Prepared Remarks of

Julie Nelson

Acting Deputy Maritime Administrator and Chief Counsel

Florida Aquarium

Tampa, Florida

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Thank you for that kind introduction and for inviting me to share some time with you in recognition of Maritime Day. I am thrilled to be here on behalf of President George W. Bush and Secretary Norman Y. Mineta.

Let me start by quoting what a 16^th century Spanish explorer, Cabeza de Vaca, said when he first saw Tampa Bay—I will quote him in English.

“The Port of which I speak is the best in the world.”

All of you work hard to make and keep the Port of Tampa the best in the world. You strive to improve and support port projections and maritime functions because you know that strong ports stimulate strong trade. And that strong trade stimulates jobs and economic prosperity for a community, a region, and a nation.

Yesterday I was in Washington, D.C. with Secretary Mineta to celebrate National Maritime Day in the shadow of the Washington Monument. Today, anchored across the water, is another monument to our nation’s history, the SS American Victory.

The SS American Victory was a veteran of three wars and is a symbol of the courage of the crew who sailed and defended our valuable cargo ships. In fact, the reason that we celebrate Maritime Day when we do is because the first steam-powered ship -- the SS Savannah -- crossed the Atlantic on May 22, 187 years ago. Many years later, in 1933, Congress chose the anniversary of that historic voyage as National Maritime Day to honor the maritime industry.

As you know, Maritime Day also honors the merchant mariners who have contributed… and continue to contribute… so much to our economic well being and our national security.

In every mobilization of the 20^th Century -- World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom – our men and women in combat relied on the sealift provided by these brave men and women.

More than 90% of the materiel for fighting the global war on terrorism has been carried to the Middle East by water. Over 5,000 merchant mariners have put themselves in harm’s way to transport much-needed equipment and supplies to our troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. And this noble service continues.

The merchant marine has proven itself invaluable at home as well.

Immediately following the horrific terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, America’s merchant mariners were among the first to answer the call. The Captain of the Port of New York estimated that on that day, between 500-thousand and 1-million people were safely evacuated from Lower Manhattan by water – on ferryboats, tour boats, and government vessels.  In the days that followed, merchant mariners provided rescue and recovery support, ferrying responders into and out of Manhattan.  Fireboats and tugboats pumped water for firefighting work; for days after September 11^th, most of the water the firefighters used was pumped by boats.

And just last year, immediately following Hurricane Katrina, Secretary Mineta took the unprecedented step of calling the Ready Reserve Force (RRF) for service.

Operations for the Port of New Orleans were relocated to two MARAD ships homeported in New Orleans—the Cape Kennedy and the Cape Knox. RRF ships and training ships that MARAD provides for state maritime academies… as well as a ship called up from inactive reserve… moved in to help. They provided meals and shelter for rescue and recovery workers, serving 269,000 meals and providing 83,165 berth nights for rescue workers, port and refinery employees, students at McNeese State University and others who needed a place to stay. MARAD ships also brought in emergency cargo, generated electricity, used their cranes when port cranes wouldn’t work, helped in oil spill cleanup—for six months, MARAD ships were in the Gulf Coast working on recovery efforts.

The maritime industry also plays a vital role in America’s growing economy – an economy that outpaced those of every other major industrialized nation in 2005 and, during the latest quarter, grew at an impressive 4.8 percent rate.

Waterborne cargo and associated activities contribute more than $742 billion annually to U.S. GDP, sustaining more than 13 million jobs. America’s network of waterways moves 2.2 billion tons of domestic and foreign commerce each year, and the top 50 ports in the U.S. account for about 84% of all waterborne domestic and international cargo tonnage.

And in our increasingly global economy, maritime activities in and around Tampa will play a large role in charting America’s economic future. The port continues to grow and diversify, and is poised for major expansion in the container business. I hope that on my next visit to Tampa we will all be celebrating this growth.

There’s also been a revival of shipbuilding activity recently, recalling the thriving industry during World War II when one hundred vessels were built right across from where I stand now.

The good news is that Tampa’s maritime base is growing at a dizzying pace. Ships are being built and repaired, containership commerce is on the upswing, and the Port of Tampa is becoming one of the nation’s fastest growing cruise homeports. The bad news is that congestion remains a major challenge, not just for Florida, but for our entire nation. And the backups are not just a question of capacity constraints at the ports themselves, but what happens beyond the gates on congested highways and freight railroads already stretched to their limits.

The $286 billion surface transportation bill that President Bush signed into law in August contains many of the innovative financing provisions we requested to improve freight movement through gateway seaports and along major trade corridors. This includes several provisions to encourage private-sector involvement and make transportation investments inside seaports eligible for credit assistance.

But even with these important measures, congestion clouds America’s long-term economic forecast. I don’t think it’s necessary to convince anyone in the Tampa area that congestion is a problem. In 2003, drivers here burned an extra 29 million gallons of gasoline while spending 51.4 million hours stuck in traffic. The total cost of this delay: $865 million.

Secretary Mineta is determined that transportation will not be a chokepoint for our economy. So he tasked our top thinkers across the Department of Transportation with developing a comprehensive action plan to eliminate major congestion chokepoints, reduce delays, and ensure that people and goods can move efficiently throughout the transportation network.

And last week, he unveiled the Bush Administration’s National Strategy to Reduce Congestion on America’s Transportation Network. This major Department-wide initiative provides federal, state and local officials with a clear plan to follow as we work together to eliminate one of the single largest threats to our economic prosperity and way of life. And you will be pleased to know that this plan specifically targets freight bottlenecks, … in Southern California, … in this region… and around the country.

I am also pleased to announce the creation of the New Mariner Outreach System which will be operated by MARAD. This Outreach System allows participating mariners an opportunity to review their U.S. Coast Guard qualifications and provide up-to-date changes to their contact information through a secure web site. We at MARAD believe that this is an important system which will improve our ability to contact mariners during a national sealift emergency.

The maritime community is a cornerstone of our transportation network. As we celebrate Maritime Day, let us especially remember those who cannot be with us today. Let us be grateful to those who have sacrificed their lives or their loved ones for our freedom, and to those working on and around the water today. May the flag of the United States of America always wave in honor of the freedom they have helped to preserve and maintain.

Let us celebrate also the increasingly important role the maritime industry plays in our society today. And on behalf of Americans everywhere, I offer all our Merchant Mariners, past and present, a sincere "Thank you."

And I thank all of you for the opportunity to address you today. It has truly been my pleasure to meet you here at the Port of Tampa, “the best in the world.”

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