DelBene awarded for closing loophole impacting Blaine company

The American Shipbuilding Suppliers Association (ASSA) awarded congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) with the 2022 Honorable Thad Cochran Leadership Award for her work to close a loophole that would have severely impacted a Blaine anchor chain company.

In spring 2021, DelBene spearheaded efforts to help Lister Chain and Forge, an anchor chain company on Loomis Trail Road that was facing severe staffing cutbacks if a federal loophole wasn’t closed. The loophole allowed the U.S. Department of Defense to outsource purchasing anchor chains over 4 inches, which lawmakers previously said the U.S. Navy tried to do by purchasing 4.02-inch chains abroad for a new class of fleet oilers. Lister Chain and Forge, a 36-person company, is the only domestic supplier of anchor chains and had been in contract with the Department of Defense for 3-and-5/8-inch chains.

DelBene pushed for the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act to close the loophole by requiring the Department of Defense to only purchase anchor chains manufactured in the U.S. President Joe Biden signed the act into law last December.

“This allows our company to continue to provide our products to the Navy without the threat of competition from countries not members of the National Technical Industrial Base,” Lister Chain and Forge president Mike Stobbart said in a press release on DelBene’s award. He added DelBene’s efforts exemplify her commitment to Biden’s Buy America directive to strengthen manufacturing on U.S. soil.

DelBene received the third annual ASSA award given to public servants dedicated to strengthening national security through supporting building U.S. Navy and Coast Guard ships.