Reported by Pamela Glass for Work Boat.
Nine federal committees that advise the Coast Guard on maritime issues have found themselves in the crosshairs of President Trump’s remake of the federal government.
Members of all federal advisory committees under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including those working on towing safety regulations and maritime training, have been dismissed and their committee work and meetings put on indefinite hold.
In a Jan. 20 memo, Benjamine C. Huffman, Acting Secretary of DHS, ordered the termination of current membership on all DHS advisory committees, including those working with the Coast Guard in forming inspections, regulations, and investigations of U.S. vessels, the credentialing licensing and training of mariners, Great Lakes pilotage, and offshore minerals and energy operations. It also affects panels involved in cybersecurity.
Huffman writes that the decision is in line with the Trump administration’s “commitment to eliminating the misuse of resources and ensuring that DHS activities prioritize our national security.”
Huffman didn’t rule out restoring the committees, as long as future activities “be focused solely on advancing our critical mission to protect the homeland and support DHS’s strategic priorities.” He invited current members to reapply.
All committees that advise the Coast Guard have been authorized by Congress, and although memberships have been abolished, “the statutory framework for the committees remains in place and the members can be solicited at any time,” Caitlin Stewart, vice president of regulatory affairs at the American Waterways Operators (AWO), which presents the towing and tugboat industry, told WorkBoat.
In the past, committees have offered recommendations on improving Subchapter M regulations (the safety scheme for operating towing vessels), and on training and experience necessary for mariners to work on vessels using alternative fuels.
A coalition of five maritime labor unions have asked Congress to “take immediate action to reconvene these committees and restore the expertise they represent.” In a letter to Rep. Mike Ezell, R-Miss., chair of the House subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, the unions raised concerns about maritime safety.
“This decision raises profound concerns, especially in light of incidents such as the allusion of the MV Dali with the Francis Scott Key Bridge” in Baltimore, the unions wrote in a Feb. 18 letter. “The consequences of compromised maritime safety are devastating, underscoring the necessity of continued dialogue between regulators and the professionals who navigate our waters.”
The unions said that maritime safety, a core Coast Guard role, depends largely on expertise from federal advisory committees.
“To ensure the continued safety of the U.S. and global waterways, the voices of those who work in the industry must be heard,” wrote leaders of the American Maritime Officers Association, the Maritime Trades Department of the AFL-CIO, the Seafarers Union, the International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots, the Transportation Trades Department of the AFL-CIO, and the Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association.
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