THIS SEARCH THIS DOCUMENT THIS CR ISSUE GO TO
Next Hit Forward Next Document New CR Search
Prev Hit Back Prev Document HomePage
Hit List Best Sections Daily Digest Help
Contents Display
REAUTHORIZATION OF THE MARITIME SECURITY PROGRAM -- HON. DUNCAN HUNTER
(Extensions of Remarks - April 26, 2001)
[Page: E651] GPO's PDF
---
HON. DUNCAN HUNTER
OF CALIFORNIA
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Thursday, April 26, 2001
- Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, as Chairman of the Merchant Marine Panel of the
House Armed Services Committee, I rise today to address a matter under the
jurisdiction of my panel which is of the utmost importance to the national
security and the maritime capability of the United
States, namely the need to reauthorize the Maritime Security Program (MSP).
- The MSP program was
established by the Maritime
Security Act of 1996. The program was designed to maintain the
continued presence of an active, privately-owned, U.S.-flag and U.S.-crewed
merchant shipping fleet that would provide sustained sealift capability in
time of war or national emergency. That Act phased out the operating
differential subsidy program ,
provided reduced payments to vessel operators who agreed to make vessels and
associated intermodal assets available to Department of Defense (DOD) upon
request, and authorized $100 million annually for MSP program funding. Without the MSP program , U.S.-flag vessel owners
would have been forced to shift their operations to foreign flags with foreign
crews in order to remain internationally competitive. This would have been
detrimental to our national security interests.
- The MSP has proved very successful. Today, 47 U.S.-flagged commercial
vessels, crewed by U.S. citizens, participate in the MSP program . These vessels are engaged in
the foreign commerce of the U.S. and are enrolled in DOD's Emergency
Preparedness Program to ensure
that such vessels and associated worldwide intermodal transportation and
management assets are incorporated into DOD sealift plans and programs, and
are immediately available to meet military sealift requirements. Without the
MSP the cost to DOD would be substantial--approximately $800 million annually
would be required by DOD to provide similar sealift and related system
capacity on its own for the rapid and sustained deployment of military
vehicles, ammunition and other equipment and material.
- Authorization for the MSP is for a ten-year period up through September
2005. To ensure the continued operation and viability of a maritime security fleet of privately-owned,
militarily-useful U.S.-flag vessel operators, Congress needs to move forward
with the reauthorization of the MSP. This would provide the industry with the
timely assurance they need that the MSP program will continue beyond the year
2005.
- Additionally, I am concerned over rumors that U.S. citizenship
requirements for this program
could be modified. I strongly believe that reauthorization of the MSP program must ensure that current
United States citizenship requirements continue to apply for operators of
U.S.-flagged, U.S. crewed commercial vessels. The MSP program now requires that priority be
given to MSP vessel operators that are owned and controlled by United States
citizens (such operators are commonly known as ``Section 2 citizens'' under
section 2 of the 1916 Shipping Act). Such U.S.-ownership and U.S.-control
requirements are critical to the continued viability of the MSP program and must be preserved.