(Washington, DC)  – Congressman Charles W. Boustany, Jr., M.D. (R-South Louisiana), released the following statement today to commemorate National Maritime Day:

“Louisiana is a maritime state.Few regions in the country utilize and have as deep an appreciation for the maritime industry as we do in South Louisiana. From mariners in the shrimping industry, to offshore service vessels in the Gulf, to family farms exporting crops to the rest of the world, very few lives in South Louisiana are not impacted by the state’s maritime industry. The industry continues to make significant economic and defense contributions to our nation on a daily basis. Today, I would like to honor America’s maritime industry and everyone involved with it.”  

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National Maritime Day is a United States holiday created to recognize the maritime industry. It is observed on May 22, the date that the American steamship Savannah set sail from Savannah, Georgia on the first ever transoceanic voyage under steam power. The holiday was created by the United States Congress on May 20, 1933.