2 days ago
Stockton mayor pitches national shipbuilding hub idea to Trump administration in D.C.
Stockton Mayor Christina Fugazi is in Washington, D.C. right now putting on a shipbuilding show for the Trump administration as she pushes for the city to be the next national hub for shipbuilding in the U.S.
"So right there, the Capitol, I wish I could show you the White House because actually we're having meetings in the White House as well," Fugazi said.
Mayor Fugazi spoke to CBS Sacramento from her hotel room in Washington, D.C., where she is traveling to tout her city to the Trump administration.
"We're ready to go," Fugazi said. "Some people have said this could take years, but we're talking about a year."
"The west complex is where all the shipbuilding happened back in World War II," Port of Stockton Director Kirk DeJesus said.
DeJesus drove CBS Sacramento around the Stockton port in March, showing the possible new prime real estate for a U.S. maritime revival.
Some of the old Navy buildings are still standing. The port also sits on 4,000 acres of land.
"We have the acreage, we have the docks, we have access to the freeways, to rail, I mean, we're just a prime location," Fugazi said.
"How do you think the relationship between the President and the Governor could impact this decision?" CBS Sacramento's Steve Large asked.
"I think it has the potential to impact the decision," Fugazi said. "We can't rule out the politics. We definitely need to make sure that we are selling them on the location, that we have the workforce, that we have the space available."
San Joaquin County voted for President Trump in the November election.
Mr. Trump issued an executive order in April calling for a "maritime action plan" to be in place by the end of the year, with the goal of relaunching the U.S. shipbuilding industry. He cited data showing the U.S. currently builds only 1% of the world's ships.
Mayor Fugazi's message to the president is that Stockton is ready to build ships now at full steam ahead.
"So if we had an opportunity for a face-to-face, man, I'm bringing my 'A game,' and they're going to want to come out to Stockton, they're gonna want to visit our area because I'm going to sell it."
On the mayor's itinerary in Washington, D.C., she is meeting with the Army Corps of Engineers, the National Security Council, the Navy, and a U.S. shipbuilder.
She said the next step would be the Trump administration taking a tour of the Port of Stockton so they could see the shipbuilding possibilities themselves.
