Sen. Cruz Advances Legislative Priorities for the Texas A&M Maritime Academy and the Gulf Region

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, participated in a Committee markup today where he discussed the challenges facing the Texas A&M Maritime Academy which has been operating for more than a decade without a sufficient training ship. The lack of a sufficient ship has limited the number of cadets that can receive training and serve the growing needs of the Gulf region. Sen. Cruz secured a provision in the Maritime Authorization and Enhancement Act for Fiscal Year 2019 requiring vessel sharing among state maritime academies to ensure that all cadets are able to receive proper training at sea so they are qualified to support U.S. waterborne commerce and our national security. 

“I commend Chairman Thune and Senator Fischer for including my provision in the Maritime Authorization and Enhancement Act for Fiscal Year 2019 that will require vessel sharing among state maritime academies to ensure that all cadets receive proper training at sea so they are qualified to support U.S. waterborne commerce and our national security,” Sen. Cruz said. “While this provision provides a short-term solution for the at-sea training needs of our cadets in the Gulf region, the State of Texas still needs a suitable ship that has the capability to meet the long-term needs of the Gulf region.”

Sen. Cruz also stressed the need for the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) to work with Congress to address the long-term maritime needs of Texas A&M, the State of Texas and the Gulf region.   

“It is my expectation that MARAD Administrator, Rear Admiral Mark Buzby, will work directly with my office and this Committee to swiftly resolve this issue in a manner that solves the unique needs of the Gulf region without compromising the National Security Multi-Mission Vessel Program.”

Watch Sen. Cruz’s remarks here. The full transcript is below.

“Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Texas A&M Maritime Academy is one of six state maritime academies in the United States, and the only one located in the Gulf region.

“However, for nearly two decades, the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) has been unable, despite considerable investment by the citizens of Texas, to provide Texas A&M, the State of Texas and the Gulf with a sufficient training ship.

“Of all of the state maritime academies, the Texas A&M Maritime Academy has by far the least capability to meet the needs of its cadets, the Gulf region, and our nation. 

“Currently, Texas A&M has 420 cadets but its ship only has a capacity for 50 cadets.

“This is not only bad for Texas but it’s also bad for Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, and the rest of the Gulf region, as ships from state maritime academies far outside the Gulf region must be activated by FEMA to support recovery operations such as the federal response to Hurricane Harvey.

“The State of Texas maritime academy’s current ship is completely inadequate to provide significant response capability to regional disasters such as Hurricanes Harvey, Katrina and Rita.

“If the status quo continues, the State of Texas will most likely continue to operate without a sufficient ship for at least another decade as MARAD continues to prioritize the needs of other state maritime academies that have already been provided training ships that are sufficient to meet their needs. This is completely unacceptable. 

“I commend Chairman Thune and Senator Fischer for including my provision in the Maritime Authorization and Enhancement Act for Fiscal Year 2019 that will require vessel sharing among state maritime academies to ensure that all cadets receive proper training at sea so they are qualified to support U.S. waterborne commerce and our national security.

“While this provision provides a short-term solution for the at-sea training needs of our cadets in the Gulf region, the State of Texas still needs a suitable ship that has the capability to meet the long-term needs of the Gulf region. 

“It is my expectation that MARAD Administrator, Rear Admiral Mark Buzby, will work directly with my office and this Committee to swiftly resolve this issue in a manner that solves the unique needs of the Gulf region without compromising the National Security Multi-Mission Vessel Program.

“I thank Chairman Thune and Senator Fischer for all of their hard work in preparing the bill before our Committee today and I look forward to continuing to working in a unified front to resolve this pressing issue.” 

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