[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},"mediaId",6349320,"mediaKeyId","2239015-f76b4d5803dd6b9ba5747fbe178726e6","parentId",2239015,"title","Union and industry urge recruitment, training investments to reverse mariner shortage","audioSeconds",166,"startMs",3038000,"endMs",3204000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2239015-f76b4d5803dd6b9ba5747fbe178726e6&start=3038&end=3204","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2239015-f76b4d5803dd6b9ba5747fbe178726e6/thumbnail_3038000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6349320/Union-and-industry-urge-recruitment-training-investments-to-reverse-mariner-shortage","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6349320-04a3842351ee49c3b13658b539d6e18c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771186186&Signature=HeHUECp4heOv8qjUDZJ6iIYBzmSDFpUOJOhltOH5kVWV6RqwXncINBXn8vTC3SgBJzCA9jEHYPQr7ra7A38PvtPwnZJvmHz3RF~jGbbyxxC4s05NB95tjvK0rtc5TQQ8KBToOeGlabbBu~vabpdCyJDE-OFAJoMCGhHTUXkEmNRjOkHMOTCmaASHCoho9akGIK9BQqIgfPXbX8A~1UkrSP5pQpPQ5BUMYIMUsw3MEapW-yKLCvHjzafg~~Y4UImkMg61TnRAhjn8nODoUDBQzj5NTGP1UUhG-CNrh6CvJ4FzJegBUkRnbgeKtKU0b3ixS06xn3dCFd2fbZd5NeVgVg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","U.S. House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure","date","2025-02-05T00:00:00Z","article","Labor leaders, port officials and shipyard representatives told the House Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee that the United States needs sustained recruitment and training investments to rebuild a shrinking mariner workforce.

Brian Schoeneman, political and legislative director for the Seafarers International Union, and other witnesses said the U.S. merchant fleet carries a small fraction of the nation's foreign commerce and that mariner shortages predated the COVID‑19 pandemic but were exacerbated by it. Schoeneman said the fleet carries \"less than 2% of our foreign commerce and represents less than 0.4% of the world's shipping fleet,\" and argued that programs such as Food for Peace and Food for Progress provide commercially meaningful cargo to support U.S.‑flag operators.

Witnesses cited concrete steps to expand the workforce: fully funding training centers and maritime academies, making pandemic‑era pilot programs to shorten competency timelines permanent, supporting the small shipyard grant program to expand shore‑side employment, and launching national recruitment campaigns. Representative Pupis and others welcomed language in last year's National Defense Authorization Act directing the Navy to assist with a major recruitment campaign for the Merchant Marine.

Panelists emphasized quality‑of‑life improvements and modernized training as recruitment tools, including better onboard connectivity and shorter sea tours, and recommended greater outreach to high schools and community colleges. No formal votes or policy changes were enacted during the hearing, but members and witnesses agreed on follow‑up oversight and working with the Navy and maritime academies to increase enrollment and training capacity.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","America Builds: Maritime Infrastructure","oneSentenceSummary","Labor and industry witnesses told the House subcommittee that the U.S. faces a shortage of mariners and called for sustained funding for training programs, investment in the Merchant Marine Academy and a national recruitment effort to attract younger workers.","taxTitle","Transportation and Infrastructure: House Committee, Standing Committees - House & Senate, Congressional Hearings Compilation, Legislative, Federal","taxId",1827,"location","","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6349324,"Industry urges Coast Guard collaboration, training for autonomous maritime systems",198,2803000,3001000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2239015-f76b4d5803dd6b9ba5747fbe178726e6&start=2803&end=3001","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2239015-f76b4d5803dd6b9ba5747fbe178726e6/thumbnail_2803000.jpg","/articles/6349324/Industry-urges-Coast-Guard-collaboration-training-for-autonomous-maritime-systems","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6349324-701993f8867bafa2aea2f3b82605798f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771186186&Signature=ZRHXazT9OjDaloih6UjllRoOy~rOZEHBZAjeN55ZqHRhqhn0XYGflFpfMpnkNW2xiW-NRnidgB~tpywjiYkpxnRs7TjSd2GXNU5NmXOBr3tU6etOB8PR~f-4nzoPCj3vehbqCEwD-6VsXAOVCTKzdwWT0nnYCoHTK41nG4h4Nk2AXvMtFEsyD6~iqZtfDksr7whJJrZYR-JF2CidKOkCT7mBAyiavQdhJOxrAkoyngWNZHaiehlBCMkgiRdBTAex7Px0v5Vgy3eJ13YBY599yZnaRSFXrQTCv1lxDN2L9XuVHG1qboP6mL4aKVrtnSdU6~amEp8UO2r87IKTPNRPNQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Witnesses at a House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee hearing asked for closer coordination between industry and the U.S. Coast Guard to develop standards for uncrewed and autonomous maritime systems, saying the technology is advancing more rapidly than rulemaking.

Tom Reynolds, chief strategy officer at CSATs and a representative of AUVSI, told the committee that the United States lags some competitors in development and deployment because the regulatory framework has not kept pace. \"Our current regulatory framework has not kept up with this advance in technology,\" Reynolds said, and he added that the Coast Guard \"operates no robotic or autonomous ships or boats or underwater vehicles of its own,\" which he said reduces the service's firsthand experience to regulate the technology effectively.

Reynolds and other witnesses recommended several steps: closer interagency collaboration (including leveraging Department of Defense and NOAA investments), Coast Guard pilot programs that put systems in the hands of operators and guardsmen for operational familiarity, and development of standards for safety certification and updated \"rules of the road.\" They also highlighted cybersecurity as a cross‑cutting requirement and said industry groups such as AUVSI are ready to support standards development.

Members raised practical questions about interoperability with crewed vessels, emergency response and how captains of the port apply local authority for test operations. Witnesses described current testing approvals as a localized, patchwork process that sometimes rests on individual port or Coast Guard captain judgments rather than a consistent national standard. Tom Reynolds said putting systems into operational use on platforms that already host contractor‑operated unmanned systems (for example, the Coast Guard's use of small unmanned aircraft on some cutters) can help the service learn and refine regulatory needs.

The hearing generated no regulatory changes. Members and witnesses agreed on next steps: increased testing collaboration, pilot projects, and targeted investment in Coast Guard operational experience to inform future rulemaking.","Manufacturers and advocacy groups told the House subcommittee that uncrewed and autonomous maritime systems are advancing faster than the current regulatory framework, and they asked for closer Coast Guard engagement, additional pilot programs, and clearer standards for testing and cybersecurity.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6349329,"Witnesses urge stronger support for U.S. shipyards, cite Jones Act as foundation",342,2414000,2756000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2239015-f76b4d5803dd6b9ba5747fbe178726e6&start=2414&end=2756","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2239015-f76b4d5803dd6b9ba5747fbe178726e6/thumbnail_2414000.jpg","/articles/6349329/Witnesses-urge-stronger-support-for-US-shipyards-cite-Jones-Act-as-foundation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6349329-00493b5cefd70f505567a3e07340de66/orig.mp4?Expires=1771186186&Signature=H-6JLx7tRyCzgRiE0zBGpBYri~Antf8MSoq3u1lIitz6ojO2Eq4uJyKPsUbXhEX2YEaldJ1eccDuGE7mqXoWZrgU3AzY2l1Ni18Nlfagqkqq3sOuNBUA8Br0uI~Drk8qWbV17g0B91Fs6FNpbGAPJ1lZ5bKhDbXRnvYOSI75asKg1gv1GDt4veIKkg5cONiejtJ2kF2z4tWNEUypWz7V9ns7dHK9Bgjs8HI5aJl3Be6emg0IwXifBeoBhNFc6h9AXkAAua4qtFyUAd9wTAFlijbYrMkzQRwFPrc7Lbu9EhVuQwHtRQS853gCjf7FvxGb6e5SgcUsWIOhnh~TYT8hEQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Shipbuilders, maritime unions and port officials told the House Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee that revitalizing the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base requires expanded, sustained federal support and protection of domestic preferences.

Joe Rella, president of Saint John Shipbuilding, told the committee that the industry needs consistent demand and government signals to justify long‑term investments in facilities and workforce. Rella said there are about \"120 active shipyards in the United States\" and noted diversity of specialties across yards. He urged Congress to consider comprehensive measures such as the Ships for America Act, which he said would provide a national maritime strategy and large‑scale shipbuilding signals for private industry.

Brian Schoeneman of the Seafarers International Union and other witnesses emphasized the central role of the Jones Act in maintaining a skilled domestic shipbuilding and mariner workforce. Schoeneman said the Jones Act \"is a bedrock foundation of American maritime law\" and argued that protections for U.S.‑flag and U.S.‑crewed vessels are essential to preserve jobs and shipyard capacity.

Witnesses identified specific federal programs they expect to help: the Small Shipyard Grant Program, Title XI federal ship financing, capital construction fund expansions, maritime security and tanker programs, and grant programs that reduce administrative friction. Rella recommended more flexible match rates for small shipyard grants (he said a 25 percent match would be preferable to a 50 percent match) and suggested contracting practices that include enforceable small‑business set‑aside requirements to ensure broader industrial participation.

Panelists described obstacles: foreign competitors receive heavy subsidization, differing regulatory burdens and higher domestic costs related to safety and environmental compliance. Rella said those rules are applied for legitimate worker and environmental protections but acknowledged they raise costs relative to subsidized foreign yards.

No formal legislative action occurred during the hearing. Members and witnesses agreed that a predictable, long‑term demand signal from Congress — via legislation or consistent program funding — and changes to procurement and financing tools would be necessary to expand U.S. shipbuilding capacity and sustain skilled employment.","Industry witnesses at the House subcommittee hearing urged Congress to shore up the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base with programs such as the Small Shipyard Grant Program, Title XI finance and by protecting the Jones Act; they also cited the Ships for America legislative proposal as a comprehensive approach to rebuilding capacity.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6349335,"Ports warn grant pause threatens projects, jobs and shore‑power upgrades",2014,1777000,3791000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2239015-f76b4d5803dd6b9ba5747fbe178726e6&start=1777&end=3791","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2239015-f76b4d5803dd6b9ba5747fbe178726e6/thumbnail_1777000.jpg","/articles/6349335/Ports-warn-grant-pause-threatens-projects-jobs-and-shorepower-upgrades","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6349335-f9b5ac94cbe4458486669bf2aa8ec8fb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771186186&Signature=PkjcRkQuVGWNLuxNAOaHwtcaNlx-eTZoOJHsB5WPd7VakbAUf20JaqMf7~e0VqbVQKb-t5oKQY62ok3gOICGICX20cpvbOfAns9i9ODe39-6o7bWvg5j~YSjNATuTO5oUmyDeU8iYJMXb87thfQAW1lGLGQCzWdF0a3cqjCOF8Cx3d4G-zboK67yZh8GCGiqLKWdOFMZ7ywyqxriVQ7pgMT9erE3OzHxzReVRrhbmS~aCfei9BCagTcJyyPnafUTja0N4OmEowUr9LfmjhVhkrOGpU4egOQhJJgrkvN2CEP4zY0Nx8oRJWwlNZhpoQinmUPTkFhvzIElx5xiDekSrA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At a House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee hearing on maritime infrastructure, port leaders and members of Congress warned that a recent pause or review of federal infrastructure grants is disrupting port projects and putting jobs at risk.

Representative Larson, ranking member of the full committee, told the subcommittee that \"the president's executive order to pause infrastructure funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act is putting billions of dollars, hundreds of thousands of jobs, and tens of thousands of projects at risk.\" The concern echoed across witnesses, who said ports built near‑term plans around federal grants that now face uncertainty.

The uncertainty matters because federal programs helped fund a wave of port investments after the supply‑chain problems of 2021. Representative Larson said more than $2,180,000,000 in Port Infrastructure Development Program grants have been awarded to ports since the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law took effect. Paul Anderson, president and CEO of Port Tampa Bay, said the pause has immediate operational effects: \"There is a lot of uncertainty. In fact, just last week, we had an emergency board call of many of our members representing the West Coast, Great Lakes, East Coast, and the Gulf Ports,\" and added that ports planned projects on the assumption of federal co‑investment.

Port Tampa Bay cited specific local impacts: Anderson said the port holds a $1,800,000 planning grant under the relevant program and relies on federal grants that commonly fund 50 percent of major projects. He also described hurricane damage to aids to navigation that has reduced nighttime operations for some vessels and urged congressional consideration of authority that would allow faster public‑private repairs after declared disasters.

Ranking Member Carbajal raised the pause of grants administered by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Ports Program, noting a $63,000,000 grant to the Port of Anacortes that he said has been paused despite a signed grant agreement. Multiple witnesses told the committee they were awaiting agency guidance on whether previously awarded or signed grants will be executed, delayed, or rescinded.

Witnesses urged Congress and federal agencies to restore certainty and speed disbursement. Anderson recommended reviewing administrative processes that delay grant execution, saying he had seen awards take two years from announcement to payment, during which time inflation increased costs. Subcommittee members and witnesses also discussed the larger strategic consequences: ports say the U.S. faces intensified competition from foreign ports that benefit from heavier subsidization.

The hearing produced no formal votes or directives. Members repeatedly called for prompt clarifications from the administering agencies and for congressional oversight to ensure grants approved under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and related programs proceed as planned.

Looking ahead, members said they will press agencies for updates and consider legislative steps to reduce bureaucratic delays in grant delivery and to give the Coast Guard and port partners clearer authority to respond faster after major storms.","Witnesses at the House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee hearing said a recent pause or review of federal infrastructure grants has left ports unsure whether projects funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and other programs can proceed, affecting projects from shore power to channel deepening.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Union and industry urge recruitment, training investments to reverse mariner shortage

Industry urges Coast Guard collaboration, training for autonomous maritime systems

Witnesses urge stronger support for U.S. shipyards, cite Jones Act as foundation

Ports warn grant pause threatens projects, jobs and shore‑power upgrades