MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman French Hill (AR-02)

Today, Rep. French Hill (AR-02) voted for H.R. 8800, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2027, which passed the House by a vote of 216-212. The bipartisan bill supports our military personnel and families, strengthens our national defense, modernizes our military capabilities, and includes four amendments introduced by or cosponsored by Rep. Hill, three of which will directly benefit the Arkansas National Guard.

Rep. Hill said, “It is critical that Beijing, Moscow, and Tehran have no doubt about the lethality of the United States military or our ability to project power anywhere in the world. This NDAA advances peace through strength by restocking critical munitions, strengthening defense supply chains, and accelerating weapons production. It also raises pay for the men and women who wear the uniform and invests in the technologies that will define tomorrow’s battlefield. It redirects billions from lower-priority spending to our warfighting mission and eliminates distractions that have nothing to do with winning wars. This bill ensures our military has what it needs to deter our adversaries and defend American interests around the globe.

“I am also proud that several of my priorities were included in this year’s NDAA to support our Guardsmen in central Arkansas.”

Background:

H.R. 8800, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027, authorizes $1.15 trillion in national defense discretionary spending. The bill revitalizes the defense industrial base, revives the organic industrial base, provides the certainty industry needs to expand capacity, and grows and develops the defense industrial workforce. It advances small business participation in the defense industrial base, secures our supply chains, furthers acquisition reform, and improves collaboration on data rights. The legislation also raises pay for all servicemembers by 5 to 7 percent and improves housing, education, and childcare access for military families.

Rep. Hill’s Amendments and Priorities:

• Sharing of Cyber Intelligence: This amendment directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a review of the health of the Department of Defense’s cyber intelligence sharing with state, local, Tribal, territorial, and private-sector partners. This amendment was developed with the Arkansas National Guard to ensure we analyze cyber information sharing to learn how to stop and mitigate cyber threats for homeland defense.
• Camp Pike Conveyance: Codifies a no-cost land exchange between the Arkansas National Guard and the United States Army Reserve. The land exchange will include a two-star division headquarters at Camp Pike, currently occupied by a drilling unit with minimal full-time staff, a unit whose needs would be far better served by an armory. The second is the Chappell Armory in Arkansas, which was built for traditional drilling units but currently operates as a full-time headquarters. This would result in a mutually beneficial outcome and ensure better stewardship of taxpayer dollars.
• F-35 Research, Development, Test and Evaluation: This amendment seeks to maximize taxpayer value by directing the Department of Defense to conduct and publish a cost comparison study for future F-35 basing locations for aircraft receiving first delivery between Fiscal Year 2030 and Fiscal Year 2035. The Arkansas National Guard believes that this study is critical to ensuring a complete understanding of the current mission and personnel before future F-35 basing decisions are made.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bill Foster (11th District of Illinois)

Washington, DC — Today, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) led 19 of his colleagues in introducing the Federal Naming Standards Act. This legislation would prevent federal buildings, facilities, and programs from being named after elected officials or political appointees until at least 10 years after they leave office. Even beyond that time frame, no former official who makes more than $1 million annually from the commercial use of their name or likeness would be able to have anything named after them.

“At a time when public trust in government is under strain, Congress must ensure that public institutions serve the public—not the interests of any individual officeholder,” said Congressman Foster. “President Trump’s attempts to put his name on the Kennedy Center, the U.S. Institute of Peace, and a new fleet of Navy vessels are especially concerning due to his family’s commercial empire. By attaching his personal brand to federally funded institutions and initiatives, he is using the presidency to further his private business interests, raising serious ethical concerns.”

This legislation is endorsed by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) and Public Citizen.

This legislation is cosponsored by Reps. Gil Cisneros (D-CA), Lou Correa (D-CA), Madeleine Dean (D-PA), Maxwell Frost (D-FL), John Garamendi (D-CA), Jesús “Chuy” García (D-IL), Val Hoyle (D-OR), Sam Liccardo (D-CA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Morgan McGarvey (D-KY), Gwen Moore (D-WI), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Donald Norcross (D-NJ), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Raul Ruiz (D-CA), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Marc Veasey (D-TX), and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL).

A copy of the bill can be found here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

“Donald Trump is working overtime to turn our museums into instruments of MAGA propaganda, rather than places where American people and visitors from around the world can encounter our factual history.”

Pressley Has Fought to Protect Black History Against Trump’s Crusade to Whitewash Museums

Pressley, Tonko Demanded an Investigation into Trump’s Attack on Smithsonian Museums

Video (YouTube)

WASHINGTON – During a Committee on Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee hearing, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) highlighted Trump’s attempts to erase, whitewash, and rewrite American history, through his attacks on Smithsonian museums and cultural institutions. In her remarks, Rep. Pressley drew parallels between Trump’s attempts to remove museum exhibits—especially those that display moments in American history related to marginalized communities—and the fascist actions of the Nazi regime to destroy Jewish art.

A transcript of Congresswoman Pressley’s remarks is available below and the video is available here.

Transcript: Pressley Rebukes Trump’s Fascist Takeover of Museums, Attempts to Erase & Rewrite our Shared History

House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

July 21, 2026

REP. PRESSLEY: Our shared American history, our shared American history is under attack. 

Donald Trump is working overtime to turn our museums into instruments of MAGA propaganda, rather than places where American people and visitors from around the world can encounter our factual history. 

I had the privilege this weekend of visiting the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee—a Smithsonian affiliate—and, what I I took in there was factual, it was powerful, it was equal parts devastating and also instructive, which is why people are working so hard to erase it. 

And let me just be clear. Try as you might to erase Black history and to erase Black people, you cannot erase us. But I digress. 

The work of our museums is so very important, Dr. Hartig. That work deserves visibility, gratitude, protection, not vilification and threats. 

Since taking office, the Trump administration has become synonymous with fascism. 

While there is no one set definition, historians have generally agreed upon several characteristics. 

Dr. Blight, you were selected to be the president of the Society of American Historians, so I’m going to ask you to keep me honest on this.

Now, what I’ve learned is that fascism usually includes elements like undermining fair elections, a constant targeting of vulnerable people and labeling them as enemies, and an overwhelming amount of government corruption. 

Sounds eerily familiar. A damning and devastating déjà vu of the moment we find ourselves in right now. 

The element I want to focus on today is the fascist hostility to our history, academia, museums, and the arts.

Dr. Blight, looking at history, why do fascists and autocrats attack cultural institutions like museums?

DR. BLIGHT: Madam Congresswoman, it’s because they believe that’s where you can control people’s minds, you can sustain a social order. You can control education. You can control the arts. You can control writing and creativity itself. 

It is not just the Nazis. There have been plenty of other neo-fascist or fascist regimes that have attempted to do that.

REP. PRESSLEY: Thank you, Doctor. Yeah, this is a, this is an anti-freedom agenda. 

They want to control what books we read, what is in our museums, what we do with our bodies, attack the free press, degrade free speech. 

It’s an anti-freedom agenda. 

Dr. Blight, what warning signs do you look for when society starts drifting towards fascism and authoritarianism?

DR. BLIGHT: First, I look for the breakup of political parties. Then I look at, I look for this kind of assault on cultural institutions, on things like the National Park Service, which reaches more students than any of us who teach in universities. 

I look for attempts to control the media, which is the dissemination of knowledge. And I look for any attempt at the control over free minds, free speech, freedom itself.

REP. PRESSLEY: Thank you. History gives us a chilling example of what happens when a government decides that it alone will define what counts as good art and acceptable history. 

I’ve heard the stories passed down in Jewish families of Germany in the 1930s as the Nazi regime consolidated political power, it turned its attention to museums and to galleries.

The regime started with criticism, labeling art as “degenerate” and claiming it didn’t fit with the national culture. But then they started attacking museum directors and curators.

And eventually art pieces were confiscated from museums and locked away or sold.

In 1939, Nazis publicly burned thousands of paintings that they couldn’t profit from. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum details much of this history. 

Fascist attacks on museums are not just about history. 

Today, the occupant of the White House labels entire aspects of American history as quote unquote “divisive,” and uses the power of his office to pressure the Smithsonian to remove, whitewash, and to rewrite our stories. 

I’m not here to exaggerate, just to educate. 

And what is spurring this all on? What fuels this? 

Fear of a Black planet. Fear of a multiracial democracy. 

The occupant of the Oval Office, Project 2025, this cult of MAGA—they are fueled by fear and hate. 

Dr. Blight, when people see the warning signs that you mentioned, why is it important that they speak up and take action?

DR. BLIGHT: Well, it’s important because if the people don’t stand up, they lose these institutions.

And as you just suggested, the Black world came to America for the World Cup. I wonder if I wonder if people notice that the world is Black and brown, and the teams from European countries were Black and brown, and we ought to take some lesson from that.

And by the way, to that point earlier, sorry–that they were getting disinformation. 

Well, who were they getting the disinformation from? 

And let’s remember, what fascinates the world about America is our contradictions. 

CHAIR: Your time’s up. 

DR. BLIGHT: So fascinating. 

CHAIR: Thank you. I’m sorry. Your time’s up.

—–

Rep. Pressley has been a leading voice in defending diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, protecting Black history, and pushing back against Republicans’ efforts to deny intellectual freedom—whether by banning books or threatening museums.

Rep. Pressley has also led on securing critical funding for museums, arts, and humanities.

In 2022, she secured $207 million in federal funding for both the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment of the Arts, which has supported communities, schools, and small businesses throughout the Massachusetts 7th Congressional district. She also secured $2,505,000 for the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom program in the National Parks Service Operations.

Rep. Pressley has advocated for support for museums across the country that are dedicated to archiving, researching, and preserving the African American experience, such as the National Museum of African American History and Culture. In FY26, she secured $6 million for the Museum Grants for African American History and Culture—including $500,000 for Boston’s Museum of African American History—which will provide such museums the resources they need to build on their work and continue to make history more accessible to the public.

In February 2026, Rep. Pressley led 52 of her colleagues in introducing a resolution to honor Black history museums and cultural institutions in their telling of our accurate, shared American history and protect these institutions from erasure, whitewashing, and funding cuts.

In August 2025, Rep. Pressley condemned Trump’s attempt to politicize, editorialize, and whitewash exhibits at Smithsonian museums—particularly museums and exhibits with diverse and factual presentations of American history.

In May 2025, Rep. Pressley, alongside Congressman Paul Tonko (NY-20), Co-Chair of the Congressional Museum Caucus, led 69 of their colleagues on a letter to the Inspector General of the Smithsonian Institution demanding an investigation on the impact of Donald Trump’s harmful Executive Order attacking Smithsonian museums – namely, the American Art Museum, the American Women’s History Museum, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture – attempting to erase histories of marginalized communities. A copy of the letter is available here.

In May 2025, Rep. Pressley convened a roundtable and press conference at the Museum of African American History in Boston to uplift the vital role of museums in preserving our shared history amid Donald Trump’s attack on cultural institutions and his attempts to erase the documented histories of marginalized communities.

In April 2025, Rep. Pressley delivered a floor speech slamming Trump’s attack on Smithsonian museums and affirming that Black history is American history.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Moolenaar (4th District of Michigan)

Headline: Moolenaar Votes to End Insider Trading in Congress

Today, Congressman John Moolenaar voted in favor of, H.R. 7008, the Stop Insider Trading Act, to ban members of Congress and their immediate families from purchasing individual stocks. Moolenaar cosponsored the bill upon its introduction, and applauds its passage through the House of Representatives.

“Members of Congress are entrusted by their constituents to represent them faithfully in Washington, D.C., and members should never use their position to enrich themselves and their families. In Congress, I have never bought or sold individual stocks; unfortunately, far too often elected officials have used knowledge gained in classified settings for profit. The Stop Insider Trading Act will ensure that members of Congress do not benefit financially from their role as public servants, and I urge the Senate to immediately pass this commonsense legislation,” said Moolenaar. 

Specifically, the legislation prohibits Members of Congress, their spouses, and their dependent children from purchasing individual stocks of publicly traded companies. Additionally, it requires public disclosure seven days prior to the sale of any previously held stock, and establishes penalties including forced divestment for violations. 

H.R. 7008 passed the House of Representatives in a bipartisan vote of 232 to 198. All 198 representatives who voted against the legislation are members of the Democrat Party. 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Moolenaar (4th District of Michigan)

Headline: Moolenaar Votes to Empower American Military and Support Servicemembers

Today, Congressman John Moolenaar voted to pass legislation to strengthen American national security and support members of the armed forces. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for 2027 authorizes policies and programs for the Department of War, cuts wasteful spending while funding the revitalization American defense manufacturing, and provides servicemembers with a 5-7% raise with improved benefits for military families.

“Our commitment to the brave men and women who serve in the U.S. Armed Forces will never waiver. The FY27 NDAA will help ensure our military remains the world’s premiere fighting force, and provides increased support those who serve and their families. This legislation is a win for Michigan; restores our defense industrial base, provides vital funding for Selfridge Air National Guard Base and opens the door to new innovations in a constantly changing battlefield. I’m also proud my provision to prevent foreign surveillance of military cargo was included in this bill to bolter our national security,” said Moolenaar. 

Moolenaar serves as the Chairman of the House Select Committee on China. He added, “The legislation passed by the House today will defend our country against the Chinese Communist Party, which is the biggest threat we face. Including part of my bipartisan GUARD Act sends a clear sign that Congress is addressing the privacy and national security risks posted by Chinese robots. We cannot allow these robots to become predominate in our country and we need to support American innovation in robotics. The NDAA also addresses the continued threat of CCP aggression in the Indo-Pacific and supports continued coordination with our allies and like-minded partners in the region.”

The National Defense Authorization Act is passed annually by Congress to direct policy and authorize funding for the Department of War. All three amendments submitted by Moolenaar were adopted and passed by the House. 

All three of Moolenaar’s amendments to the NDAA were adopted prior to passage. Those amendments are:

1. Keeping China Off the Rails – Prohibits sensitive monitoring technology manufactured in China or by a foreign entity of concern from being used on railcars owned or leased by the Department of War. Moolenaar introduced the bipartisan Keeping China Off the Rails Act in April.
2. GUARD Act of 2026 – Requires the Department of War to add a determination of whether Chinese unmanned robotics including ground vehicle systems pose a risk to U.S. national security.
3. Pacific Command Military Construction Acceleration – Directs the Department of War to inventory, assess and prioritize all military construction and infrastructure projects in the Pacific Islands aligned to operational requirements set for 2030, 2035, and 2040. 

The FY27 NDAA passed the House today in a vote of 216-212. More information about the legislation can be found here. 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Robert Aderholt (AL-04)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Robert Aderholt (AL-04) released the following statement after voting in favor of H.R. 8800 – the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027.  

“I am proud to have voted ‘Yes’ for the FY27 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to revitalize the defense industrial base, secure our supply chains, and improve quality of life for our service members and their families. 

This year’s authorization matches the President’s generational investment in our national security. The proposal makes a 28% increase year-over-year, making the necessary investments to preserve peace through strength. 

The FY27 NDAA also puts our service members and military families first. By supporting a 5-7% pay raise, improving housing, strengthening education benefits, and expanding childcare access, we are taking care of those who defend our freedom.

This legislation delivers on President Trump’s pledge to build a ready and capable fighting force. Peace through strength starts in our factories, our depots, and our shipyards. We are enhancing military training, increasing readiness, and restoring defense manufacturing.”

Congressman Aderholt supported a bipartisan line to prioritize funding for Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery to enhance the Department of War’s strategic training, education, and simulation capabilities.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

WASHINGTON — Yesterday, Speaker Johnson delivered remarks following House passage this week of the budget resolution to unlock Reconciliation 3.0, the Stop Insider Trading Act, the FY27 NDAA, and the clean continuing resolution to fund the government through the midterm elections.

“Americans demand a few things that are common sense. They demand secure elections, they want a strong national defense capable of countering our adversaries, and they want a Congress that plays by the same rules that they do. These are not big things to ask,” Speaker Johnson said. “House Republicans delivered on all those promises and those priorities this week and then some.”

Nearly every House Democrat voted this week against funding the government, securing American elections, funding the United States military, and a ban on Members of Congress profiting from non-public information.

 

Watch Speaker Johnson’s remarks here.

Below are Speaker Johnson’s remarks as delivered:

This was obviously a consequential week for House Republicans, but it was a very consequential week for the American people. And we’ve delivered once again.

Americans demand a few things that are common sense. They demand secure elections. They want a strong national defense capable of countering our adversaries. They want a Congress that plays by the same rules that they do. These are not big things to ask. House Republicans delivered on all those promises and those priorities this week and then some.

By way of reminder, this is what we did this week. The House Republicans passed the clean CR to keep the government funded responsibly, the Stop Insider Trading Act that bans lawmakers from trading and buying individual stocks and from abusing their office for financial gain, the NDAA to provide a much needed pay raise for our troops and to rebuild the arsenal of freedom, and the budget resolution that unlocks our third reconciliation bill, which of course is Republican’s best shot to get as much of the SAVE America Act into law as possible, in addition to funding our national defense and our farmers.

Republicans support our troops, our farmers and election security. We’re the only team in Washington that does. Many of you doubted our success. Many of you standing around me in this gaggle right now said, let me read you a sample of the headlines: ‘House Republicans face final week gauntlet.’ Another said: ‘Johnson’s rocky sprint to recess.’ Another said it was ‘Johnson’s make or break week.’ Despite nearly every Democrat voting against everything I just read you, House Republicans delivered.

Now, when many of you like to say that major legislating can’t happen in an election year, we just proved you wrong. This week, we continue to deliver for the people, and we’re going to continue that streak all the way through the end of this year and into the next Congress. We’re increasingly confident that we will hold and grow this majority in the House. We must because you’re seeing a demonstration of the two sides – the divergent views for America. We had been saying that this was an election that was shaping up as a contest between common sense and crazy. And now it is literally in many sectors around the country, common sense versus communism.

We have done our job; we’ll continue to do it. Tomorrow, House Republicans will return to their districts armed with a proven track record of success and in these new legislative victories. Democrats, on the other hand, have to go home. They have to answer for quite a bit. They have to answer for why they voted against funding our troops, against funding the government, against common sense policies like voter ID and proof of citizenship, and against a popular ban on Members of Congress purchasing individual stocks.

We have three and a half months to go until this election. We are going to run through the tape. We’re going to continue to demonstrate here every day as we did this week: the Republicans are on the side of the American people, on the side of common sense, on the side of America. The Democrats simply are not. That’s a sad reality of where we are and everybody gets to make a choice in the upcoming election. We’re very much looking forward to that.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Brian Babin (R-TX)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Congressman Brian Babin (R-TX), Chairman of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee and a practicing dentist for more than 40 years, introduced the Oversight of Responsible Teledentistry for Healthy Outcomes (ORTHO) Act, H.R. 9829, to establish common-sense patient safety standards for orthodontic treatment provided through teledentistry.

“Teledentistry has expanded access to care for countless Americans, and when used appropriately, it can be a valuable tool. But convenience should never come at the expense of patient safety,” said Congressman Babin. “As a dentist for more than four decades, I understand the importance of a thorough clinical examination before beginning significant orthodontic treatment. Patients deserve the confidence of knowing their treatment decisions are based on an in-person evaluation, appropriate diagnostic records, and sound clinical judgment, not solely on an online interaction. The ORTHO Act strikes the right balance by preserving access to teledentistry while ensuring commonsense safeguards are in place to protect patients.”

“We applaud Congressman Brian Babin for his leadership in introducing the ORTHO Act and for bringing his decades of experience as a practicing dentist to this important patient safety issue,” said Dr. Mike Durbin, President of the American Association of Orthodontists. “Teledentistry and artificial intelligence are transforming the delivery of health care and can expand access to care when deployed in ways that preserve patient safety and professional accountability. The ORTHO Act establishes commonsense patient safety standards that ensure orthodontic treatment begins with an in-person clinical examination, appropriate diagnostic records, and the professional judgment of a licensed health care professional. By providing a clear framework for the responsible use of teledentistry, the legislation promotes responsible innovation while helping protect patients nationwide. The American Association of Orthodontists is proud to support the ORTHO Act and looks forward to working with Congress to advance these important patient protections.”

The ORTHO Act establishes baseline patient safety standards while preserving access to teledentistry by:

• Requiring an in-person dental examination before most dental treatment can be provided through teledentistry;
• Allowing exceptions for emergencies, public health programs, and initial orthodontic screenings;
• Requiring an in-person confirmation and X-ray review before orthodontic treatment begins;
• Authorizing enforcement by the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general against violators; and
• Allowing patients to seek damages for willful violations.

The legislation is supported by the American Association of Orthodontists.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Representatives Mike Kelly (R-PA) and Nathaniel Moran (R-TX) introduced the Shipbuilding Investment and Workforce Act, legislation which aims to strengthen U.S. shipbuilding and maritime manufacturing by encouraging long-term private investment through the creation of Maritime Prosperity Zones (MPZs).

The legislation follows recent plans to build a modern, large-scale shipbuilding project along Erie’s bayfront to support the U.S. Navy. A new shipyard in Erie is projected to create 1,000 jobs, plus an additional 2.67 jobs in other parts of the local economy for every shipyard job.

Kelly’s legislation also supports the Trump administration’s goalsto expand commercial shipbuilding capacity in the United States. Currently, the U.S. accounts for less than 1% of global commercial shipbuilding market share while China accounts for more than 53%, according to the 2025 report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

“Expanding America’s shipbuilding production is vital for economic growth and national security. Currently, China, not the United States, has the world’s largest maritime fleet. The Shipbuilding Investment and Workforce Act takes a major step toward making America the dominant ship producer in our hemisphere, if not the world,” said Rep. Kelly. “Erie’s maritime past, its skilled manufacturing workforce, and geographic location make our region a perfect place to construct a new U.S. naval shipyard. I want to thank the Trump administration for their bold vision that made Maritime Prosperity Zones possible.”

“U.S. strength abroad depends on the revitalization of American shipyards. China embarked on a decades-long strategy to dominate an industry critical to both commerce and national defense. Now is the time for America to compete for the workforce and investments that build ships in the first place,” said Rep. Moran. “The Shipbuilding Investment and Workforce Act gives American investment a reason to bet on American shipyards again, and that’s how we rebuild an industry China has spent years trying to monopolize.”

You can find bill text here and a one-pager here.

BACKGROUND

The establishment of new Maritime Prosperity Zones (MPZs), modeled after President Trump’s highly successful 2017 Opportunity Zones (OZs) initiative, will incentivize and leverage domestic private capital and allied investment in America’s maritime industries and waterfront communities. Rep. Kelly has led OZ legislation in Congress — both in the 2017 Tax Cuts & Jobs Act and in the 2025 Working Families Tax Cuts.

The United States faces gaps in the supply of, and demand for the capabilities and capacity of
its maritime industry. Now is a critical time in America’s maritime history, as decades of
industrial decline has significantly eroded shipbuilding capacity, the U.S.-flagged fleet, and
the health of the MIB.

Establishing Maritime Prosperity Zones would incentivize and align new domestic and allied
investment in U.S. maritime industries and waterfront communities; address myriad supply and demand issues; and reduce dependence on unreliable suppliers through heightened cooperation with allies and partners.

Earlier this month, Kelly wrote an op-ed in the Erie Times-News highlighting the importance of building a shipyard in Erie. A new shipyard in Erie is projected to create 1,000 jobs, plus an additional 2.67 jobs in other parts of the local economy for every shipyard job.

• “Beyond the shores of Presque Isle Bay and Lake Erie, there is a larger geopolitical puzzle that is coming together. A 2024 analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) revealed China — not the United States — now possesses the world’s largest maritime force with 234 warships to the U.S. Navy’s 219. Moreover, a 2025 CSIS report indicates China is quickly evolving from a coastal navy into a “blue-water navy” with ambitions to project its power globally,” Kelly wrote.

This week, Kelly also co-led Moran’s new legislation, the American Shipyard Investment Act.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

• “The Shipbuilding Investment and Workforce Act is about putting America, and cities like Erie, PA back at the center of maritime innovation and production.  By creating maritime prosperity zones and unlocking investment in shipbuilding, port infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing, we’re laying the foundation for long-term economic growth and national security,” said A.J. Lewis, CEO and Founder of SBD, Inc. in Erie, Pa. “Erie and the broader NW PA region have the properties, capacity, talent, and rich maritime history to lead this resurgence.  With strong local leadership aligned through Erie’s Maritime Initiative and buildshipsfaster.com campaign, this effort ensures our community is not just part of the conversation, yet at the forefront of rebuilding America’s maritime strength.”
• “Shipbuilding is part of Erie’s identity and a cornerstone of our future. Erie has the skilled workforce, industrial heritage, and strategic location to help meet our nation’s growing shipbuilding needs. By investing in this industry, we’re creating family sustaining careers, strengthening our local economy, and positioning Erie County as a key partner in supporting America’s maritime readiness,” said Christina Vogel, Erie County (Pa.) Executive. “Every investment in shipbuilding supports local businesses, creates opportunities for our residents, and reinforces our nation’s maritime strength. We’re proud to continue Erie’s long tradition of answering the nation’s call while building a stronger future for generations to come.” 
• “The Shipbuilding Investment and Workforce Act presents a forward-looking approach to
  strengthening U.S. shipbuilding and maritime manufacturing by encouraging long-term private investment through the creation of Maritime Prosperity Zones. We believe the legislation creates much needed incentives to attract capital, modernize facilities, and support sustained industrial growth,” said Joshua H. Juel, President and CEO of Chamber of Marine Commerce.
• “The Shipbuilding Investment and Workforce Act is firm step in the correct direction for revitalizing American shipbuilding.  The U.S. Great Lakes maritime industry stands ready to execute with robust shipyards, a strong industrial base, and the workforce needed to compete with foreign shipyards,” stated Jim Weakley, President of the Lake Carriers’ Association.
• “SMA applauds introduction of the Shipbuilding Investment and Workforce Act, led by steel
  champion Rep. Mike Kelly. A revitalized maritime industrial base is critical for U.S. economic
  prosperity and national security, and policies that expand domestic shipbuilding capacity support the men and women who make steel in America,” said Brandon Farris, Executive Vice President of the Steel Manufacturers Association. “This legislation builds on recommendations in the Maritime Action Plan to align federal tax policy with this important goal. Steel manufacturers are ready to supply the steel for the next great chapter in American shipbuilding.”
• “AISI thanks Rep. Kelly for his leadership in supporting the revival of American shipbuilding. Creating Maritime Prosperity Zones will help ensure that communities throughout the United States can contribute to rebuilding the supply chains necessary to sustain American shipbuilding. Renewed American shipbuilding will enhance opportunities for domestic steel to continue to support America’s maritime leadership,” said Kevin Dempsey, president and CEO of the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI).

Organizations supporting the Shipbuilding Investment and Workforce Act also include the American Shipbuilders Suppliers Association.