Appropriations Bill

U.S. Coast Guard to Reinstate Tuition Assistance

The U.S. Coast Guard joins the Department of Defense in reinstating tuition assistance in response to an amendment that was inserted into the General Provisions of the 2013 Appropriations Bill. The amendment to the Appropriations Bill submitted by U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), directs the U.S. Coast Guard, a component of Department of Homeland Security, placed under the category of "other departments or agencies" to restore funding for Tuition Assistance set aside under Sequestration. The U.S. Coast Guard has averaged nearly 10,000 enrollees a year for the last three years and expected around the same number this year. To date 7,000 members have participated. U.S. Coast Guard officials are working to establish a timeline for reinstatement of Tuition Assistance. www.uscg.mil  

President Bush Signs Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Bill

President Bush signed the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror and Hurricane Recovery, 2006 (H.R. 4939). In addition to funds for the named programs, the legislation provides the Coast Guard with an additional $26 million for operating expenses and the Department of Health and Human Services with $2 billion for the pandemic influenza program. An earlier version of the bill included $227 million for port security grants, but that did not survive

Senate Rejects Proposal to Increase Port Security Funding

Following months of repeated efforts to ensure funding to secure the nation's ports, U.S. Sen. Fritz Hollings offered an amendment to the Homeland Security appropriations legislation Wednesday that would have increased the port security-specific funding to $450 million without adding to the total cost of the bill. The amendment, which directed $300 million in critical infrastructure funding specifically to port security and added to the $150 million already in the bill

U.S. Navy Finds Budget Leeway To Begin LCS

The U.S. Navy’s push to fund shipbuilding through its research and development (R&D) budget has paid off. Because the rules that govern R&D spending are more lenient than those for ordinary procurement, the service was able to begin building a new Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) in October even though the 2006 defense authorization and appropriations bills have yet to pass Congress or be signed by the president. When the Navy signed a $223 million construction contract with General Dynamics

$29.9 Million Approved For U.S. Shipbuilding Loan Guarantees

Congress has approved $29.9 million for the Maritime Loan Guarantee Program, or Title XI program, a $27.9 million increase over the President's Fiscal Year 2001 budget request. Allen Walker, president of the Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA) and chairman of the Title XI Coalition, said, "We're pleased that Congress has recognized that the Title XI program is an important component of our nation's maritime policy and has agreed to significantly increase funding levels over those requested

DHS Appropriations Bill Approved

The Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act (H.R. 2555) has been approved by both the House of Representatives and the Senate. It is now on its way to the White House for signature. Among other things, it provides $4.4 billion to Customs and Border Protection (of which $3 million is to be derived from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund and other monies to be derived from the Customs User Fee Account); $319 million for development of the Automated Commercial Environment; $263

Bill Introduced to Authorize Appropriations for the NTSB

Senator Burns (R-MT) introduced a bill (S. 3679) to authorize appropriations for the National Transportation Safety Board, and for other purposes. The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation stated that it approved the bill. Source: HK Law

Text Bills posted on Internet

The text of various bills recently introduced in the House of Representatives has now been posted on the Internet. H.R. 4397 would temporarily exempt scrapping of obsolete naval and Maritime Administration (MARAD) vessels from certain environmental laws. H.R. 4416 would establish the Great Lakes Protection and Restoration Committee. H.R. 4418 would authorize appropriations for fiscal years 2005 and 2006 for the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection and the Bureau of

Seattle Shipyard $29m Icebreaker Contract

U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) announced that Todd Shipyards, a Seattle-based company, has been awarded a five-year $29m contract to retrofit the United States Coast Guard’s Polar Class icebreaker, Polar Star.  As a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Murray helped secure $30.3m in the FY2009 Homeland Security Appropriations bill to re-activate the USCGC Polar Star, which is currently in caretaker status.

$30m in Homeland Security Funding for Wa.

U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) announced that Washington State will receive over $30m in federal Homeland Security Grant funding made possible through the Fiscal Year 2009 Homeland Security Appropriations bill. The money will be used to help Washington state communities pay for emergency equipment, strengthen border security, improve their emergency coordination efforts, and prepare for a regional catastrophe. “I worked hard to ensure that Congress maintained its commitment to our