U.S. to Deploy Hospital Ship to Venezuela
As tensions with Venezuela mount, the United States is planning to announce on Tuesday the deployment of a military hospital ship to the region, U.S. officials say, in the latest sign of the Pentagon's limited, and targeted, involvement in the crisis.The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not specify where in the region the ship would travel to. Last year, a hospital ship -- the USNS Comfort -- cared for Venezuelan refugees and others as it stopped in Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and Honduras.The U.S. military's Southern Command, which oversees U.S.
House Introduces Vessel Discharge Legislation
The American Waterways Operators, a 350-member trade association representing the U.S. tugboat, towboat and barge industry, hailed the House introduction of critical vessel discharge legislation yesterday, praising the leadership of sponsors Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee Chairman, and Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), a senior member of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. Bipartisan cosponsors include Reps. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.), Bill Enyart (D-Ill.), Gene Green (D-Texas), Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.), David Jolly (R-Fla.), Walter Jones (R-N.C.), Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-Mo.), Frank LoBiondo (R-N.J.), Cedric Richmond (D-La.), Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and Don Young (R-Alaska). H.R.
Vessel Discharge Legislation Awaits Congressional Nod
The American Waterways Operators, a 350-member trade association representing the U.S. tugboat, towboat and barge industry, hailed the House introduction of critical vessel discharge legislation yesterday, praising the leadership of sponsors Duncan Hunter (R-CA), Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee Chairman, and Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD), a senior member of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. Bipartisan cosponsors include Reps. Jim Cooper (D-TN), Bill Enyart (D-IL), Gene Green (D-TX), Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA), David Jolly (R-FL), Walter Jones (R-NC), Blaine Leutkemeyer (R-MO), Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Cedric Richmond (D-LA), Bennie Thompson (D-MS), and Don Young (R-AK). H.R.
South Carolina Ports Project Funding Agreed by US Senate
The U.S. Senate has overwhelmingly passed the Omnibus appropriations bill, allowing key SC Ports Authority projects to proceed, says the Ports Authority. The bill was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives with support of five members of the South Carolina delegation, and it now goes to the President's desk for signature. The bill includes funding for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to continue its Feasibility Study of the Post-45 Harbor Deepening project, which expects to receive its Chief's Report in September 2015…
Charleston Container Volume Up, Dredging Project on Schedule
During a recent South Carolina Ports Association (SCPA) meeting the twelfth straight month of year-over-year growth was noted. Container volume for the first eight months of the fiscal year are up more than 11 percent to 1,024,121 TEUs handled from July to February, up from 920,547 TEUs during the same period last year. Before convening the meeting, the SCPA Board was joined by U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham and LTC Ed Chamberlayne of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Charleston District to discuss progress on Charleston's post-45 harbor deepening project. The project's feasibility study is now at the midway mark. Chamberlayne told the Board that there is a lot of active work ongoing in the harbor today as part of the study's information gathering.
WCI Endorses American Waterworks Act
New Waterways/Ports funding proposal will create jobs, relieve traffic congestion, increase exports. At its Board of Directors meeting held yesterday in Houston, Waterways Council, Inc.’s Board of Directors unanimously endorsed the American Waterworks Act, proposed in late October by Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) to modernize America’s inland waterways and ports. Increase revenue to Inland Waterways Trust Fund in a manner consistent with the agreement between the Inland Waterways Users and the U.S.
DHS to Fund S.C. State & Local Port Security
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano and U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham announced an agreement between DHS and the state of S.C. to use $800,000 in fiscal year 2009 homeland security grant funds to support state and local law enforcement personnel stationed at SeaHawk, a U.S. Coast Guard-led security initiative operating at the Port of Charleston. "SeaHawk represents a critical partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement partners to share information and coordinate response." said Secretary Napolitano. "Today's announcement will enhance our capabilities to deter terrorists and other criminals. "Today's announcement was very good news for the people of Charleston and South Carolina as a whole," said Senator Graham.
Navy to Commission New Guided Missile Destroyer
The Navy will commission the newest Arleigh Burke class guided-missile destroyer, James E. Williams, Saturday, Dec. 11, 2004, during a ceremony at the Naval Weapons Station, Charleston, S.C. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina will deliver the principal address. Elaine Weaver Williams, widow of the ship’s namesake, is the ship’s sponsor. In the time-honored Navy tradition of commissioning U.S. naval ships, Mrs. The ship is named to honor Petty Officer 1st Class James Elliott Williams (1930-1999) of Darlington, S.C., one of the most highly decorated enlisted sailors in the history of the U.S. Navy. On Oct. 31, 1966, Williams was boat captain of river patrol boat (PBR) 105 when his boat and another PBR…
USS James E. Williams (DDG 95) Joins Atlantic Fleet
U.S. Navy commissioned the Aegis guided missile destroyer USS James E. Williams (DDG 95) in a ceremony on Saturday. Corporation. James E. enlisted sailors in the history of the Navy. River during the Vietnam War. On Oct. boats on the Mekong. more than 1,000 enemy troops. Sen. commissioning address. strong," said Graham. but the strength of this country is because we have the best people. decks of James E. guests. Navy Rear Adm. Charles S. Navy-industry teamwork. "The overwhelming success of James E. a testament to the quality of this team," said Hamilton.
Gov't to Fund Port of Charleston Project
According to The State, the Port of Charleston will get $11.5m for the next 12 months for a port security project. The U.S. Department of Justice is providing the money to operate Project Seahawk. Earlier this year, Congress passed legislation with a provision by U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham and others to use the Charleston operation as a model for others in U.S. port cities. These Seahawk Centers would be run by the Coast Guard and include the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, Department of Justice, and other federal agencies. State and local law enforcement, first responders, port authority or maritime exchange representatives also would be included in the joint operations. Source: The State
Senate to Rumsfeld: The Navy Needs More Ships
On Friday, June 23, 2006, Senators Susan Collins (R-ME); Jack Reed (D-RI); Trent Lott (R-MS); Jim Talent (R-MO); Olympia Snowe (R-ME); Christopher Dodd (D-CT); Lincoln Chafee (R-RI); Mike Dewine (R-OH); Lindsey Graham (R-SC); Daniel Akaka (D-HI), David Vitter (R-LA); Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ); Bill Nelson (D-FL); Joe Leiberman (D-CT); Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and; Mary Landrieu (D-LA) sent a letter to Secretary of Defense, Donald H. Rumseld, asking him to increase the Navy’s top line budget for the purpose of increasing the ship procurement budget in fiscal year 2008. The request comes on the heels of a letter sent by members of the House of Representatives Congressional Shipbuilding Caucus urging support for the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Adm. Michael C.
