Congressmen Trent Kelly (R-MS) and John Garamendi (D-CA) held a press conference on Capitol Hill April 22 with maritime labor and industry leaders to rally support for the SHIPS for America Act, addressing the importance of strengthening the U.S. shipbuilding and commercial maritime industries and the urgency of passing this legislation as soon as possible.
The following article was released by the office of Congressman John Garamendi. American Maritime Officers and other unions and maritime industry organizations participated in the press conference on April 22 on Capitol Hill.
Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA), Chairman of the House Armed Services Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee Rep. Trent Kelly (R-MS), President of the Shipbuilders Council of America Matt Paxton, and Chairman of USA Maritime Brian Schoeneman held a joint press conference on April 22 in support of the SHIPS for America Act to revitalize the maritime industry.
“Today, I am encouraged to see continued bipartisan consensus on the need to strengthen America’s maritime industry. The SHIPS Act will do exactly that. We are committed to securing passage of this legislation and to continuing the vital work of revitalizing our maritime sector,” said Congressman Garamendi. “Today’s hearing on shipbuilding is an encouraging sign of growing bipartisan momentum and interest in both revitalizing our nation’s shipbuilding industry and advancing the SHIPS Act. For over a year, we have seen promising progress, reflected in a growing coalition of supporters both on and off Capitol Hill, and we are confident that we can usher in a new era for American workers, shipbuilders, and our national security. I thank Chair Trent Kelly and the leadership on the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces, as well as the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, for arranging this critical hearing.”
“We are a great nation because we are a great maritime nation. But for years, we’ve fallen behind in providing the maritime industry with the resources it needs. If we want to restore America’s maritime strength, it will take robust investment in our shipbuilding industry in both military and commercial. We need to put more American-built ships in the water – ships that carry goods, support our economy, and strengthen our security. We also must maintain those ships and ensure we have the workforce to crew and support U.S.-flagged vessels with American workers,” said Congressman Kelly. “We must push Congress, the Administration, industry, and all stakeholders to get this bill across the finish line. Time is of the essence. We need to take decisive steps and get this done.”
“American shipyards can and must build the fleet of the future right here at home, and the SHIPS for America Act is the catalyst we need to get us there,” said President of the Shipbuilders Council of America Matt Paxton. “By aligning a national maritime strategy with stable investment, this bipartisan legislation recognizes the national security impact of our industry and would allow us to effectively counter global distortions in the shipbuilding and ship repair markets. We have the momentum, the industry backing, and the urgency to restore American shipbuilding and ship repair, and we look forward to continuing our work with Rep. John Garamendi and Rep. Trent Kelly to see this critical mission through.”
“The SHIPS for America Act represents the most meaningful maritime legislation in the last half century or more,” said Chairman of USA Maritime Brian Schoeneman. “The critical need for a vibrant U.S. Merchant Marine and a revitalized American maritime industry is on display daily. We can’t afford to wait any longer. It’s time to get it done.”
Representatives Garamendi and Kelly are co-authors of the SHIPS for America Act, comprehensive legislation designed to revitalize U.S. shipbuilding capacity and the commercial maritime sector.
Since the introduction of the SHIPS for America Act in December, the urgency of strengthening the nation’s shipbuilding capabilities has emerged as a matter of bipartisan priority. This focus has intensified following the USTR’s findings regarding China’s dominance in global shipbuilding, as well as President Trump’s signing of a shipbuilding-related executive order and the subsequent release of the Administration’s Maritime Action Plan.
AMO Great Lakes Representative Pete Kinsey congratulates Indiana Senator Todd Young on receiving the Great Lakes Maritime Task Force 2026 Legislator of the Year Award.
The following article was released by the Great Lakes Maritime Task Force, a coalition of which American Maritime Officers and American Maritime Officers Service are members.
On April 22, the Great Lakes Maritime Task Force (GLMTF) recognized Indiana Senator Todd Young for his commitment to the Great Lakes Navigation System and the nation’s maritime revitalization.
“Senator Young understands the importance of U.S. shipping on the Great Lakes with interconnected harbors that depend on each other and a healthy maritime highway. He has advocated for another heavy U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker on the Lakes, fully comprehending the importance to not only his steel mills in Indiana but the overall negative impacts to the nation when the critical raw materials that drive North American manufacturing are delayed or completely halted by winter ice,” stated Great Lakes Maritime Task Force President Jim Weakley, president of the Lake Carriers’ Association.
Senator Young has assumed a leadership role advocating for the rebuilding of U.S. maritime capabilities, including new U.S. vessels and additional American mariners. The SHIPS for America Act would provide the necessary congressional authorizations and enhance the mechanisms needed to build and crew a new fleet of commercial ships. The SHIPS Act also would establish a trust fund to support an expansion of the U.S.-flagged international fleet to 250 ships by 2035. It would make U.S.-flagged vessels commercially competitive in international commerce by cutting red tape, rebuilding the shipyard industrial base, and expanding and strengthening mariner and shipyard worker recruitment. Additionally, the SHIPS Act would help train a shipbuilding and mariner workforce, encourage domestic and foreign investment in maritime infrastructure, and provide the permitting reform and deregulation that is essential for timely construction of new shipyards.
“There is no one more deserving of this award than Senator Young. He continues to fight for the maritime community, which is a fight for the U.S. industrial base supply chain. With his advocacy bringing Great Lakes issues to the national stage and educating others on the importance of domestic steel production, which will ultimately drive shipbuilding, we have a Senator willing to work just like his constituents to make U.S. maritime a power once again,” Weakley said.
The ceremony was hosted in Senator Young’s Washington, D.C. office where he was surrounded by grateful GLMTF members from shipping companies, shipboard labor unions, U.S. steel mills, and the Great Lakes Maritime Academy, which represents the future of the nation’s maritime dominance.
AMO Captain Oseas Martinez greets MSCEURAF Deputy, Surface Operations, Captain Jennifer Senner-Ceco (an AMO member) onboard the MV Sagamore in Italy.
AMO member Third Assistant Engineer Steven Benavides prepares for the next voyage onboard Pasha Hawaii’s MV Jean Anne and enjoys a well-prepared meal from the steward department.
The American Maritime Partnership (AMP), the voice of the domestic maritime industry, issued the following statement on the Trump Administration’s move to extend its waiver of the Jones Act another 90 days. American Maritime Officers Service is a member of AMP and American Maritime Officers supports the coalition.
“This extension of an already historically long and ineffective Jones Act waiver is not only an affront to hundreds of thousands of hardworking Americans who put this country first every single day, it sabotages President Trump’s agenda to restore American maritime dominance,” said Jennifer Carpenter, President of the American Maritime Partnership. “Waiving the Jones Act exports American jobs to foreign carriers, allows them to skirt U.S. laws, and exposes the nation to national security threats by opening our maritime borders.”
Waiving domestic shipping laws cannot change the price of crude oil on world markets – the primary driver of what Americans pay at the pump. The Jones Act’s estimated impact is just one-tenth of a cent per gallon – a negligible share compared to taxes and refining costs.
According to White House data shared with Axios, over 9 million barrels of fuel have been shipped under the current waiver. The Administration has not disclosed what kinds of fuel this number includes. In 2023, the United States consumed an average of about 20.25 million barrels of petroleum per day, meaning waiver shipments represent only about 10 hours’ worth of fuel use over the entire country.
Jones Act vessels move petroleum products between U.S. ports, providing a reliable, American-controlled supply route that is insulated from foreign chokepoints. The U.S.-flagged fleet includes more than 45,000 container ships, freighters, tankers, articulated tug barges, offshore supply vessels, dredges, tugboats and barges. Over 4,000 of these vessels are tankers and tank barges used to deliver fuel to Americans.
By Captain Carl Schoenbucher
Master, Stena Polaris
The good vessel Stena Polaris recently wrapped up a 25,000 NM voyage around the world in support of this year’s Operation Deep Freeze.
AMO officers onboard the Stena Polaris for the mission included Chief Engineer Allen Hamond, Second Mate Rob Sirois, Third Mate George Bellenger, Third Mate Tristin Woolf, Second Mate Kirsten Snyder, Second Assistant Engineer Connor Daly, Third A.E. Marcus Adam, Chief Mate Joe Mainella, Ice Captain Leroid JR Jones, Third A.E. Cordell Johnson, and Captain Carl Schoenbucher.
The logistical challenges were a little greater this year due to the limitations set for available routes that could be used. We loaded our vessel out of the Mediterranean and would have typically transited through the Red Sea and proceeded down to McMurdo through the Indian Ocean. However, due to the continuing conflicts in the southern Red Sea, we were directed to exit the Mediterranean and proceed south to the Cape of Good Hope. This was an approximately 7,000 NM voyage (21 days) and our ship and crew were able to pick up an Emerald Shellback Certificate along the way.
After a brief visit in Cape Town, ZA, we continued around the Cape and proceeded on a southeasterly course for about 7,300 NM (24 days) until reaching the correct longitude to cut through the Ice Bridge and get down into the Ross Sea. This is just about the loneliest and roughest section of ocean in the world. Notably, we did not see another ship on AIS or radar for 21 days. This was a first in my career after 35-plus years at sea. We were fortunate to be able to slip between systems as we wove our way further south into the Southern Ocean without experiencing any notable wind and seas.
The passage through the Ice Bridge took us about 30 hours of 8/10 ice. Prior to entering the Ross Sea, our good ship and crew were blessed by King Neptune and the Emperor Penguins Court and they were awarded their Red Nose Certificates. After a 48-day voyage, we arrived at the ice shelf three days earlier than predicted, ready to complete our mission once the ice channel was completed by the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Polar Star.
This year’s delivery of fuel to McMurdo marked the following achievements and landmarks since the start of these re-supply missions.
- The Stena Polaris is the largest ship to ever pull into the ice pier at McMurdo without tug assist or bow thrusters. The pier is made out of ice, floating freely, and is attached to land by cables. No mooring lines actually go to the pier. There was still a lot of ice in the harbor, so this evolution took us over five hours and required the Polar Star to come back in and break the ice up more than it was.
- The Stena Polaris was the last ship to ever tie up to an ice pier at McMurdo. Once we left, the ice pier was towed out and a new docking system installed. This is the end of an era, and I have come in on three classes of tankers to this pier over the last 25 years.
- This was probably the longest cargo lift with minimal stops ever recorded for this particular mission. We topped the ship off with 140 days of fuel, 120 days of provisions, and took freshies at Cape Town, McMurdo, and Punta Arenas.
I am happy to announce all cargo operations went without a hitch, and we were able to get in and out in a timely manner. A big shout out to the entire crew for this accomplishment — we all pulled together.
Upon departing McMurdo, we came back out of the Ross Sea and continued to proceed east toward Cape Horn, 4,000 NM (13 days). We were finally challenged and had four to five days of working in thick fog and ice because we couldn’t break out of the Southern Ocean due to storm force winds and seas to the north of us. This weather pattern continued right up until we rounded Cape Horn, and our good ship and crew were awarded their Mossback Certificates. I also awarded each member of the crew with a single gold earing, which is a rite of passage for this achievement.
After a brief stop in Chile for FFV and a crew change, our vessel continued north to complete our circumnavigation of the Earth, with close to 10,000 NM between 50 and 60 South in the world’s most desolate and dangerous oceans. The last leg of the voyage, back to the Mediterranean, was about 6,300 NM (20 days) and earned the new crew their Shellback Certificates. This will have made this entire mission approximately 95-plus days start to finish at the Strait of Gibraltar. Bravo Zulu goes out to all who supported this mission, which led to its success.
AMO members, officials and staff joined more than 100 maritime labor and industry leaders and representatives for the annual Congressional Sail-In on Capitol Hill April 22, promoting policies and programs key to the U.S. Merchant Marine and discussing the role of American maritime in national security, and in economic and military supply chains.
The group with AMO members Chief Mate Marissa Strawbridge, Captain Emily Gramer and West Coast Representative Alex Butler, as with all of the Sail-In groups, had meetings in several congressional offices during the day.
The group with AMO Chief Engineer Gabe Giguere met with Vermont Rep. Becca Balint.
The group with AMO President Willie Barrere met with Staff Directors John Rayfield and Matt Dwyer for the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation.
The group with AMO Captain Robert Lansden and Executive Vice President Danny Robichaux met with Illinois Congressman Mike Bost.
The group with AMO Captain Kevin Stith spoke with Will Herte, legislative correspondent to Montana Senator Steve Daines.
The group with AMO Vice President for Government Relations Christian Spain met with California Rep. John Garamendi and participated in a press conference promoting the SHIPS for America Act.
AMO Great Lakes Representative Pete Kinsey congratulated Indiana Senator Todd Young on receiving the 2026 Great Lakes Legislator of the Year Award.
The group with AMO Deep Sea Vice President Jeff Richards met with Illinois Rep. Eric Sorensen.
The group with AMO Assistant Vice President for Government Relations Alaina Carouge and East Coast Representative Marissa Cap met with Tennessee Rep. Steve Cohen and New Hampshire Rep. Chris Pappas.
PLEASE NOTE: As the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) remained in a partial shutdown at the time of publication, the U.S. Coast Guard National Maritime Center continues to issue updates to mitigation efforts for Merchant Mariner Credentials and Medical Certificates. The details of these mitigation efforts and document validity extensions for National Endorsements (and Pilot for Medical Certificates), as well as requirements for extending International Endorsements and Medical Certificates, can be found in the latest bulletin issued April 17, 2026.
It is very important to keep in mind that, although you may qualify for an extension under the terms provided in the USCG’s latest bulletin, the decision to allow you to continue to sail and/or join a vessel on your “expired” certificate or credential is ultimately up to the company by which you are currently employed.
If the vessel you are assigned to gets underway or is expected to get underway in any capacity, whether coastwise or international, you MUST obtain an STCW dispensation letter, which can only be requested by the company by which you are currently employed.
The complete bulletin, including the required letter from the U.S. Coast Guard, can be downloaded from the AMO website.
In April, the bulk carrier Liberty Eagle started the voyage from Washington to Bangladesh with an agricultural shipment of soy beans and grain. The Liberty Maritime vessel tramps all over the world and is manned in all licensed positions by American Maritime Officers.
Who’s afraid of heights? Not First Assistant Engineer Kyle Kozak, seen here working aloft on the mast of the Liberty Eagle.
American Maritime Officers working aboard Liberty Eagle included Third A.E. John Salkeld, Third Mate Kristine Mehuren, Second Mate David Caudill and First A.E. Richard Brooks.
Chief Engineer Hiawatha Williams working on the bow of the Liberty Eagle.
The following press release was issued by Crowley Maritime on April 16. American Maritime Officers represents all licensed officers on the American Energy.
Crowley marked one year of operations of the American Energy, the first U.S.-flagged liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier dedicated to serving Puerto Rico.
Since its delivery in March 2025, American Energy has transported nearly 550 million gallons of U.S.-sourced LNG to Puerto Rico, providing enough energy to power about 1.2 million homes on the island for a year. The delivered volume also represents a reduction of carbon emissions by nearly 30 percent compared to diesel.
“I want to congratulate Crowley on achieving this milestone, marking the first anniversary of LNG deliveries to Puerto Rico by the vessel American Energy, a U.S.-flagged service dedicated to supplying our power needs,” said Gov. Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon of Puerto Rico. “Crowley’s efforts help to strengthen our energy sector’s resiliency and to support jobs and investment in a partnership to ensure safe, affordable electricity for our people. We will always support such initiatives that advance Puerto Rico’s energy security and economic growth.”
In addition to contributing to Puerto Rico’s energy resilience, American Energy has played a role in strengthening the U.S. mariner workforce over the past year. The vessel has employed 90 U.S. mariners, including 16 cadets and apprentices, with nearly 20 percent from Puerto Rico, helping to expand maritime career pathways and support the island’s skilled workforce.
American Energy builds on Crowley’s more than 70-year commitment to Puerto Rico and its longstanding role in supporting the island’s energy and logistics needs. Through a multiyear partnership with global energy company Naturgy, the vessel delivers LNG to the EcoElectrica’s power generation facility in Penuelas, helping provide a steady supply of energy that supports homes, businesses and critical infrastructure.
Alongside its LNG carrier operations, Crowley operates a full-service cargo terminal in San Juan, supporting container ships and roll on/roll off barges, including two LNG fueled vessels, along with integrated logistics services. The company also supplies approximately 94 million gallons of LNG annually to industries across Puerto Rico from its LNG Loading Terminal in Penuelas and provides transportation through ISO tank containers.