[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 148 (Wednesday, September 13, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4497-S4498]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 1187. Mr. KELLY (for himself, Mr. Cornyn, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. 
Wicker, and Mr. Schumer) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed 
by him to the bill H.R. 4366, making appropriations for military 
construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies 
for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, and for other purposes; 
which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the appropriate place in title I of division C, insert 
     the following:

     SEC. ____. UNITED STATES MERCHANT MARINE ACADEMY CAPITAL 
                   IMPROVEMENTS.

       (a) Findings.--
       (1) The United States is a maritime Nation.
       (2) A robust commercial maritime industry in the United 
     States is critical for providing military sea-lift capacity 
     at times of war and for providing economic security in peace 
     times.
       (3) the United States Merchant Marine Academy and the State 
     maritime academies play a critical role in training licensed 
     merchant mariners to operate commercial vessels, in peacetime 
     and during times of conflict.
       (4) The United States Merchant Marine Academy is 1 of the 5 
     Federal service academies and plays a critical role in 
     maintaining a domestic, commercial maritime industry, with 
     each graduate having a commitment to serve not less than 8 
     years in the foreign and domestic commerce and the national 
     defense of the United States, which may include service on a 
     merchant vessel documented under chapter 121 of title 46, and 
     graduates make up more than 80 percent of the Navy's 
     Strategic Sealift Officer Program.
       (5) The 6 State maritime academies provide a critical 
     compliment to the Federal academy by providing instruction 
     and at-sea training, which enables a graduate to become a 
     commissioned officer and merchant marine upon graduation.
       (6) The United States defense readiness and economic 
     security relies on a strong investment in training and 
     cultivating United States merchant marine officers at the 
     maritime academies.
       (7) The partnership between commercial shipping companies 
     and the maritime academies to ensure students receive real-
     world training on commercial vessels has been successful for 
     decades and should continue, while ensuring that these 
     training opportunities are safe environments for students.
       (8) To ensure that the United States continues to have a 
     sufficient number of licensed merchant mariners to meet 
     current and future economic and national security needs, the 
     Maritime Administration and the Department of Transportation 
     have a responsibility to provide suitable academic and 
     dormitory facilities at the United States Merchant Marine 
     Academy by maintaining a capital improvement program plan for 
     campus-wide modernization and providing sufficient 
     accountability and oversight to ensure that milestones in a 
     capital improvement plan are met.
       (9) In developing capital improvement plans for the United 
     States Merchant Marine Academy, the Maritime Administration 
     and the Department of Transportation should identify 
     opportunities to utilize design-build contracts to increase 
     delivery times and reduce costs.
       (b) Directives.--
       (1) Status update.--Not later than 30 days after the date 
     of enactment of this section, the Secretary of Transportation 
     and the Maritime Administrator shall provide an update to the 
     Board of Visitors of the United States Merchant Marine 
     Academy on--
       (A) the status of the fiscal year 2022 United States 
     Merchant Marine Academy's capital improvement plan execution, 
     including recent steps taken to obligate prior appropriated 
     funds to address all critical near-term projects;
       (B) the status of the fiscal year 2023 plan's release; and
       (C) the status of long-term projects not included in the 
     capital improvement plan to enable full campus modernization.

[[Page S4498]]

       (2) Meetings.--The Maritime Administrator shall--
       (A) ensure that the United States Merchant Marine Academy 
     Board of Visitors meets not less than 3 times each calendar 
     year, and is encouraged to ensure that meetings are 
     structured to enable Members of Congress to participate 
     virtually, or be represented by staff, to the extent 
     permitted by law; and
       (B) transmit a copy of any report transmitted to the 
     President by the Board of Visitors to the Committee on 
     Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on 
     Appropriations of the House of Representatives, in addition 
     to copies provided to committees of jurisdiction identified 
     in section 51312 of title 46, United States Code.
                                 ______