Today, U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, countered claims from the majority party that the maritime industry can do more with less at a hearing on “A Review of the Administration's Fiscal Year 2012 Budget Requests for the U.S. Coast Guard, Federal Maritime Commission, and Federal Maritime Administration; Finding Ways To Do More with Less.”
"The practical impacts of this budget request is that maritime will do less with less. Less shipbuilding, slower recapitalization of Coast Guard assets, and less investment into the critical maritime infrastructure that keeps our economy moving.
"Maritime transportation remains a critical component of our national economy contributing over $10 billion annually and generating nearly 270,000 jobs. I am concerned that this budget will underinvest in the maritime infrastructure that can help the U.S. economy expand and flourish.
“One main exception is the Federal Maritime Commission where its modest increase will allow it to strengthen efforts to assure fair trade and shipping which will create jobs in the US.”
