American Shipbuilding Association

DATE:  May 13, 2009                                                                                    CONTACT:  Cynthia Brown
                                                                                                                                              202-544-8170

SENATOR JACK REED RECEIVES
HERBERT H. BATEMAN AWARD

            (Washington, D.C.) – The American Shipbuilding Association (ASA) today announced that Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) is the 2009 recipient of the Herbert H. Bateman Award.  This award will be presented on Wednesday, May 13th at 6:00 pm during ASA’s Salute to the 111th Congress reception in the Gold Room (2168) of the Rayburn House Office Building.

            Elected to the U.S. Senate in 1996, Senator Reed is a senior Member of the Armed Services Committee, a Member of the Subcommittee on Seapower, and a Member of the Appropriations Committee.  Senator Jack Reed has dedicated his years in the United States Senate to working men and women who build the finest submarines and surface ships in the world so that American Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen and women have the best in executing their missions.  “He sincerely appreciates the skills and hard work required to build ships, and understands that saving and creating shipbuilding jobs is critical to America’s economic and national security”, said Cynthia Brown, President of ASA.

            The Herbert H. Bateman Award was established by the American Shipbuilding Association in 2000.  This Award is the shipbuilding industry’s highest recognition of an individual in the Executive Branch, Legislative Branch, or industry who has demonstrated years of consistent, outstanding, and inspirational leadership in fighting for a stronger shipbuilding industry.  Congressman Herb Bateman of Virginia, the award’s namesake, demonstrated these qualities throughout his tenure in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1981 – 2000.

            Previous recipients of the Herbert H. Bateman award are:  Herbert H. Bateman (R-VA); Olympia Snowe (R-ME); Gene Taylor (D-MS); Ted Stevens (R-AK); Duncan Hunter (R-CA); Trent Lott (R-MS); Jo Ann Davis (R-VA); Susan Collins (R-ME), and; John Murtha (D-PA).

            The American Shipbuilding Association is the national trade association of the shipbuilding industry.  ASA members include the nation’s six largest shipyards and more than 100 companies engaged in the manufacture and service of ship systems and components.