[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 149 (Thursday, September 14, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1233]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  COMMEMORATING THE FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PAUL HALL CENTER FOR 
                    MARITIME TRAINING AND EDUCATION

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. STENY H. HOYER

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 14, 2017

  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the Paul Hall Center 
for Maritime Training and Education, which is located in Maryland's 
Fifth Congressional District. It is one of the leading schools for 
merchant mariners in the United States and a major contributor to the 
development and maintenance of our nation's proud maritime traditions.
  The Paul Hall Center, which was founded in 1967 by late Seafarers 
International Union President Paul Hall, runs the leading training 
program for unlicensed merchant mariners in the United States today. It 
offers more U.S. Coast Guard-approved training courses than any other 
school in the nation and has trained tens of thousands of mariners 
since its founding. The Paul Hall Center's apprenticeship program, 
which is registered with the U.S. Department of Labor, has been praised 
as one of the most effective apprenticeship programs in the country and 
was honored as an ``Innovator and Trailblazer'' by the Labor Department 
in 2012. Today, the Paul Hall Center provides students a world-class 
education, preparing new merchant mariners to take their places on 
vessels sailing in both foreign and U.S.-flag fleets.
  It is critical that our country maintain a merchant marine capable of 
transporting a large share of the seagoing commerce of the United 
States. The Paul Hall Center's programs help ensure a sufficient number 
of well-trained, highly skilled merchant mariners to crew U.S.-flag 
vessels both for the privately owned merchant marine and for U.S. 
government-operated fleets.
  To that end, I hope my colleagues will join me in recognizing the 
significant contributions that the Paul Hall Center for Maritime 
Training and Education has made to our economy, our homeland security, 
and our national defense through its support of the U.S. Merchant 
Marine. I hope they will also join me in congratulating the Paul Hall 
Center on reaching this fiftieth anniversary milestone. I'm proud to 
represent this wonderful institution in the United States Congress.

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