Happy Maritime Day! – House Committee Votes to Cut Maritime Security Program Funding The Maritime Security Program will suffer the loss of U.S. ships and jobs should a funding bill forwarded by the House Appropriations Committee become law. On Wednesday, the Committee marked up and passed the Fiscal Year 2015 Transportation Appropriations bill that leaves a shortfall of $20 million for MSP from its authorized level of $186 million. The Committee’s action upholds the lower MSP funding level originally proposed by its Transportation, Housing & Urban Development Subcommittee two weeks ago. However, disturbingly the Committee’s Conference Report alleges that the 60 ships currently funded as part of the MSP “exceed DOD capacity requirements and program goals. At press time, it was not clear what logic the Committee was using to produce such a statement. The funding bill will next go before the full House for a vote. If the $20 million MSP hit is upheld in the version that eventually lands on the President’s desk, the Stars and Stripes will be pulled down from at least seven more foreign-trade vessels and U.S.-flag shipping will slide closer to extinction. As members know, MSP gives the Defense Department access to 60 U.S.-flag militarily-useful commercial vessels and related infrastructure in case of contingency. To replicate the program through procurement and building of new ships, DOD would face an estimated cost of $65 billion as well as approximately $9 billion annually to maintain and operate the vessels. This is a critical issue for the U.S. Merchant Marine. The M.E.B.A., along with our maritime partners, is working tirelessly to get the full $186 million appropriated for MSP.
Posted on: Thu, 22 May 2014 12:55:17 +0000