marine industry professionals
America’s Cup legislation passes Congress
San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee last week announced that the America's Cup Act, which will facilitate hosting the 34th America's Cup by authorizing certain eligible vessels to participate in the events, passed the U.S. House of Representatives after passing the Senate earlier this month.
The legislation is on the way to President Barack Obama’s desk for signature.
“This is a major milestone in our efforts to host the 34th America’s Cup and bring the excitement of this worldwide competitive event here to San Francisco,” Lee said in a statement. “I am thankful for the bipartisan support of this bill in Congress and for the strong stewardship of House Democratic Leader [Nancy] Pelosi and Sens. [Dianne] Feinstein and [Barbara] Boxer in securing passage of the America’s Cup Act that will create jobs and boost our local economy at this critical time.”
The economic impact of San Francisco hosting the 34th America’s Cup is significant and includes an estimated 8,800 jobs and nearly $1.4 billion in economic effects to San Francisco and the Bay Area, according to the mayor’s statement.
“This is an incredible feat and demonstration of the breadth of support we have in Washington,” San Francisco America’s Cup Organizing Committee chairman Mark Buell said in a statement. “We are grateful for the bipartisan leadership and commitment in Congress for the 34th America’s Cup.”
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Until today, I had never heard that it took an act of Congress to hold an American's Cup in the US. So I read the legislation. It turns out that this is a piece of legislation circumventing the Jones Act and probably other legislation to allow one 350' megayacht, one small nondescript cargo vessel, one coastal dredge, and one nondescript smallish container vessel to enter the US. And to allow three (3) named LNG vessels to the right to do same. And to specify that one LNG vessel of Alaskan registry not be allowed to discharge LNG cargo while in drydock. And oh yes, to allow one (1) dated America's Cup trial horse vessel also to enter. All the genuine America's Cup vessels and their accompanying support vessels rather obviously do not require such an Act to enter and participate.
Even I can see that this Act has nothing to do with having an America's Cup in US waters.
To me, it looks like some money changed hands somewhere and certain people, favored by certain legislators, were granted the right to do certain things, probably financially remunerative, which would otherwise be prohibited by US law and probably for good reason.
This seems to be a sneaky backdoor attack on the US Flag Merchant Marine and the men and women who serve this country on what few vessels we have left.