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Jay Rockefeller News

25 Nov 2014

Will Congress Pass Any Maritime Legislation in 2014?

Jonathan K. Waldron

Following its usual summer break over August 2014, Congress came back from its five-week summer recess and spent a whopping eight days or so back in session before recessing once again, approximately a week early, to hit the campaign trail for the November elections. This essentially means that including the summer recess, Congress will have been in session for a total of about eight days between the end of July and the middle of November 2014. No wonder why Congress has not been able to accomplish much this year, to date.

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.

12 May 2014

Senators Ask USCG to Publish Cruise Inspection Information

Photo: Greg Trauthwein

U.S. Sens. In a letter to U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Robert Papp, Jr., U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV (D-W.V.), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) called on the Coast Guard to detail how it plans to use inspection information to hold cruise ships with safety problems accountable. The senators also requested that such information be made available to the public over the Internet.

07 Mar 2014

AWO Praises Vessel Discharge Legislation

Tom Allegretti, AWO President & CEO

The American Waterways Operators, the national trade association representing the tugboat, towboat and barge industry, praised yesterday’s Senate introduction of a bill calling for the enactment of a uniform national standard for the regulation of ballast water and other vessel discharges, legislation widely viewed as essential to ending the existing confusing, costly and ineffective patchwork of state and federal rules. AWO specifically called attention to the instrumental leadership of the bill’s lead sponsors, Sens.

25 Jul 2013

Cruise Line Execs Carpeted by Senate Committee

The presidents of Carnival Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean International defended their industry and their practices to senators following two recent high-profile fires that damaged ships, reports AP. In February, Carnival’s ship Triumph was left without power in the Gulf of Mexico after an engine room fire. Thousands of passengers endured squalid conditions while the ship was towed to Mobile, Alabama. Citing Carnival Cruise Lines President Gerald Cahill evidence to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation,  AP reported that Carnival is working to add more emergency generators to its two dozen ships as well as to install newer sprinkler systems.

08 May 2013

AMO Support Senator's Quest for Cruise Ship Information

The American Maritime Officers Association (AMO) supports Senator Rockefeller's approach to the Cruise Lines International Association. The American Maritime Officers Association, the nation's largest professional merchant marine organization, says the widely publicised letter by U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller, demanding the cruise line industry answer questions and provide details about safety procedures, mechanical problems and the number of U.S. residents employed by each shipping company is a substantial step in generating public awareness and political support of AMO's efforts to put Americans in command of American-owned passenger vessels – vessels that are mostly commanded and crewed by foreigners. "Although the best-known cruise lines are publicly-traded U.S.

08 May 2013

U.S. Senator Sends Safety Inquiries to Major Cruise Lines

Photo: Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va)

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation said in a news release that Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va) sent letters to the three largest cruise liners about their passenger safety, security, and health practices. Chairman Rockefeller’s letters to Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian follow a series of oversight letters that he sent in February 2012. “The cruise industry enjoys many advantages operating out of the United States but the advantages to American consumers and taxpayers are less clear,” said Rockefeller.

24 Apr 2013

AMO Responds to Cruise Line Industry Criticisms

American Maritime Officers Association (AMO) president follows up on his recent appearance on FOX News Channel. The AMO president says his April 15 live appearance on FOX News Channel's segment, "Remembering Titanic 101 years Ago Today," which highlighted concerns about the rising tide of marine mishaps, has drawn undue criticism from the cruise ship industry's lobbying group, yet, has ignited overwhelming positive public and professional support of putting highly-trained AMO-member U.S. merchant mariners in command of more passenger vacation vessels. A few days after American Maritime Officers President Tom Bethel appeared on "FOX & Friends," the Cruise Lines International Association issued a news release in the form of an open letter from CEO Christine Duffy to Mr. Bethel.

14 Apr 2013

Cruise Line Maintains Coast Guard Help Free of Charge

Carnival Corp, resists reimbursement of costs incurred by US Government through assistance rendered to their disabled 'Carnival Triumph'. Carnival Corp. says all maritime interests must assist without question those in trouble at sea, a duty that would not include reimbursing the U.S. government nearly $780,000 for costs associated with the rescue of the crippled Triumph cruise ship, reports the Associated Press. Carnival recently released letters replying to an inquiry by U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller, a West Virginia Democrat who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, about the Triumph stranding and the cruise line's overall safety record.

25 Jun 2012

AWO: Senate Bill Would Protect Marine Environment

Bipartisan legislation introduced by Senator Mark Begich (D-AK) and nine co-sponsors would establish a strong, nationally consistent standard for ballast water and other vessel discharges, bringing good news for the marine environment and for maritime commerce, the American Waterways Operators (AWO) announced. S. 3332, the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act, would require the U.S. Coast Guard to implement the most environmentally protective ballast water discharge standard achievable by existing technology.