Bill Introduced To Protect American Maritime JobsFriday, October 14,
2011Working 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 Acts
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.
The American Mariners Job Protection Act would require the Maritime
Administration to include in such assessments information on the actions that
could be taken to enable Jones Act-qualified vessels to carry the cargo for
which the Jones Act waiver is sought. The Maritime Administration would also
be required to publish its determinations on its website. Further, the
American Mariners Job Protection Act would require notification to be provided
to Congress when a waiver is requested or issued.
Our first priority in this Congress is to create and preserve jobs for
Americans, said Cummings. This Act will increase transparency to strengthen
adherence to the Jones Act and ensure we make full use of American maritime
capabilities. I want to make certain that every Jones Act-qualified ship that
can carry cargo is full and that every American mariner who is ready to earn a
good days wage for a good days work is able to do so. This bill will do that.
I thank Congressman Landry and other members on both sides of the aisle for
working with me, and I hope this common sense solution will be quickly
considered and enacted.
Landry, whose district has the most domestic maritime industry jobs in the
nation and transports much of the nations energy-based resources, is hopeful
the bipartisan support of the legislation will mean prompt passage and put
Americans back to work: American mariners are the most qualified and safest
workers in the world; we must ensure that they are being fully utilized. I know
the American Mariners Job Protection Act will give Americans much desired
government transparency and ensure that the American mariner is always the
first option. I thank Congressman Cummings for his leadership on this issue
and look forward to working with him in getting this bill passed.
Cummings and Landry introduced the American Mariners Job Protection Act
following the issuance of Jones Act waivers to allow foreign vessels and
foreign workers to transport petroleum products recently released from the
Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
Even though the legislation was just introduced, it already has strong support.
The Seafarers International Union strongly supports all Congressional efforts
to increase transparency, particularly when it comes to the Strategic Petroleum
Reserve. We are pleased to support the bipartisan legislation introduced today
by Congressmen Cummings and Landry and hope that Congress acts promptly to
resolve this issue, said Augustin Tellez, Executive Vice President of the
Seafarers International Union.
The American Waterways Operators (AWO) the national trade association for the
tugboat, towboat and barge industry praises the initiative taken by
Congressmen Elijah Cummings and Jeff Landry to uphold the integrity of the
Jones Act and ensure compliance with the Jones Act waiver process. AWO
President & CEO Thomas Allegretti said, The 46 waivers to the Jones Act
granted this summer more than any in the history of our nation shows us
that this legislation is necessary to tighten up the national security
requirements for waivers and to improve transparency in the waiver process. The
industry, and the men and women who depend on it for their jobs, salute
Congressmen Cummings and Landry for their leadership on this critical issue.
The other original co-sponsors of H.R. 3202 include Rep. Bennie Thompson, Rep.
Peter King, Rep. Candice Miller, Rep. Frank LoBiondo, Rep. Corrine Brown, Rep.
Mazie Hirono, Rep. Nick Rahall and Rep. Rick Larsen.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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