Majority Leader Scalise (middle) receives Maritime Leadership Award from Matthew Paxton (left), SCA President and Ben Bordelon, CEO of Bollinger Shipyards and outgoing Chairman of SCA’s Board of Directors (proper)
The Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA), the nationwide affiliation representing the U.S. shipbuilding, upkeep, and restore trade, has introduced U.S. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana) with the SCA Maritime Leadership Award. The award is given yearly to nationwide leaders who exhibit exemplary dedication and assist for the U.S. shipbuilding and restore trade.
Leader Scalise was introduced the Maritime Leadership Award in the course of the SCA annual membership assembly in Washington, D.C.
“Louisiana is a foundational maritime state and Leader Scalise is a tireless champion and advocate for the shipyard industry, industrial base and the dedicated maritime workforce,” mentioned SCA President Matthew Paxton. “It is with great honor that we present this award to recognize the significant contributions that Leader Scalise has made for our industry – a thriving industry that drives nearly $8 billion in economic output in his home district alone and $18.2 billion statewide.”
Throughout his total profession in Congress, notes SCA, Scalise has been influential in advancing insurance policies that assist the home shipbuilding trade, comparable to elevated funding for the Maritime Security Program and the Jones Act – a foundational nationwide safety legislation. He can be an ardent supporter of the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard and has pushed for added appropriations for naval shipbuilding as a essential element of the U.S. protection industrial base.
SCA provides that Scalise has additionally strongly advocated for the trade’s workforce and job coaching packages to make sure the extremely expert workforces wanted are ready to assemble the huge variety of vessels within the U.S. fleet – all the things from tugboats to plane carriers.
“Leader Scalise understands firsthand the importance of this industry and has been a true champion for the nearly 30,000 men and women in his district and the over 400,000 individuals nationwide that make up the shipbuilding and maritime industry. In his 15 years in Washington, Leader Scalise has established an unparalleled record as a fierce advocate for American shipyards and our industrial base. There is no one more deserving of this year’s Maritime Leadership Award than Steve Scalise,” mentioned Ben Bordelon, CEO of Louisiana-based Bollinger Shipyards and outgoing Chairman of SCA. “From the Mississippi River down to Port Fourchon, the maritime industry in Southeast Louisiana builds ships to protect our men and women in uniform, moves essential manufactured goods and supports offshore energy exploration and production to meet the needs of our entire nation and allies abroad. Our region leads the nation with a maritime workforce of over 30,000 jobs and generates billions of dollars in economic impact annually.”
“I am honored to receive the Maritime Leadership Award and thank the Shipbuilders Council of America for their commitment to the maritime industry in Louisiana. I will continue to fight for common sense policies that reduce red tape for our maritime industry and keep these high-skilled, high-paying jobs in Louisiana,” mentioned Leader Scalise.
