President Joe Biden visited the Philly Shipyard where L-19 (Philadelphia) members and other unionized workers have brought the shipyard back to life. During a speech delivered in front of hundreds of workers and broadcast live on July 20, Biden took a firm stand in support of the Jones Act.
The president was in Philadelphia to commemorate the steel cutting ceremony for the Acadia, a domestically built scour vessel designed to secure the seabed for offshore wind turbines. During the event, he signed a sheet of steel that will be used in the construction of the vessel.
Addressing the audience, Biden explained the significance of the Jones Act, a law passed in 1920 which mandates that ships traveling between United States ports must be American-built, American-owned and crewed by U.S. citizens. He defended this legislation, condemning lawmakers who sought to rely on foreign-built ships without American crews.
“Not on my watch!” he said, emphasizing his dedication to strengthening American shipbuilding and promoting good union jobs while bringing offshore wind supply chains back to the United States.
Throughout his speech, Biden expressed gratitude to various unions affiliated with the AFL-CIO Metal Trades Department. He acknowledged the hard work and dedication of workers from the Boilermakers, IBEW, Seafarers and Steelworkers, praising their contributions to offshore windfarms across the country.
Biden said that tens of thousands of jobs were being created to address the nation’s infrastructure needs, ensuring they were “good union jobs” that supported American workers and the economy.
He also commented on the revitalization of the shipyard, which went from having only a handful of workers a few years ago to now expecting to employ more than 1,000 workers due to the construction of the scour vessel and other U.S.-flag ships. That’s due in part to Philly Shipyard acquiring contracts, including several national security multi-mission vessels for TOTE Services under a U.S. Department of Transportation contract.
"It is never a good bet to bet against America," Biden said.
