Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, the Office of Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness U.S. Congressman Mike Waltz (FL-6) hosted a three-day bicameral, bipartisan workshop with key stakeholders in the Department of Defense, Congress, and maritime industry to talk about U.S. maritime strategy, challenges, and opportunities and what Congress can do to reverse the decline of American Sea Power.

Participating in this workshop were staff from the offices of Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Representatives Rob Wittman (VA-1), Trent Kelly (MS-1), John Garamendi (CA-8), Mike Gallagher (WI-8), Joe Courtney (CT-2), Chris Deluzio (PA-17), and Lance Golden (TX-5).

The Workshop was also supported by the offices of Secretaries of State, Navy, Transportation/Maritime Administration, and Homeland Security/Coast Guard, as well as the Transportation Command, Chief of Naval Operations, Naval War College, Center for Maritime Strategy and Navy League, Heritage Foundation, Hudson Institute, and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

“The Chinese Navy is eclipsing the United States in shipbuilding as the Chinese Communist Party fulfills its plans to become the world’s only superpower, usurping the United States,” said Waltz. “We must rise to the occasion, strengthen our American Sea Power capabilities, and secure our fragile maritime supply chains. I’m proud my office brought together important thought leaders, stakeholders, and officials to talk about the challenges our country faces moving forward and how Congress can help shape and support our maritime strategy. It is going to take us working together to ensure we maintain our naval dominance, secure resources, and address the urgent and growing threat of China.”

“We are eager to protect, modernize, and expand our nation’s maritime transportation system and deepening our relationship with the interagency is a pillar of how we will make that happen, so we are thankful we were in the room for this,” said Brian Varney, Maritime Administration.

"Today our nation is over-reliant on others' shipping to keep industry humming, store shelves stocked, and even our military functioning. The recent workshop and efforts by Congressional leaders to address this is welcomed and urgently needed,” Brent Sadler, Senior Research Fellow, Naval Warfare and Advanced Technology, Center for National Defense, Heritage Foundation.

“We need to be having these kinds of conversations, and finding a way to work together on common challenges - we have an urgent need to strengthen America’s place on the high seas,” said Reed Craddock, Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of Trent Kelly, Chairman of the HASC Committee on Sea Power.

“Having been in the maritime sector a long time, I am excited that we are having a discussion about a new U.S. maritime policy,” said Emanuel ‘Manny’ Rouvelas, K&L Gates LLP. “It is vitally important to the nation.”

“Changing America’s maritime trajectory requires a bold vision and a bias for action. I applaud all those who participated, and I am a ready partner for likeminded colleagues determined to ensure America’s rightful place on the high seas,” said Waltz.

Special thanks to the Center for Naval Analyses (CNA) for providing the facilities to hold this event.