Maine's Heritage Industries
Maine’s economy and culture are tied to our heritage industries - fishing, logging, shipbuilding, farming, and others - and they provide thousands of Mainers with good-paying jobs. These industries are the bedrock of many communities in Maine, particularly in rural areas. They rely on a skilled workforce, responsible use of our state’s abundant natural resources, and the hard work of generations of Mainers.
Jared has worked hard to make sure he understands the challenges Mainers working in these industries face. He’s traveled to farms throughout the Second District to learn from a wide variety of farmers about what they need to be successful and how he can help connect them with resources. Thousands of Mainers in the Second District build ships at Bath Iron Works and Jared has met them at the South Gate, in the union halls, and in the shipyard. Jared has used his position on the House Armed Services Committee to help protect these good shipbuilding jobs and ensure our country’s finest warships are ‘Bath-built, best-built’ far into the future.
When new proposed regulations threatened the livelihoods of Maine lobstermen earlier this year, Jared led the Maine delegation in speaking out. Since then, he has worked closely with the lobstering community to ensure the regulations are based on the best available evidence and don’t unfairly target lobstermen. He proposed a bold amendment to block the regulations until the underlying data had undergone a scientific peer review process. He also led the delegation to urge the president to intervene directly. Jared will continue to stand up for lobstermen and push back against misguided, burdensome regulations.
Each of Maine’s heritage industries is changing. Jared is focused on making sure the next generation of fishermen, loggers, shipbuilders, and farmers can count on stable jobs that support their families. He’s focused on opening up new markets to Maine products, addressing workforce shortages and preparing young Mainers to work in these fields, and fighting federal regulations that don’t work for Maine.