Showing posts with label Maritime. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Maritime. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 19, 2019

President’s Fiscal Year 2020 Budget Fortifies DHS Operations, Supports Frontline Personnel, Secures Our Borders & Confronts Emerging Threats Release Date: March 18, 2019

by: U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Washington, D.C. - March 19, 2019 - (The Ponder News) -- Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen M. Nielsen released the details of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 Budget request to Congress for DHS and its component agencies and offices. The DHS request includes $51.7 billion in discretionary funding and an additional $19.4 billion for the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF). The Budget request provides critical resources to help our frontline personnel do their jobs to secure the homeland against all threats and hazards, and it ensures DHS is able to defend Americans against emerging dangers.

“The American people and our law enforcement personnel rightfully demand effective border security as supported by the White House budget—building the wall and giving the men and women of DHS the support, tools, and resources they need to safeguard our territory,” said Secretary Nielsen. “This year’s request also delivers landmark investments to protect America and our way of life—including by combating terrorism and homeland threats, defending our nation’s networks and critical infrastructure, facilitating and securing legal trade and travel, and so much more.”

Border & Maritime Security
To address the unprecedented humanitarian and security crisis at the Southwest Border, the FY 2020 budget requests $5.0 billion for the construction of approximately 200 miles of a new border wall system and over $232 million to equip our law enforcement personnel with the latest in surveillance technology. Further, over $80 million is requested to provide migrant care including medical services, general consumables and transportation. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) funding request includes 54,000 beds to address immigration enforcement. DHS continues to support its law enforcement men and women in uniform by requesting over 1,000 combined Border Patrol Agents and Customs and Border Protection Officers, and over 1,660 ICE law enforcement and support staff. In continued commitment to safeguarding our Nation’s ports and waterways while enforcing the law on the high seas, the Department has requested $1.2 billion in funds for recapitalization of U.S Coast Guard resources.

Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security

In an age of pandemic malware and network instructions, the Budget requests $1.3 billion for programs such as Federal Network Protection, Proactive Cyber Protection, and Infrastructure Security, which will allow DHS to safeguard the federal government’s civilian information technology systems against cybersecurity risks. It also supports the maturation of the Department’s new Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

Transportation Security
The FY 2020 Budget goes further to invest in the security of the traveling public. The Transportation Security Agency (TSA) continues to experience airline passenger volume growth at airport checkpoints nationwide. The funding request for TSA supports an additional 700 Transportation Security Officers (TSO) contributing to a total of more than 46,600 TSOs, the highest level in history. Additionally, $221 million is requested for new equipment to effectively detect smaller and more artfully concealed threats within checked or carry-on bags in response to an evolving threat landscape.

Emergency Management & Recovery
In keeping with a policy of “Relentless Resilience,” the Budget proposes crucial resources to enhance the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). A funding request of $28.5 billion, which includes $19.4 billion for the Disaster Relief Fund, ensures FEMA continues to provide the requisite support to disaster survivors by increasing their capacity to take effective and practical steps to help themselves, their families, and their communities. And it funds FEMA’s transformation into a more responsive agency focused on helping Americans better prepare for the worst.

Thursday, December 14, 2017

U.S. SENATOR TAMMY BALDWIN’S BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION SUPPORTING MARITIME INDUSTRY BECOMES LAW

By Senator Tammy Baldwin (D - WI)


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Washington, D.C. - December 14, 2017 - (The Ponder News) -- U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin’s Domestic Maritime Centers of Excellence Act was signed into law as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018. This bipartisan legislation helps address the critical need for trained workers in the maritime industry.

“It is an honor to represent a state with a long and proud maritime manufacturing tradition,” said Senator Baldwin. “I am proud to see this bipartisan legislation signed into law, in order to help ensure the future of our maritime workforce.”

The Domestic Maritime Centers of Excellence Act authorizes the Maritime Administration (MARAD) to designate community and technical colleges with maritime training program as centers of excellence and allow the Administration to provide technical assistance and other support to these institutions as they train the domestic maritime workforce.

“The legislation reinforces how important the marine manufacturing talent and skills of the Great Lakes Region are to the nation,” said Ann Franz, director of the North Coast Marine Manufacturing Alliance (NCMMA). “At the heart of the marine industry, there is a highly skilled workforce with an unwavering passion. We see this as an opportunity to showcase world class marine manufacturing in northeast Wisconsin and grow the shipbuilding and maritime careers in our area.”

“Passage of the Maritime Centers of Excellence legislation empowers Northeast Wisconsin Technical College to remain in the forefront of maritime and marine education and training,” said NWTC President Dr. Jeff Rafn. “The College will collaborate with other Centers of Excellence throughout the country to prepare workers for the maritime and marine manufacturing industry. Northeast Wisconsin is a premier shipbuilding center on the Great Lakes. Designating a Maritime Center of Excellence at NWTC will improve the opportunities for the Great Lakes marine manufacturing industry to innovate and grow. We are thankful for the support of our congressional delegation, who clearly understand the critical role technical and community colleges including NWTC play in sustaining and growing the maritime and marine workforce.”

The bipartisan legislation is supported by the North Coast Marine Manufacturing Alliance and the Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC) and was cosponsored by Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Marco Rubio (R-FL), John Kennedy (R-LA), Mark Warner (D-VA), Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR).


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