Bill Clinton

“ The United States is and has always been a maritime Nation. Our history is tied to the sea-from the Santa Maria to the Mayflower, from clipper ships to ocean liners, from the Liberty Ships of World War II to the huge, efficient containerships of the 1990s-and our development as a Nation has paralleled the growth of our waterborne commerce. ”

“ As we look forward to the challenges of the 21st century, we continue to rely on our Nation's maritime industry and the U.S. Merchant Marine to keep America competitive in an increasingly global economy. Ships and barges carry more than one billion tons of commercial cargo annually between ports within our Nation. ”

“ Our maritime industry has made many important contributions to the economic strength and defense capability of our Nation, and my Administration has worked with the Congress to implement new approaches to ensure the industry's continued viability. Our National Shipbuilding Initiatives are helping to improve the competitiveness of America's maritime industry by seeking to eliminate foreign subsidies, assisting the industry's international marketing efforts, eliminating unnecessary government regulations, and enhancing private sector financing of shipbuilding through Federal loan guarantees. ”