Crowley Pushes to Secure Funding for SUNY Maritime College

Over 40 Members of Congress Sign Letter Urging the Administration to Continue Funding for New Training Vessels

On Wednesday, Reps. Joe Crowley (D-NY), Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus, and Dan Benishek (R-MI) announced a bipartisan effort to secure continued funding for State Maritime Academies in the President’s budget for FY2017. In a letter to the Department of Transportation and Office of Management and Budget, the members urged the administration to fund the design and replacement of aging training ships used by our nation’s six State Maritime Academies (SMAs) to train future mariners.

“Our State Maritime Academies, including SUNY Maritime College in the Bronx, are more than sources of pride for our nation – they play a crucial role in training the next generation of maritime leaders and in protecting our national security interests,” said Crowley. “We all pay the price when these critical institutions don’t have the resources they need, including up-to-date training ships.”

The maritime industry is an essential part of our nation’s economy, in addition to playing a critical role in national security. Each year, the industry generates over $100 billion, employs 1.5 million Americans and pays tens of billions in wages and benefits. The United States has long maintained a strong maritime industry because of concerted investments in the sector, including in the nation’s six State Maritime Academies (SMAs) and the ships they use for training.

In December 2014, Crowley, Benishek, and 23 bipartisan members of Congress sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Office of Management and Budget urging the agencies to develop and support a plan to replace the aging ships used by our nation’s State Maritime Academies. In February, President Obama designated $5 million in his FY2016 budget to design and replace aging ships. The House Appropriations Committee included this important funding in its legislation to fund the Maritime Administration for FY2016 following a concerted effort by Crowley, Benishek and other members of Congress.

On Wednesday, Lieutenant Governor Hochul and Assemblyman Michael Benedetto toured SUNY Maritime College to highlight educational opportunities in the Maritime industry.