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Elijah Cummings News

17 Oct 2019

U.S. Congressman Elijah Cummings Passes Away at 68

Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (CREDIT: Congress.gov)

At approximately 6:20 AM this morning, the Office of Congressman Elijah E. Cummings Released the Following Statement:At approximately 2:30 A.M. on Thursday October 17, 2019, Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (MD-07) passed away at Gilchrist Hospice Care, a Johns Hopkins affiliate, due to complications concerning longstanding health challenges. More details will be forthcoming.The energetic Cummings was best known in maritime circles for his time spent as chair of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation where…

25 Aug 2015

AWO Working Hard for the Domestic Workboat Market

Higman Barges by Capt. Darren Istre

The year 2015 has been a busy year for The American Waterways Operators, the national trade association for the tugboat, towboat and barge industry, and for the industry AWO is privileged to represent. It’s a dynamic time for a vital industry that constitutes the largest segment of the U.S. domestic fleet, as companies throughout the industry are investing heavily to meet evolving customer needs; the industry stands on the verge of historic regulatory change; and AWO pursues an active public policy agenda to support members’ needs for predictable and practicable government policy.

23 Feb 2015

Coalition Calls for Action on Vessel Discharge Legislation

The American Waterways Operators (AWO) and a broad-based coalition of organizations that rely on marine vessels to transport essential cargoes said a uniform national framework for the regulation of vessel discharges is urgently needed. The coalition called upon the Senate Commerce Committee to move quickly to approve S.373, the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act (VIDA), bipartisan legislation introduced by Senators Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), John Thune (R-S.D.), and Bill Nelson (D-Fla.). In a letter to Senators Thune and Nelson, respectively the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Commerce Committee, the coalition stated that vessel discharge reform legislation would rectify an untenable situation “by establishing a uniform…

23 Sep 2014

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.

20 Sep 2014

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.

06 Aug 2014

AWO Praises Simplification of TWIC Process

Tom Allegretti, AWO President & CEO

Last week, the Transportation Security Administration began nationwide implementation of a program that reforms the burdensome process by which mariners and other transportation workers receive required Transportation Worker Identification Credentials (TWIC). The TWIC OneVisit program eliminates the requirement that workers make two trips to a TWIC enrollment center to pick up and then activate their TWIC. Under the new, streamlined process, a mariner can apply for a TWIC at an enrollment center and opt to receive the credential by mail.

26 Jun 2014

The Rise of Primary and Secondary Maritime Schools

Maritime Academy offers the only elective class in small engine repair which is unique to public school education in Philadelphia (Photo courtesy Maritime Charter High School in Philadelphia).

Education for the next generation, employment for life. A new source of talent emerges for maritime stakeholders everywhere. Primary and secondary maritime schools are sprouting up across the country, inspiring K-12 students to learn about the exciting, yet sometimes obscured domestic waterfront. The goals of these maritime school programs are many and multifaceted, but at the core they motivate and engage students by bringing something new and exciting to the classroom while giving teachers an effective means for capturing the attention of their classes.

12 Aug 2013

U.S. Maritime Strategy: a Time for New Beginnings

The imperative for a holistic United States maritime strategy has never been greater. This is not news to many of you, but the call must be raised more persistently, more vocally and by many more of us, in order to drive action beyond rhetoric. The National Strategy for the Marine Transportation System was published in July 2008 by the previous administration. We are now in the second iteration of leadership changes at the Department of Transportation and Maritime Administration since the strategy was issued. The White House, the Congress, and the maritime industry should collectively and collaboratively address the evermore pressing…

29 May 2013

Kirby CEO Urges Support for Jones Act at House Subcommittee Hearing

Testifying on behalf of the American Maritime Partnership, Kirby Corporation Chairman & CEO Joseph Pyne urged Members of Congress to strongly support the Jones Act for the economic, national security and homeland security benefits it provides to the United States. Mr. Pyne delivered his testimony at a May 21 hearing before the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation on “The Role of U.S. Ships and Mariners.” The first panel consisted of government witnesses who discussed the government’s role supporting U.S. ships and mariners, including John Porcari, Deputy Secretary of Transportation, and Gen. William Fraser, Commander, U.S. Transportation Command. The second panel consisted of U.S.

12 Apr 2013

Rep. Elijah Cummings to be Honored

Rep. Elijah Cummings

The International Propeller Club of the Unites States has announced that Representative Elijah Cummings will be honored at the Propeller Club’s annual Salute to Congress Dinner, to be held on May 7th at the Army Navy Country Club in Arlington, Va. The Propeller Club’s Salute to Congress dinner is the maritime industry’s most prestigious and anticipated annual event in the Nation’s Capital. For more than a quarter century, the Club and its members have recognized Members of Congress who have demonstrated consistent support for the maritime industry and the United States-flag Merchant Marine.

22 Aug 2012

OP/ED: Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Thomas Allegretti, President & CEO of the American Waterways Operators (AWO)

On June 27, I testified on behalf of the American Maritime Partnership (AMP) before the House Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee at a hearing that questioned the Administration’s skirting of the Jones Act during last summer’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) drawdown. Members of Congress were keenly interested in understanding how the Administration authorized waivers for foreign flag ships to carry U.S. oil between U.S. destinations when American vessels crewed…

14 Oct 2011

Bill Introduced To Protect American Maritime Jobs

Working to create and preserve American jobs, Congressmen Elijah E. Cummings (D, MD-7) and Jeff Landry (R, LA-3) today introduced the American Mariners Job Protection Act (H.R. 3202), a bill with bipartisan support that will increase government transparency surrounding the issuance of waivers allowing non-Jones Act-qualified vessels to carry cargo between U.S. ports. Under current law, when the head of the agency responsible for the administration of the Jones Act believes it necessary to waive the Act’s requirements in the interest of national defense, the agency must request the Maritime Administration to assess whether Jones Act-qualified vessels are available to carry the cargo under consideration.

24 Feb 2011

American Salvage Assoc. Recognizes SMFF Implementation

After a nearly 20-year wait since the original issuance of the OPA-90 regulatory package, the American Salvage Association (ASA) expressed its recognition for the final implementation of Salvage and Marine Firefighting Regulations (SMFF), 33 Code of Federal Regulations Part 155 Subpart I, for tank vessels that went into effect on February 22, 2011. From the Exxon Valdez spill that prompted OPA-90, to the 1996 promulgation of Vessel Response Plan (VRP) regulations requiring contracts with Oil Spill Removal Organizations (OSRO), to the first public workshop held by the Coast Guard in 1997 to address the need for well-defined salvage regulations, to the final rule being published on December 31, 2008, the road to final implementation has been long.

04 Nov 2010

SOCP 2010 December Meeting

The Ship Operations Cooperative Program (SOCP) cordially invites maritime industry representatives to attend and participate in our December meeting to be held at Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies (MITAGS) in Linthicum, Md. Congressman Elijah Cummings has accepted to be our keynote speaker. Also, ranking officers of US Maritime Administration and Department of Transportation have been invited to address this meeting. In addition, senior representatives from Federal and State Governments and the commercial industry will present a comprehensive discussion on the impact of regulatory changes in the areas of safety, environment and training in the US maritime industry.

02 Nov 2010

AWO Hails New Deadlines for Towing Vessel Inspection Regs

The American Waterways Operators (AWO), the national trade association for the tugboat, towboat and barge industry, hails the enactment of provisions in the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-281) that bring the industry one step closer to a historic towing vessel inspection regulation to improve safety in the towing industry. Section 701 of the Act requires the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) “to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking regarding inspection requirements for towing vessels” no more than 90 days from the date of enactment, a provision strongly advocated by AWO. The law requires that a final rule be issued no more than one year after the enactment date.

01 Mar 2010

Hearing on FY11 budget: USCG, MARAD, FMC

The Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure conducted a hearing on the FY 2011 Budget for the Coast Guard, the Maritime Administration, and the Federal Maritime Commission. The Subcommittee noted that budget request for FY 2011 represented a 0.4% decrease for the Coast Guard; a 3% decrease for MARAD; and a 5.8% increase for the FMC. Committee Chair James Oberstar (D - MN) expressed great concern regarding the projected decrease in the Coast Guard’s operational capabilities mandated by the proposed budget and the fact that the budget would provide no monies for either the Assistance to Small Shipyards program or the Title XI Loan Guarantee program.

07 Apr 2009

Annual Harbor Safety Committee Conference

The U.S. Coast Guard's Office of Waterways Management is sponsoring the 11th Annual Harbor Safety Committee Conference in Tampa, Fla., at the Marriott Tampa Waterside Hotel May 27-29. The event aims to bring together dozens of harbor safety committees from around the country to continue improving communication, collaboration and coordination among policy makers, transportation planners, shippers and others in the maritime industry. The deadline for registration is April 15. Invited speakers include Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen, Carnival Cruise Lines Vice President Brendan Corrigan and senior officials from the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Maritime Administration, the U.S.

18 Sep 2008

House Urges for New Tug Rules

When Rear Adm. James Watson IV promised Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., at a hearing Tuesday that the Coast Guard would issue proposed rules regulating tugboats in 2009, Cummings asked Watson to repeat the pledge. The frustration with the long-delayed new rules on tugs gained new urgency this summer when an oil spill in the Mississippi River shut down shipping through . The spill has been blamed on a tugboat being operated by a company that was involved in another accident on the river 10 days earlier. It's been four year since Congress ordered the Coast Guard to create rules requiring the regular inspection of towing vessels and setting limits on the number of hours that crew members work each day.

12 Jun 2008

Hearing on Vessel Rebuilding

The Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure conducted a hearing on Rebuilding Vessels under the Jones Act. The law requires, for vessels eligible to engage in the coastwise trade, that any rebuilding, including the construction of any major component of the hull or superstructure, be done in the . Committee Chair James Oberstar (D-MN) noted the need for consistency in application of the rebuild regulations. Subcommittee Chair Elijah Cummings (D-MD) expressed concern about the lack of transparency in the rebuild determination process. Rear Admiral James Watson, USCG, urged Congress to bring greater legislative clarity to the Jones Act. Mr.

10 Jul 2008

Horizon Applauds Introduction of Harbor Maintenance Tax Legislation

Charles G. (Chuck) Raymond, Chairman, President & CEO of Horizon Lines, Inc. expressed strong support for legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate that would exempt coastwise shipping of containerized cargo from the Harbor Maintenance Tax (HMT). The legislation, introduced by Senator Frank Lautenberg (NJ), would exempt water carriage of non-bulk cargo between ports from the HMT. This would eliminate both the tax and associated paperwork burdens that discourage shippers from routing cargo by sea. By removing these barriers, the legislation would encourage use of the fuel-efficient marine mode to move cargo along our nation's coasts, helping ease highway and rail congestion and the demand for imported oil.

20 Jul 2007

Ship System and Component Manufacturers Discuss Past and Future

The Congressional Shipbuilding Caucus (CSC) co-chaired by Representatives Gene Taylor (D-MS) and Jo Ann Davis (R-VA), met with ship component manufacturers on the impact that low rates of naval shipbuilding have had on their companies and the challenges confronting the ship manufacturing industrial base. The ship manufacturers that met with the Caucus included: Mr. Craig Hansen of BWXT/ Babcock and Wilcox in Mount Vernon, IN; Mr. Walter Herr of Fairbanks Morse Engine in Beloit, WI; Mr. Roy Arnold of IMECO, Inc. in Iron Mountain, MI; Mr. Michael Stobbart of Lister Chain and Forge, Inc. in Blaine, WA; and Mr. Terry Sterling of Nelson Stud Welding in Elyria, OH.

18 Oct 2007

House Hearing on Mariner Education, Work Force

The Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure conducted an oversight hearing on Mariner Education and Work Force. As explained in the Summary of Subject Matter, the focus of the hearing was growing shortage of mariners and the challenges facing the maritime work force. Subcommittee Chair Elijah Cummings (D-MD) expressed concern that the maritime industry is no longer attractive for new entrants. Committee Chair James Oberstar (D-MN) discussed the importance of timely and relevant training. Rear Admiral Joel Whitehead, USCG, explained the role of the International Convention on Standards of Training…