Congressman Don Young on Thursday sent a letter to Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, requesting emergency assistance on behalf of the 20,000-plus workers employed by the Alaska tourism industry. The workers and the businesses that employ them are currently facing economic problems following Canada’s decision to close its ports, in addition with the Conditional Sail Order from the Centers for Disease and Prevention which will effectively cancel a second consecutive summer cruise season.
Congressman Young spoke to KSRM on the manner, “This is the ironic thing, the cruise ships have two enemies. One is the CDC, which is probably the big one and, of course, Canada. I’ve talked to the Canadian ambassador and I think we’re going to make progress because they’re worried about COVID, as you know, not only cruise ships but going across the border. There is a requirement of the Jones Act they have to stop and register at a foreign port and then proceed. I’ve introduced a bill to circumvent the jones act temporarily. They’re worried it may become permanent. They may come out with a statement of allowing a ship to dock but no exposure, no expelling of any passengers in Canada. They just sign the papers and they can take off and come to Alaska. The CDC is the real booger in this one because they have got this idea because of the origin of the flu and the big publicity they had back off Japan and Indonesia and how everybody onboard were sick. They were quarantine for nine weeks or whatever it was. They don’t want anybody on the shop and I’ve argued with the CDC you let us fly on airplanes, you ride on busses, you go on trains, you do all this.”
In the letter, Congressman Young calls for a temporary exemption to the Passenger Vessel Services Act, which would allow cruise ships to make ‘technical stops’ in Canada, meeting the requirements o the act without requiring the passengers to disembark the vessel. Should the Secretary make that decision, Young states that it would solve a significant hurdle for the return of cruising to Alaska.
The full letter to Secretary Mayorkas can be found here.
