Collins challenges Trump administration’s lower funding for MMA training vessel

File Photo U.S. Sen. Susan Collins

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By Staff

In a budget hearing Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, pressed Transportation Secretary Elain Chao on the Trump administration’s budget proposal for a replacement training vessel slated for the Maine Maritime Academy.

During the hearing, Collins noted that in each of the past two years, the U.S. Maritime Administration was awarded $300 million to design and construct identical training vessels for state maritime academies. Massachusetts Maritime Academy received its new training vessel last year, while New York received one the year before.

But the fiscal year 2020 budget request only includes $205 million for a different, smaller-capacity training ship for Maine Maritime Academy.

Collins, chairwoman of the Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee, told Chao the lower funding made no sense, since building the same vessel for all three maritime academies was expected to achieve cost savings based on economies of scale.

“This budget proposal would require MARAD to start from scratch in designing a brand-new ship and would be detrimental to the training needs at Maine Maritime Academy, which is next in line for a replacement ship,” Collins stated. “We followed MARAD’s guidelines exactly and funded New York first, Massachusetts last year, and Maine is scheduled for this year, but with a far smaller and inferior ship provided in this budget. It simply doesn't make sense to change the size of the training vessel.”

Collins continued: “I would just ask again for your commitment to work with us in finding a path forward so that MARAD doesn't have to go back to the drawing board and spend an enormous amount of time and money in designing a whole new ship when, in fact, the appropriate metric is how many cadets in the academy need at-sea training.”

Chao replied: “Senator, I hope Maine knows what an advocate they have in you, because every time that we talk you're always advocating for your state, and in particular, the latest example is with this school ship. Your arguments and the points that you made are very good ones, and I look forward to working with you on it.”