK?!? appeared first on FreightWaves.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mike Waltz's White House Exit Isolates Hawks
When Mike Waltz was still in the House of Representatives, he was among the biggest supporters of the SHIPS Act, a bipartisan bill to incentivize domestic shipbuilding and boost the U.S. Merchant Marine as a strategic bulwark against China's growing maritime power. Shortly before the Florida Republican left Congress to become Donald Trump's national security adviser, he told his colleagues he would continue to fight for SHIPS while in the White House. Indeed, Waltz was among the aides standing next to the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office last month as the president signed an executive order to 'restore America's maritime dominance,' proof that Waltz was ensuring the administration was all-in. So when the sponsors of the original SHIPS legislation reintroduced it in the form of two bills on Wednesday, they thought they had their champion in the White House. A day later, Waltz was gone. On Thursday, after multiple media reports that Waltz and his deputy Alex Wong had been given the boot, Trump announced Waltz would be his new nominee for ambassador to the United Nations after the president's first nominee, Rep. Elise Stefanik, withdrew in March. On top of that, Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, would also serve as national security adviser 'in the interim'—in addition to his roles as acting USAID administrator and acting archivist. On the one hand, it seems like an even trade. While still in the Senate, Rubio had also worked with Waltz and some of the SHIPS co-sponsors—including Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly and Democratic Rep. John Garamendi—to craft a comprehensive plan for a new American maritime strategy. Publicly, the bill's co-sponsors, which also include Republican Sen. Todd Young and Republican Rep. Trent Kelly, insist that this doesn't change the trajectory of their bill. 'We greatly value Congressman Mike Waltz's support and leadership throughout this process, but this bill is not about any one person,' Garamendi told The Dispatch over email. 'We have previously worked with others across the administration, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and we continue to work with other senior administration officials to strengthen our maritime capacity. We will get this done.' Nevertheless, the departure of Waltz from his post means national security hawks in both parties have lost a vital ally in a White House that is otherwise broadly more dovish in its foreign policy. From a vice president hand-selected by Tucker Carlson to the powerful aide keeping Reaganites out of key positions, Hill hawks are looking at an administration more hostile to the idea of using American power abroad than they would prefer. Members of Congress certainly sound concerned about the change, especially since Rubio seems to be only a temporary replacement until the White House can settle on a permanent one. Waltz's departure comes about five weeks after The Atlantic first reported that he had mistakenly added Jeffrey Goldberg, the publication's editor in chief, to a group chat on Signal that also included Rubio, Vance, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, among other top administration officials. It was in this chat that Hegseth shared sensitive information about a planned American strike on Houthis in Yemen—information he would concurrently share with others, including his wife, in a separate text thread. 'I think they're holding the wrong guy accountable,' Kelly told CNN Thursday. 'I think they fired the wrong guy.' That would be Hegseth, Kelly later clarified. While Kelly and other Democrats say Hegseth was the more reckless in the infamous Signal chat, internally, the knives were quickly out for Waltz. Despite the national security adviser's longstanding loyalty to Trump, he had long been seen as a 'neocon' interloper by MAGA's isolationist wing given his ties to Dick Cheney and his appearance in an anti-Trump ad during the 2016 presidential primary. 'I've served multiple tours in Afghanistan as a Special Forces commander,' Waltz said in the ad. 'Donald Trump hasn't served this country a day in his life.' That's the video that Laura Loomer, a notorious conspiracy theorist, tried to show Trump during her visit to the White House last month, during which she provided the president with evidence of supposed disloyalty from many of the staff Waltz had brought on to work at the National Security Council. Despite Waltz interrupting the meeting and continuing to vouch for his team, Trump's meeting with Loomer prompted the dismissal of half a dozen officials. The writing seemed to be on the wall. Trump's golden parachute for Waltz in the form of the United Nations ambassadorship may have its own drawbacks. Unlike the White House position of national security adviser, Waltz's new post requires a Senate confirmation hearing, during which he will face difficult questions about the Signal chat controversy that could further embarrass him, Hegseth, and the administration. Meanwhile, Rubio's stopgap role as national security adviser may not last for long, with multiple outlets reporting that Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff is a leading candidate for the job. That would be more bad news for hawks who have cringed at Witkoff's diplomatic efforts with both Russia and Iran—though some of the consternation with Witkoff is coming from inside the house. One veteran of Trump's first administration told the New York Post Witkoff is a 'bumbling f–king idiot' for meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin alone. It's all just another week in the rolling drama of the Trump administration.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
U.S. Sen. Todd Young wants more American ships to set sail. Could Indiana benefit?
First it was chips. Now, it's ships. Indiana U.S. Sen. Todd Young on April 30 reintroduced bipartisan legislation, known as the SHIPS Act, that intends to revitalize shipbuilding in the U.S. and close the ship vessel gap between America and foreign adversaries, such as China. The SHIPS Act also intends to cut red tape for U.S. vessels participating in international commerce, provide financial incentives for domestic shipbuilding and invest in future maritime workforce jobs. The effort will make its way through Congress in two parts: the SHIPS for America Act and the Building SHIPS for America Act. Young and bipartisan colleagues Arizona Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, California Democratic U.S. Rep. John Garamendi and Missouri Republican U.S. Rep. Trent Kelly first pitched the SHIPS Act in December 2024. The bill, which was introduced at the end of the last Congress, did not move past its initial introduction. The reintroduced SHIPS Act might have more momentum than it did four months ago, due to support from the White House and priorities of President Donald Trump's administration. In addition to imposing widespread tariffs, Trump on April 9 signed an executive order calling for the restoration of 'America's maritime dominance.' 'Our bill will revitalize the U.S. maritime industry, grow our shipbuilding capacity, rebuild America's shipyard industrial base, and support nationwide workforce development in this industry,' Young said in a statement. 'This legislation is critical to our warfighting capabilities and keeping pace with China.' The reasoning behind the SHIPS Act mirrors Young's push for the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act, which sought to boost U.S. production of semiconductors, also known as microchips. Young has long claimed that U.S. chip production will benefit the country's national security. The CHIPS Act brought significant investment to Indiana, including company SK hynix's plans to build a $3.8 billion chip packaging facility in West Lafayette. While Indiana isn't a coastal state, there could still be opportunities for investments in the Hoosier State. Indiana has ports to the south near the Ohio River and to the north on Lake Michigan, which international ships can access through the other Great Lakes. At a press availability following an April 10 event in Bloomington, Young told reporters a key way Indiana might benefit from the SHIPS Act is by producing steel or other part-manufacturers that could add to shipbuilding efforts. "On ship building, more steel comes out of U.S. Steel here in the great state of Indiana, than any other state, so there are real opportunities to provide inputs like steel," Young said on April 10. "You've got Rolls Royce and Cummins and various other component manufacturers that also employ Hoosiers and there are opportunities there should this ship-building initiative have an opportunity to become law." Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Brittany Carloni at Follow her on Twitter/X @CarloniBrittany. Sign up for our free weekly politics newsletter, Checks & Balances, curated by IndyStar political and government reporters. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: U.S. Sen. Todd Young wants more American ships at sea. Could Indiana benefit?
Indianapolis Star
30-04-2025
- Business
- Indianapolis Star
U.S. Sen. Todd Young wants more American ships to set sail. Could Indiana benefit?
First it was chips. Now, it's ships. Indiana U.S. Sen. Todd Young on April 30 reintroduced bipartisan legislation, known as the SHIPS Act, that intends to revitalize shipbuilding in the U.S. and close the ship vessel gap between America and foreign adversaries, such as China. The SHIPS Act also intends to cut red tape for U.S. vessels participating in international commerce, provide financial incentives for domestic shipbuilding and invest in future maritime workforce jobs. The effort will make its way through Congress in two parts: the SHIPS for America Act and the Building SHIPS for America Act. Young and bipartisan colleagues Arizona Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, California Democratic U.S. Rep. John Garamendi and Missouri Republican U.S. Rep. Trent Kelly first pitched the SHIPS Act in December 2024. The bill, which was introduced at the end of the last Congress, did not move past its initial introduction. The reintroduced SHIPS Act might have more momentum than it did four months ago, due to support from the White House and priorities of President Donald Trump's administration. In addition to imposing widespread tariffs, Trump on April 9 signed an executive order calling for the restoration of 'America's maritime dominance.' 'Our bill will revitalize the U.S. maritime industry, grow our shipbuilding capacity, rebuild America's shipyard industrial base, and support nationwide workforce development in this industry,' Young said in a statement. 'This legislation is critical to our warfighting capabilities and keeping pace with China.' SHIPS Act and the CHIPS Act The reasoning behind the SHIPS Act mirrors Young's push for the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act, which sought to boost U.S. production of semiconductors, also known as microchips. Young has long claimed that U.S. chip production will benefit the country's national security. The CHIPS Act brought significant investment to Indiana, including company SK hynix's plans to build a $3.8 billion chip packaging facility in West Lafayette. While Indiana isn't a coastal state, there could still be opportunities for investments in the Hoosier State. Indiana has ports to the south near the Ohio River and to the north on Lake Michigan, which international ships can access through the other Great Lakes. At a press availability following an April 10 event in Bloomington, Young told reporters a key way Indiana might benefit from the SHIPS Act is by producing steel or other part-manufacturers that could add to shipbuilding efforts. "On ship building, more steel comes out of U.S. Steel here in the great state of Indiana, than any other state, so there are real opportunities to provide inputs like steel," Young said on April 10. "You've got Rolls Royce and Cummins and various other component manufacturers that also employ Hoosiers and there are opportunities there should this ship-building initiative have an opportunity to become law." Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Brittany Carloni at Follow her on Twitter/X @CarloniBrittany.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump wants to revive the lagging US shipbuilding industry. Here are the hurdles he faces
President Donald Trump is turning his attention to the U.S. shipbuilding industry, which is leagues behind its near-peer competitor China, and recently signed an executive order designed to reinvigorate it. Trump's April 10 order instructs agencies to develop a Maritime Action Plan and orders the U.S. trade representative to compile a list of recommendations to address China's "anticompetitive actions within the shipbuilding industry," among other things. Additionally, the executive order instructs a series of assessments regarding how the government could bolster financial support through the Defense Production Act, the Department of Defense Office of Strategic Capital, a new Maritime Security Trust Fund, investment from shipbuilders from allied countries and other grant programs. But simply throwing money at the shipbuilding industry won't solve the problem, according to Bryan Clark, director of the Hudson Institute think tank's Center for Defense Concepts and Technology. "It is unlikely that just putting more money into U.S. shipbuilding – even with foreign technical assistance – will make U.S. commercial shipbuilders competitive with experienced and highly-subsidized shipyards in China, Korea, or Japan," Clark said in a Monday email to Fox News Digital. "In the near to mid-term, the government will need to also drive higher demand for U.S.-built ships." Us Risks Pushing European Allies Into China's Arms With New Tariffs, Experts Warn Read On The Fox News App Clark also said the executive orders appear to complement the SHIPS for America Act, a series of legislative measures introduced in December 2024 in both the House and Senate aimed at fostering growth within the U.S. shipbuilding industry and strengthening the U.S. Merchant Marine fleet that is capable of transporting military materials during times of conflict. Specifically, the SHIPS Act includes provisions establishing a Strategic Commercial Fleet Program, which would seek to develop merchant vessels that could operate internationally, but are American-built, owned and operated. The legislation would also seek to beef up the U.S.-flag international fleet by roughly 250 ships in 10 years. "If we implement the EO and the SHIPS Act together, the government would create incentives to flag and build ships in the U.S. and provide capital to the shipbuilding industry so it could meet the increased demand with greater efficiency and lower costs," Clark said. "This will not result in the U.S. surpassing China, Korea or Japan as shipbuilders, but it would provide the U.S. more resilience." The U.S. is drastically behind near-peer competitors like China in shipbuilding. China is responsible for more than 50% of global shipbuilding, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, compared to just 0.1% from the U.S. However, Trump has indicated interest in working with other nations on shipbuilding, and suggested working with Congress to pass legislation authorizing the purchase of ships from foreign countries when signing the orders. Specifics were not provided. Us Risks Pushing European Allies Into China's Arms With New Tariffs, Experts Warn But doing so could upend a century-old law known as the Jones Act – a controversial law fundamental to the current U.S. shipbuilding environment that requires that only U.S. ships carry cargo between U.S. ports and stipulates that at least 75% of the crew members are American citizens. It also requires that these ships are built in the U.S. and that U.S. citizens own them. Proponents of the Jones Act assert it is key to national security and prevents foreigners from gaining entry to the U.S. But experts claim the law has significantly hampered U.S. shipbuilding, and is undercutting competition while keeping shipbuilding costs high. Efforts to repeal the legislation have failed amid bipartisan support in Congress. But some experts claim eradicating the law is a first step in changing the shipbuilding industry in the U.S. "Anyone who is serious about reviving the shipping industry should basically start by getting rid of the Jones Act," Veronique de Rugy, a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, told Fox News Digital Thursday. "It's not everything, but it's a start." Colin Grabow, an associate director at the Cato Institute's Center for Trade Policy Studies, said shipbuilding issues in the U.S. are multifaceted, but the Jones Act is a major part of the problem. Still, he doubts efforts to repeal it will prove successful. "I think the bar has been set so low, it is hard not to think that, absent the Jones Act, that we'd be doing any worse," Grabow said. "And in fact, I think we'd do better. And why do I think we'd do better? It's because… fundamentally, I think an industry that doesn't have to compete will become uncompetitive. I think it's just kind of axiomatic."Original article source: Trump wants to revive the lagging US shipbuilding industry. Here are the hurdles he faces
