President Barack Obama paid a visit to Jacksonville's port Thursday to tout his economic proposals focusing on the nation’s needed infrastructure improvements. Mr. Obama says Florida’s major ports need to be ready to serve the Super Cargo Container ships that will using the Panama Canal in a few years.
Jacksonville was the second stop on President Obama tour of nation touting his economic plan.
He says the ships that will be using the Panama Canal in a couple of years will be able to carry three times the amount cargo of current vessels.
Mr. Obama says many ports around the country including Jacksonville’s need to be deepened so they can compete with other Atlantic Ports in the Americas.
Mr. Obama noted that he’s expediting the permitting processes to deepen the shipping channel in the St. Johns River in Jacksonville.
He also criticized Republicans in Congress for not passing a major infrastructure improvement bill. The state GOP says the problems in Washington are due to a lack of leadership by the Administration and the economic recovery in Florida is because of Governor Rick Scott policies.