Domestic maritime industry honors Sen. Ayotte

The American Maritime Partnership honored Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., for championing the cause of the domestic maritime industry in Congress.    The American Maritime Partnership has honored Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., for her efforts to support the domestic maritime industry.
   On Thursday, Ayotte received the group’s 2016 Champion of Maritime Award for her work on the Commerce, Science and Transportation; Homeland Security and Government Affairs; and Armed Services committees. She has expressed support for the Jones Act and included a provision in the fiscal year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act to provide priority for the processing of applications for a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) for members undergoing separation from the Armed Forces. TWIC cards are necessary for unescorted access into secure maritime areas. She also is a co-sponsor of the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act (S. 373), bipartisan legislation to set national regulations for vessel ballast water discharges.
   Previous recipients of the Champion of Maritime Award include Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y.
   The American Maritime Partnership is a coalition of vessel owners and operators, labor groups, shipyards, equipment manufacturers, dredging contractors and other interests that advocates for maintaining the Jones Act, which encourages a national flag fleet by requiring water transport between two points in the United States to be conducted by U.S.-built, U.S.-owned and U.S.-crewed vessels.
   Ayotte is in a tight re-election race with Democratic Governor Maggie Hassan.