[{"_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",6240975,"mediaKeyId","3313102-c04c0c5d41ceff9a0aa02319facb924b","parentId",3313102,"title","Secretary Duffy tells appropriators the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy is dilapidated and needs investment","audioSeconds",358,"startMs",4552000,"endMs",4910000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3313102-c04c0c5d41ceff9a0aa02319facb924b&start=4552&end=4910","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3313102-c04c0c5d41ceff9a0aa02319facb924b/thumbnail_4552000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6240975/Secretary-Duffy-tells-appropriators-the-US-Merchant-Marine-Academy-is-dilapidated-and-needs-investment","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6240975-d1ec17040d395ba8909043f4edf65807/orig.mp4?Expires=1771150031&Signature=mgMALUgpIUo4KCwdQVxVpRMdYSOaX5te47RB9vQhE6AEcnRlNM17zVqhm5XGPg6j1oo1k-gaZOjJe3A3K5-IybzeUdjwiNmDDswG~scJ0obsnubJIxfu5z9sANhRVtArmHmgjxzbruK3a7qOEyqI8Ry~MXk0ykKd-ey0sHVNhncVpPwOgJ-khoBc8jS-jX-3rCEY3Ep87AE7ro0Yh7djdTt9P3h-bhwMe7T7PEQ9SzN5xU2vCnA7joYesWc6xuOjG1Q4llDxXDJ~7U~qCRGq9orV3xoLVFvkmi0f6Le0Aqqjs5IdP1y43YixHfADolUl~6G7i59B9z1kTiocQGEYaQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","U.S. House Committee on Appropriations","date","2025-05-15T04:17:02Z","article","During the appropriations hearing, Secretary Sean Duffy raised conditions at the United States Merchant Marine Academy and called for targeted investment and oversight to remedy what he described as dilapidated facilities.

Duffy told the subcommittee students at the academy had endured four months without hot water and that the facility suffers from mold and broken dining equipment. He described the students as highly capable and said the academy serves national and defense missions by training mariners who can crew U.S.-built ships and support military logistics in time of conflict.

Why this matters: members noted the academy produces skilled mariners who contribute to commercial shipping, the national defense sealift capacity and shipyard workforce needs. The secretary said he prefers to keep the academy under DOT oversight and urged the committee to consider investments or operational changes to address the school's maintenance backlog.

Discussion vs. decision: the secretary called for immediate attention and pledged to advocate for resources; the hearing recorded no vote or final appropriations decision for the academy.

What’s next: the secretary asked the committee to inspect the facility and signaled DOT will make improving academy conditions a priority in its budget and planning work.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Budget Hearing – U.S. Department of Transportation","oneSentenceSummary","Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the United States Merchant Marine Academy has serious maintenance problems — including months without hot water and broken dishwashers — and urged funding and oversight to rehabilitate the school and its facilities.","taxTitle","Appropriations: House Committee, Standing Committees - House & Senate, Congressional Hearings Compilation, Legislative, Federal","taxId",1832,"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},6240979,"Secretary Duffy tells appropriators DOT is working through 3,200 announced grants; pledges dashboard and tech tools",653,1088000,1741000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3313102-c04c0c5d41ceff9a0aa02319facb924b&start=1088&end=1741","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3313102-c04c0c5d41ceff9a0aa02319facb924b/thumbnail_1088000.jpg","/articles/6240979/Secretary-Duffy-tells-appropriators-DOT-is-working-through-3200-announced-grants-pledges-dashboard-and-tech-tools","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6240979-f4e8fa96873c83ac863dbd084f7e84f0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771150031&Signature=eU51ypgiTBhL~HmaFL2KQ3S6wNd7y277w12z5J0Pj14Wn-IfpF8Hbr7OfTmeoNDvTaXWFgljZNAfyCsXPfY4vgXaNzASw0Wkzp~SNAZJ~dGgYqQOv~Xnj9P45TVNxVmxo1VUHKwUlWlugLnj10-XWzyM3o11E8-YBLQngyyGHuBjfXBvyBtolYVCnm1pt~ZrBjPx0xcT6Ig2x3oWVXiTSS-J0NJM6wCPuDdIddeKVr2aaaXmqtfxowFElAqjCIFqFMAMT9yP2jpvMZOs79ls-FhE4SKifZfuo3K05y6KBMhgEpD6dEAahOcAT0RAvtcO5yPcdkSfqWCw8ghoMMQCSQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Committee members repeatedly pressed Secretary Sean Duffy on the department’s pace of finalizing grant agreements that were announced under the prior administration.

Duffy told the subcommittee the department inherited “an unprecedented backlog of 3,200 awards” and that his team had approved 405 grants totaling about $4,900,000,000 in the administration’s first 100-plus days. He said DOT is working to consolidate 10–14 disparate grant-tracking systems into a single public dashboard and is examining technological tools, including AI, to speed grant-agreement processing.

Why this matters: project sponsors, contractors and local governments rely on executed grant agreements to begin work in construction seasons; delays can disrupt capital programs and increase costs. Members said delays, when combined with higher commodity prices and tariffs, have already pushed some projects out of reach for localities.

Clarifying details from the hearing: committee staff cited roughly 480 grants cleared (about 15% of the announced backlog) in preliminary tracking; the secretary said the pace is accelerating and committed to follow-up with more detailed status reporting.

Discussion vs. decision: the hearing recorded promises to deliver better visibility and to seek efficiencies; no formal reprogramming or rescission was decided at the hearing.

What’s next: DOT agreed to provide the committee with more detailed status updates, and members asked for greater transparency around notification to grantees when the department completes agreement steps.","The secretary said DOT inherited a backlog of about 3,200 announced grant awards that still require finalized agreements and pledged to consolidate grant-tracking systems and explore AI to speed processing.",{"_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},6240987,"Subcommittee presses DOT on aging air-traffic systems, Newark outages and controller shortages",3174,1302000,4476000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3313102-c04c0c5d41ceff9a0aa02319facb924b&start=1302&end=4476","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3313102-c04c0c5d41ceff9a0aa02319facb924b/thumbnail_1302000.jpg","/articles/6240987/Subcommittee-presses-DOT-on-aging-air-traffic-systems-Newark-outages-and-controller-shortages","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6240987-3ba5ee7aeca7da69581d61d82a192d38/orig.mp4?Expires=1771150031&Signature=ETk1yc1YAWmzsdqzeF~OUc1CC~cmkec85jNxGX8zwsCar3zzwwAcWaJpROXYJL6g-UdmpI0n4kGVjJ6GA~z8aUyrrsP2iP1oNtVWFfU0acB3fFqrGYPy7RW9ywWZsaLFIz1YFnEjggeSjasski1Rcj~sH0ncIQAp5F4YPbQEwc5Vj-PIqSqPBJKTLbdCXlgRELS0i0-1eBVuR0qIfPiFfkiC8doomhwqDxc9hbsaFr6aX-f5HL38i6Hn1cZ1umlcV9mDSL4RZDcNpwy4C3HedAIhgvNPinzU8wdS6aIU9Ph2BGU82nGAPLFj3JUIYcWx94y3vBsd3elRtt2xY1eOYA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Members of the House Appropriations subcommittee focused substantial attention on aviation safety, asking how the Department of Transportation will modernize aging air-traffic-control systems and address staffing shortfalls that committee members said are harming operations at high-volume facilities such as Newark.

Secretary Sean Duffy told the panel the administration requested an increase for air-traffic modernization and operations and that the FAA has begun a hiring surge at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center. “We have offered a bonus to ... experienced controllers,” Duffy said, adding the department is also bringing professors into the academy to free up controllers to teach and addressing a high washout rate in training.

Why this matters: witnesses and members said the nation’s air-traffic-control telecommunications and radar infrastructure contains decades-old equipment that cannot be patched indefinitely. Committee members pointed to repeated Newark outages and to long medical-certification and background processes that slow entry into the controller pipeline.

Key details from the hearing include: the administration’s FY26 request includes $1,200,000,000 for air-traffic modernization; the FAA has aimed to place 2,000 trainees in the academy this year and the department expects to meet or exceed that target after a “supercharge” announcement; the academy’s washout rate is currently about 35% and officials aim to reduce that rate to about 25% through additional tutoring and merit-based selection; the department has offered retention bonuses around 20% to experienced controllers to discourage near-term retirements.

Newark and telecom upgrades: Secretary Duffy said recent outages at Newark resulted in part from moving Newark airspace control and not fully hardening the communications path to the receiving TRACON. He described ongoing work to lay fiber and test connections from Newark to the Philadelphia TRACON and said the FAA is convening airlines that serve Newark to coordinate flight volumes until telecom upgrades are completed. “We're working at lightning speed and pace to get this resolved in Newark,” he said.

Medical certification and modernization: members raised aviation-medical certificate processing delays, noting an outdated paper-based system and infrequent specialist review panels. The secretary said DOT and the FAA are exploring process improvements, including additional staff incentives and quicker turnaround times for medical reports, and that broader modernization will include replacing copper telecom lines with fiber and upgrading equipment in TRACONs and centers.

Discussion vs. decision: the hearing produced staffing and modernization commitments and timelines described by the secretary, but no committee votes or final funding decisions; committee members requested regular updates on progress and specific timelines for Newark telecom fixes.","Lawmakers questioned Secretary Duffy about outdated air-traffic-control equipment, telecom outages at Newark, and plans to expand controller hiring and training at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center.",{"_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},6240989,"Appropriations subcommittee presses DOT on $26.7 billion FY26 request, staffing cuts and grant-condition rollbacks",1435,120000,1555000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3313102-c04c0c5d41ceff9a0aa02319facb924b&start=120&end=1555","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3313102-c04c0c5d41ceff9a0aa02319facb924b/thumbnail_120000.jpg","/articles/6240989/Appropriations-subcommittee-presses-DOT-on-267-billion-FY26-request-staffing-cuts-and-grant-condition-rollbacks","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6240989-1d83fb40b3cacdb75d4a40bb2fac19c1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771150031&Signature=aj0CKv88WTApdjkz~JljZDzXJcMwRtckNbo2xw6ZJ007ketDZWkwPOPaP7RSPeUMhZmlBuFs~Q9o06wURPNyYlX6pvpVOwgSpEA6NUGIFHBJtzJBAHskPIW7iryC3Lon3DNcc0xSNaqWiU8D0rNC9C9rWFo~01O7e4kClcjr~mz7PnqjvlLoXcEiwwSdk1YU2IUOGOQKuKNB5GyZAJAg9wdN8yDZohlxpJyzpT4A9U2inAqjfvbtKXXc~EGCyQP9rrHE7~1Fab1tBOUfbLieBXXlcgi-gIniAaiiKjV6QD32T7z4tPnZ20q7KptYg73iELiUYBGJT~M34k5Optge3g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies heard testimony on the Department of Transportation’s fiscal 2026 discretionary request of $26,700,000,000 and raised questions about proposed staffing reductions and changes to grant conditions.

The request the department submitted includes increases the administration highlighted — $1,200,000,000 for air traffic modernization and operations, $596,000,000 for ports and shipyards, $400,000,000 for freight rail safety and $770,000,000 for multimodal freight expansion — alongside, the subcommittee was told, about $1,400,000,000 in cuts at DOT that have not been fully explained in the skinny budget. “Article 1 of the Constitution is clear,” a committee chair said, urging the department to preserve congressional prerogatives on appropriations when restructuring programs.

Why this matters: committee members said they cannot evaluate DOT’s request in isolation because THUD (Transportation, Housing and Urban Development) funding decisions interact across housing and transportation priorities and because safety agencies and ongoing investments depend on stable staffing and predictable grant delivery.

Secretary Sean Duffy described early actions in the administration to reduce what he called inefficient spending and to review grants announced under the prior administration. He told the subcommittee the department has “in the president’s hundred plus days … pushed forward with the approval of 405 grants totaling $4,900,000,000” and said DOT has identified roughly $9,500,000,000 in savings from projects it deemed tied to social-justice or climate requirements or otherwise inefficient. Duffy also said the department inherited “an unprecedented backlog of 3,200 awards” that still require finalized grant agreements and pledged to increase the pace of completing agreements.

Members pressed the secretary about workforce reductions. The hearing record shows several figures discussed: the committee cited reports of about 3,000 probationary employee dismissals and said that, with buyouts, DOT staffing could decline roughly 12% since January; the secretary disputed portrayals that safety-critical positions have been eliminated and said DOT has “preserved all of our safety-critical mission positions, including air traffic controllers.” He added that the administration is offering incentives to retain experienced employees and that, if necessary, DOT would rehire to maintain mission capacity.

Committee members also focused on the administration’s rollback of certain grant conditions described as climate and social-justice requirements. Representative Clyburn argued these provisions reflected long-standing efforts to address historic injustices in project siting and procurement; Secretary Duffy responded that some equity- and climate-related requirements he reviewed were increasing project costs and that he has asked staff to examine relevant legal constraints, including recent Supreme Court rulings cited during the hearing.

Discussion vs. decision: the hearing produced questions, commitments to follow up, and a pledge from DOT to share proposed reorganization plans with the committee when completed. There were no formal committee votes or agency decisions recorded during the hearing.

What’s next: members repeatedly requested more granular explanation of the cited $1.4 billion in cuts and the $4.1 billion reduction to IIJA FY26 advance appropriations that appears in the skinny budget, and they asked DOT to provide the committee with reprogramming or reorganization plans for congressional review.","At a House appropriations subcommittee hearing, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy defended the department's fiscal 2026 discretionary request and said the department is pursuing staffing reductions and rescinding certain climate and social-justice conditions on grants while members raised concerns about safety and congressional oversight.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Secretary Duffy tells appropriators the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy is dilapidated and needs investment

Secretary Duffy tells appropriators DOT is working through 3,200 announced grants; pledges dashboard and tech tools

Subcommittee presses DOT on aging air-traffic systems, Newark outages and controller shortages

Appropriations subcommittee presses DOT on $26.7 billion FY26 request, staffing cuts and grant-condition rollbacks