ABOUT BOATPAC

boatpac - your voice in action on capitol hill

We are the federal political action committee of the recreational boating industry, promoting your business interests in Congress. BoatPAC supports the election of candidates to the United States Congress who are strong advocates for recreational boating and ensures that our priorities are protected. All contributions to BoatPAC go to candidates for federal office and are distributed on a nonpartisan basis.

BoatPAC promotes advocacy and engagement in the political process. We encourage voluntary contributions by educating and mobilizing BoatPAC eligible individuals to support candidates for political office who champion recreational boating issues in Washington, D.C.

2022 advocacy wins

Eliminating Tariffs – In October 2021, the United States and European Union reached a deal to drop retaliatory tariffs against American boats entering Europe. In March, the United Kingdom followed suit and lifted their own retaliatory tariffs against U.S. made boats. These 25 percent tariffs had been hampering American boat sales across the Atlantic since 2018, resulting in up to 50 percent reduction in exports and losses of hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue.
Access and Conservation Funding – Another major victory for our industry last Congress was securing
$764 million in appropriations for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, Everglades restoration, and for National Marine Sanctuaries. Securing and properly utilizing conservation and infrastructure funding to preserve America’s greatest treasures will allow for boaters to enjoy our nation’s waters for generations to come.
Bolstering the Supply of Semiconductors – One of our biggest wins was the passage of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 (CHIPS Act) – bipartisan legislation which provided up to $54 billion to fund semiconductor manufacturing back home, reducing our dependence on unreliable global supply chains. With marine manufacturers innovating on all fronts to deliver more advanced, efficient, and safer products, this bill will help meet our industry’s growing demand for semiconductors.
WRDA
– Infrastructure projects critical to recreational boating are often overlooked by the federal agencies responsible for handling them. The passage of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) contained funding and prioritization of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects aimed at recreational boating and angling.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

BoatPAC is managed by the following volunteers from the recreational boating industry:

Clarke Smith – Trident Marine Managers – Chair

John Swick – Waterview Marinas – Vice Chair

Melanie Ashby – MariCorp US

Jason Blackburn – Faria Beede

Dave Briggs – Wayzata Marine

Natalie Carrera – Indmar

Raul Chacon – MG+M The Law Firm

Michele Goldsmith – Soundings Trade Only

Jim Hardin – Grady White

Charlie Johnson – Maverick Boat Group

Joe Lewis – Mt. Dora Boating Center and Marina

Dave Marlow – Brunswick

Ellen McCarthy– Polaris

Dana Russikoff – Rodan, LLC

Larry Russo – MarineMax

Mark Tracy – Yamaha

Mick Webber – Marine Development Inc.