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AWO Testifies Before Congress on State of the Maritime Industry. On March 6, AWO testified before two congressional committees on the state of the American maritime industry. Tom Allegretti, President & CEO, testified before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, while across the Capitol, Jennifer Carpenter, Executive Vice President & COO, appeared before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation.
In their testimony to the Committee and Subcommittee, both Mr. Allegretti and Mrs. Carpenter emphasized the importance of the tugboat, towboat and barge industry to the national economy and highlighted four pillars vital to the vibrancy of the industry: the Jones Act, federal primacy in the regulation of vessel operations, waterways infrastructure, and marine safety.
To learn more, read AWO’s press release here. You can also watch the Senate Commerce Committee hearing here and the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation hearing here.
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AMP, Golding Barge Line, Inc. Testify Alongside AWO in Congressional Hearings. Leadership from the American Maritime Partnership and Golding Barge Line, Inc. testified alongside AWO during the congressional hearings. AMP President Matt Woodruff, Kirby Corporation, and Golding Barge Line, Inc. President Austin Golding testified at the Senate hearing, during which both vigorously defended the Jones Act. Mr. Woodruff emphasized that a long-term waiver of the law “would be a gut punch to the American maritime worker,” while Mr. Golding noted that “The revenue we generate to move cargo from American port to American port stays in America.”
AMP Vice President Michael Roberts, Crowley Maritime Corporation, testified at the House hearing. He highlighted the vital role that the Jones Act plays in national security, and warned that without the law, “there will not be American citizens who know how to build ships...how to operate ships.”
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Members of Congress, Maritime Administrator Praise Jones Act in Hearings; Sen. Lee Introduces Repeal Bill. During the hearings, Members of Congress from both parties were vocal in their support of the Jones Act. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) urged the Trump Administration not to interfere with the law, explaining "this is a fight that the Administration doesn't need to have with folks that are creating American jobs and standing by to protect the security needs of our nation." House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-OR) also praised the law, observing, “It would be a cruel irony if the next action taken by this Administration were to waive the Jones Act . . . I feel very strongly about the Jones Act.”
Testifying at the House hearing, Maritime Administrator Mark Buzby also emphasized the importance of the law, stating “we would not have a maritime industry without the Jones Act – plain and simple.”
Meanwhile, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced the Open America’s Waters Act of 2019, which would repeal the Jones Act and allow foreign vessels to operate in domestic commerce between U.S. inland, coastal and noncontiguous ports. Sen. Lee’s bill has no cosponsors.
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President Signs Executive Order on Military to Mariner Transition. On March 4, President Trump issued an Executive Order that directs the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security and the Coast Guard’s National Maritime Center to take actions to support the transition of active duty service members and military veterans into the merchant marine. The maritime industry has long recognized the important role veterans play in the workforce through programs like AMP’s Military to Maritime, which offers career resources for veterans and a free jobs portal and other resources for employers.
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Jones Act Enables 650,000 American Jobs and $154 Billion in Economic Output. The Transportation Institute recently released new economic data compiled by PricewaterhouseCoopers that demonstrates the strength of the Jones Act’s contribution to American economic growth and security. The new data shows that the Jones Act sustains nearly 650,000 jobs and generates $154 billion in total economic output and $41 billion in annual labor income for American workers nationwide. Find out how much the Jones Act contributes to your state by accessing the interactive map here and remind your Members of Congress that the Jones Act has supported economic, homeland, and national security for nearly a century.
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CSBA Releases Study on National Security Contributions of the Jones Act. The Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA) recently released the first installment of its study on the National Security Contributions of the U.S. Maritime Industry. The study highlights three key pillars of U.S. government policy - the Jones Act, the Maritime Security Program and cargo preference – which as a package, “affords the United States the independence to trade, harvest the resources in America’s waters and seabed, and defend or advance the country’s interests.”
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(Left to Right): Ray Henderson – Seafarers International Union, Eunice Young – TOTE Maritime, Congressman Bruce Westerman (AR-4), and Patrick Parsons – AWO. (Not Pictured: Mark Pietrocarlo – American Steamship Company)
AWO Joins with Maritime Industry at Congressional Sail-In. On March 6, AWO joined with a broad cross-section of U.S. maritime industry stakeholders on Capitol Hill to promote the Jones Act, the Maritime Security Program and U.S. cargo preference laws. In total, over 150 individuals participated in 195 meetings with Members of Congress and staff. AWO’s Patrick Parsons, Government Affairs Associate, led a group with representatives from TOTE Maritime, American Steamship Company and Seafarers International Union in six meetings with the offices of members of the House of Representatives.
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Florida Maritime Partnership Launches Advocacy Efforts. Domestic maritime stakeholders in Florida recently organized and launched the Florida Maritime Partnership (FMP) to promote the Jones Act through state-level advocacy. FMP is already working to organize simultaneous press events at the Port of Jacksonville and Port Tampa Bay on March 22 to highlight the strength of the maritime industry, the importance of the Jones Act, and congressional support for the law. FMP is also organizing a sail-in in late March to build relationships with state government officials in Tallahassee. For more information on joining FMP or participating in its events, contact Brian Vahey, AWO Senior Manager – Atlantic Region.
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NMC Extends Validity of MMCs and Medical Certificates Due to Backlog. To minimize the impact to mariners from the lapse in Coast Guard funding and shutdown of the National Maritime Center, Merchant Mariner Credentials and Medical Certificates (for national endorsements only) that expired or will expire between December 2018 and April 2019 have been extended through May 31, 2019. Mariners that are actively working on expired credentials must carry the credential and this letter.
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Coast Guard Investigation Highlights Importance of Online MMC Verification Tool. A Coast Guard investigation into a 2017 towing vessel collision revealed that the master’s credentials had previously been revoked for positive drug testing, but the mariner obtained new employment using the invalid credential. The case was referred to the local U.S. Attorney and the mariner was convicted and sentenced to 24 months incarceration. While this situation is rare, employers should take advantage of the Coast Guard’s online Merchant Mariner Credential verification tool, which provides real-time information on the validity of MMCs and medical certificates.
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AWO and UOJ Submit Comments on Recommend Plan for Brandon Road Study. In substantive comments submitted to the Army Corps of Engineers, AWO and the UnLock Our Jobs Coalition (UOJ) highlighted the Recommended Plan’s negative safety, economic and operational impacts to the nation and urged the Corps to continue the use of nonstructural control measures that have successfully and cost-effectively reduced the Asian carp population. AWO and UOJ also encouraged the Corps to work closely with industry during the Preconstruction Engineering and Design phase to ensure future Asian carp control technologies can be built and operated without jeopardizing the safety of mariners and the efficient movement of waterborne commerce. The UOJ comment letter was signed by 69 businesses and industry organizations from across the country.
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AWO Members Complete RCP Audits. Congratulations to TPG Marine Enterprises, LLC, Grand River Navigation Company and Waterfront Services Co. for successfully completing RCP audits since the last AWO Letter was published. To view members’ RCP status, click here.
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