AMO Currents - Congressional representatives urge full funding for Maritime Security Program

AMO Currents - Posted: March 23, 2010

Congressional representatives urge full funding for Maritime Security Program

A bipartisan group of 50 Congressional representatives has requested full funding for the Maritime Security Program in fiscal year 2011 appropriations legislation. In a letter to Rep. John Olver (D-MA), chairman of the House Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and ranking member Rep. Tom Latham (R-IA), the representatives described the MSP as a "proven, successful national security program."

The Obama administration's recently released budget request for FY 2011 includes $174 million for the MSP, the same amount appropriated in FY 2010. Since the original enactment of the MSP in 1996, Congress has approved full funding for the program each year, the representatives noted.

The Maritime Security Program was "enacted to ensure that the United States has the U.S.-flag commercial sealift capability and trained U.S. citizen merchant mariners it needs in time of war or other international emergency," the representatives wrote. "It is one of the most cost-efficient and effective defense-related private industry and government partnerships. Most importantly, the continued funding and implementation of the MSP ensures that America will in fact be able to support our troops overseas by guaranteeing that American flag vessels and American crews -- and not foreign flag vessels and foreign crews -- will continue to be available to transport the supplies and equipment our troops need."

In addition to effective sealift service, the 60-ship MSP fleet creates substantial economic savings for the Department of Defense, providing access to militarily useful vessels and capacity that would cost more than $1 billion annually to replicate, the representatives noted.

The letter was signed by a total of 50 Congressional representatives, including the Chairmen of the Armed Services Committee, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Subcommittee on the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation.