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SCA Weekly Report | May 8-12, 2023
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*Please note that there will not be a SCA Weekly Report next Friday due to the 2023 SCA Spring Meeting*
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NEXT WEEK:
2023 SCA Spring Membership Meeting
May 17-18, 2023
20 F St. NW
Washington, D.C. 20001
*Please note that the SCA will be presenting the 2023 SCA Maritime Leadership Award to House Majority Leader Steve Scalise at 11:00 AM on Thursday, May 17, 2023 right before the Industry Partners Committee Meeting. We encourage you to attend the award presentation and hear from the House Majority Leader*
Confirmed Guest Speakers For Thursday, May 18, 2023:
- Congressman Garret Graves (R-LA-06)
- Congressman Jerry Carl (R-AL-01)
- Admiral Steven Poulin, Vice Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard
- Vice Admiral William Galinis, Commander, NAVSEA, U.S. Navy
- Rear Admiral Nancy Hann, Director of Marine and Aviation Operations, NOAA
- Eric Labs, Senior Analyst for Naval Weapons and Forces, Congressional Budget Office
- Ron O'Rourke, Specialist in Naval Affairs, Congressional Research Service
- Ian Bennitt, Staff Director & Senior Advisor, House Armed Services Committee
- Phil MacNaughton, Professional Staff Member, House Armed Services Committee
- Douglas M. Harrington, Deputy Associate Administrator for Federal Sealift, MARAD
- Jason Atwell, Manager of Global Government & Principal Advisor of Global Intelligence, Mandiant
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SENATOR TIM KAINE (D-VA) FUNDRAISER
In conjunction with the Spring Membership Meeting, SCA will be hosting a fundraiser for Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) on the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) at 5:00 PM on Wednesday, May 17, 2023.
If you are interested in attending the fundraiser, please RSVP HERE.
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Save the Dates: Upcoming SCA Meetings
2023 SCA Fall General Membership Meeting: October 11-12, 2023 | Portland, Maine
2024 SCA Winter General Membership Meeting: February 7-8, 2024 | Coral Gables, Florida
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NAVSEA Workforce Grant Opportunities
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Policy, Spending Bills Get Pushed as Debt Negotiations Continue
Both the House Armed Services and House Appropriations Committee announced this week that they would be pushing markups to consider key FY24 legislation until after a resolution on the debt ceiling is reached. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and other Congressional leaders met with President Biden and White House staff this week to continue negotiations on the debt ceiling – at issue is a target of $131 billion Republicans want to cut from federal spending in exchange to raise the debt ceiling. Forecasts vary, but many experts predict that the U.S. will hit the debt limit in early June.
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DOD Issues Post-Pandemic Progress Payment Changes
The Defense Department will begin to apply customary progress payment rates for large companies signing new contracts on or after July 7, but will keep the more generous pandemic-era rates in place for existing contracts. In April 2020, DOD increased the progress payment rate for large businesses from 80% to 90% and the small business progress payment rate from 90% to 95% to head-off potential disruptions to the defense industrial base related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
DOD will now return large companies to 80% on contracts signed on or after July 7 but will keep the small businesses at 95%.
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Port of Long Beach Unveils Plans for Massive Floating Offshore Wind Facility
The Port of Long Beach has announced plans for Pier Wind, a giant floating offshore wind facility designed to help California and the nation achieve renewable energy goals. The facility, the largest of its kind at any U.S. seaport, will support the manufacturing and assembly of offshore wind turbines as tall as the Eiffel Tower. Pier Wind will enable fully assembled turbines capable of generating 20 megawatts of energy to be towed by sea to offshore wind farms in Central and Northern California.
The $4.7 billion project, spanning up to 400 acres within the Harbor District southwest of the Long Beach International Gateway Bridge, will not only provide renewable power but also create jobs and career opportunities for communities disproportionately affected by climate change and port operations. Construction is slated to begin in January 2027, with the first 100 acres operational in early 2031, the second 100 acres operational in late 2031, and the last 200 acres coming online in 2035.
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Former Edison Chouest OSV Being Converted into a Spaceport Launch Site
Space Perspective, a space tourism company, is converting a former 294' Edison Chouest Offshore OSV to a marine spaceport designated for human space flight. The acquisition represents the first of its planned global fleet of converted spaceport vessels, which will act as launching sites for its balloon-driven passenger spacecraft.
What was once Edison Chouest’s C Challenger has been renamed Voyager and is undergoing renovations at Conrad Shipyard. The outfitting includes a balloon launch system and a Supreme Integrated Technologies space capsule A-frame, built for the capsule’s retrieval operations. The OSV is being retrofitted to use low-carbon biofuel and is expected to be completed later this year. Voyager will transport passengers to an offshore location launch site. Once in its designated position, a giant hydrogen-filled SpaceBalloon will lift Space Perspective’s commercial spaceship, Spaceship Neptune, carrying passengers 20 miles above the Earth.
Bollinger Delivers 53rd Fast Response Cutter
Bollinger Shipyards LLC has delivered the USCGC John Patterson to the U.S. Coast Guard in Key West, Florida. This is the 179th vessel Bollinger has delivered to the U.S. Coast Guard over a 35-year period and the 53rd Fast Response Cutter (FRC) delivered under the current program.
“We’re incredibly proud to deliver another Fast Response Cutter to be homeported in Boston, the birthplace of the U.S. Coast Guard,” said Bollinger President and CEO, Ben Bordelon. “We’re confident that pound for pound, the quality and capabilities of the FRC platform is unmatched, and that this vessel will outperform its mission requirements and expectations in the challenging conditions where it will operate in the North Atlantic. Our unique experience building for the Coast Guard is unparalleled and has shown time and time again that we can successfully deliver the highest quality vessels on a reliable, aggressive production schedule. We look forward to continuing our historic partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard.”
FMC: Charge Complaint Refunds Hit $1 Million Milestone
More than $1 million in disputed charges have been waived or refunded through the Charge Complaint process, established by the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 (OSRA) and administered by the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC). The OSRA amended the Shipping Act and authorized the Federal Maritime Commission to promptly investigate “information concerning complaints about charges assessed by a common carrier” and order refunds and/or penalties for charges that do not comply with relevant regulations.
Charge Complaints offer a simplified and expedited process for shippers, consignees, truckers, and third parties to dispute charges which may have been wrongly assessed by a common carrier. While complaints about the reasonableness of a demurrage or detention charge tend to be the most common, other carrier fees or charges that do not comply with relevant regulations may be submitted for investigation.
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If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the SCA staff.
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