UP-DATE ON THE DC FLY-IN

Special thanks to all of the ASSA members who were able to join us for the Annual DC Fly-in. We were able to double the number of meetings this year over last, reaching out to 18 members of Congress and their staff. We were able to break into two teams to cover all of the meetings, which also included dialogue with the staff from HASC and SASC.We also met with Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (R-VA-02) who was presented with the Annual Thad Cochran Leadership Award. 

Special thanks to Paul Roden, Lighthouse Point Government Relations, who prepared the white paper and summary that our teams used as talking points and legislative asks (attached). During the meetings we reiterated our core concern: critical manufacturing work is increasingly being sent offshore despite the existence of capable U.S. suppliers. We also discussed the fact that manufacturing capacity must be utilized, or it will be lost. With only a limited number of domestic firms capable of performing the work, any loss would have serious and lasting consequences for the nation’s industrial base.

At a high level, we believe that where capable domestic sources exist, procurement policy should prioritize U.S. manufacturing before turning to foreign suppliers. This approach supports long-term capacity, readiness, and supply chain resilience - key elements of both national security and economic strength.  This perspective also aligns with broader Administration and Congressional efforts to strengthen domestic manufacturing capabilities and reduce reliance on foreign sources for critical components. Our goal is to raise awareness of the risks facing the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base in the absence of targeted policy support.