Statement of Administration Policy: H.R. 4484 - FY 1993 Maritime Administration Authorization

(SENT 9/8/92)
(House)
(Jones (D) North Carolina and 5 others)

The Administration opposes enactment of H.R. 4484 in its current form. The Administration would support H.R. 4484 if it were amended to delete provisions that:

—   Authorize $189.4 million more than requested in the President's Budget for maintenance and operation programs in support of the Ready Reserve Force.

—   Divert $1.2 million from the sale of National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF) vessels to State maritime academies to be used for training simulators.

—   Authorize additional Federal assistance to a State maritime academy-

—   Authorize the Department of Transportation to subsidize the payment of certain license and document fees for graduates of the State maritime academies.

In addition, H.R. 4484 should be amended to substitute, for the bill's current merchant mariners' reemployment/rights provision, the provision in the "Maritime Reform Act of 1992" addressing this subject. (The Secretary of Transportation transmitted this legislative proposal to Congress on July 17th.) The alternate language would more completely ensure that the Department of Labor is able to enforce the reemployment rights of returning merchant mariners on the same basis as those of returning military reservists.

Finally, the Administration opposes amendments to be offered during consideration of the bill on the House floor that would:

—   Divert the proceeds of the sale and scrapping of an NDRF vessel from the procurement of militarily useful vessels to a specified maritime park.

—   Waive, with respect to 21 named vessels, applicable requirements for documentation.