Us House Coast Guard News

Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA) informs that The House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation held a hearing today on America’s domestic maritime industry with a special focus on how the industry is responding to America’s surging domestic energy production. Matthew Paxton, president of the Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA), testified that the state of America’s commercial shipbuilding industry is strong, more vibrant than ever, and that U.S. shipyards are experiencing dramatic growth as a result of the shale oil revolution and record levels of new vessel construction orders and deliveries. "The state of the U.S. commercial shipyard industry is the strongest it has been in decades,” said Paxton.

Legislation to authorize more than $7.9 billion for the Coast Guard for Fiscal Year 2005, including $1.1 billion for the Deepwater project, was unanimously approved by the U.S. House Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee today. Deepwater is the Coast Guard’s program to replace and modernize its operational capital assets. The Coast Guard’s fleet is rapidly deteriorating, leading to higher safety risks and maintenance costs, and a lower state of readiness. At a Subcommittee hearing last week, the Commandant of the Coast Guard expressed concern that assets are wearing out faster than anticipated. The Coast Guard Authorization Act for FY 2005 (H.R. * U.S. Rep. * U.S. Rep. * U.S. Rep. * U.S. Rep. H.R.

The U.S. House Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee will hold a field hearing in New Jersey on March 26 to examine security efforts implemented in the Port of New York and New Jersey, and to investigate ways to further enhance ports and waterways security around the nation. The Congressional hearing is scheduled for: Tuesday, March 26, 2002 at 10: 00 a.m. in the Port Newark-Elizabeth General Office Building (GOB), 1st Floor, Cafeteria, 1210 Corbin St., Elizabeth, NJ. “This hearing will give the Subcommittee another opportunity to hear from those involved in our ports about the specific security challenges facing these critical facilities,” said Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), Chairman of the Subcommittee.

BIMCO announced that it has arranged for meetings to take place this week with high ranking officials from the U.S. Customs Service, the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), the State Department Visa Office, the U.S. Senate Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Sub-Committee, the U.S. House Coast Guard and Merchant Marine Sub-Committee, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Maritime Administration, and the Department of Transportation. a number of very important security issues currently under consideration in the U.S. which will have a direct impact on shipping and on trading with North America”. Everard continued, “Because BIMCO represents more than 65% of the world’s merchant fleet”…