Press Releases

Washington, DC – Statement from Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO) on the Trump Administration’s announced agreement with Finland to build 11 icebreakers (four in Finland and seven in the United States) for the United States Coast Guard:

Graves: “This is excellent news, and I commend the Trump Administration for negotiating this agreement with Finland and their U.S. shipbuilding partners. The United States does not have the necessary icebreaker assets in the Arctic to protect our nation’s commercial and national security interests and project American sovereignty in this increasingly critical region of the world. This agreement helps bridge the gap with Finnish-build icebreakers while two U.S. shipbuilders gear up to begin full production of icebreakers in the United States. This news is especially welcome given the growing influence of other nations like China and Russia, and how far we must go to rival their presence in the Arctic.”