MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ed Case (Hawai‘i – District 1)

(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Representative Ed Case (Hawai‘i-First) asked President Trump to grant another 60-day extension of the current waiver of the Jones Act, citing continued global shipping disruptions, constrained fuel supply chains and rising gasoline and energy costs in Hawai‘i, along with implications for U.S. military readiness in the Indo-Pacific. In April, Case called on the President to grant the initial extension that is set to expire on August 15.

In his latest letter to the President, Case again urged that: “The waiver should be extended now rather than on current expiration because contracts for the acquisition and shipping of fossil fuel products to U.S. ports are signed well in advance of shipping and delivery and failure to provide clarity on that timeframe will seriously disrupt shipping options and prices with wide ranging effects.

“The waiver is operating nationally to mitigate the effects of market disruption on energy availability and pricing nationally. But the need for the waiver is especially acute in Hawai‘i and other noncontiguous jurisdictions which are largely reliant on external fossil fuel-based products for energy, agriculture, transportation, and other key needs, and where the Jones Act, even in a non-disrupted world, imposes unique severe constraints on the delivery of energy supplies and related pricing.”

Case continued: “As I explained before when asking you to extend the waiver earlier this year, Hawai‘i is one of the most isolated parts of our country and depends on shipping for over ninety percent of our goods, including nearly all of our fossil fuel products. Yet the Jones Act severely limits shipping options from the continental U.S. to U.S. Jones Act vessels only, despite the widespread availability of shipping in the international markets. For fossil fuel products specifically, of the thousands of tankers operating globally, only a small fraction are Jones Act-compliant and available for domestic transport, and virtually none are suited for certain bulk commodities such as fertilizer. As a result, even though the United States is a net energy exporter, Hawai‘i typically relies on foreign imports because Jones Act shipping is far more expensive and less dependable that international shipping.”

The Jones Act, a century-old federal maritime law, mandates that all cargo shipped between U.S. ports be transported on U.S.-flagged vessels, excluding most ships operating in global trade that are flagged internationally. With fewer than 100 oceangoing Jones Act vessels nationwide, limited domestic capacity faces no international competition, contributing to higher shipping costs.

The constraints in oil shipping are even more stark: of the nearly 7,500 oil tankers operating worldwide, only 54 are Jones Act-compliant and eligible to move fossil fuel products from the Continent to Hawai‘i, which remains heavily dependent on imported fossil fuel products for energy. As a result, Hawai‘i typically must source most of its essential resources from foreign markets, where shipping is far cheaper.

Case also highlighted to the President the extensive military presence in Hawai‘i, which is largely dependent on the same sources of energy, fuel and other fossil fuel products as the civilian population. He said: “The military in Hawai‘i also depends on this same fuel network. Hawai‘i is the Indo-Pacific home to every service – the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Space Force – along with a significant presence of our nation’s intelligence community. 

“It is our nation’s Indo-Pacific headquarters, hosting U.S. Pacific Command, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Pacific Air Forces, U.S. Army Pacific, Marine Corps Forces Pacific, Special Operations Command Pacific, Space Force Indo-Pacific and the National Security Agency Hawai‘i. It also has many key military installations including Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Marine Corps Base Hawai‘i, Schofield Barracks, Fort Shafter, the Pacific Missile Range Facility, Pōhakuloa Training Area and various other locations. These installations support key operating forces based in Hawai‘i, including nuclear attack submarines, surface combatants, an Army infantry division, F-22s, MV-22s, C-17s, fuel tankers, Apaches, a Marine Corp regiment and approximately 60,000 Department of Defense (DoD) personnel plus families. Both these services and their active duty and civilian personnel and families are all being impacted by substantially higher fossil fuel-related costs. 

“The conditions that justified the initial request, including global tanker dislocation, severely constrained availability of U.S.-flagged vessels and disruptions associated with instability in and around the Strait of Hormuz, continue to affect fuel logistics. These ongoing challenges underscore the importance of maintaining maximum flexibility in maritime transport to ensure both civilian and military fuel needs are met.”

In the current 119^th Congress, Case again introduced legislation to reform the Jones Act and open up Hawai‘i – Continent shipping to international competition.

Attachments

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Brad Schneider (D-IL)

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman David G Valadao (CA-21)

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman David Valadao (CA-22) released the following statement after voting in support of a clean, short-term Continuing Resolution (CR) to keep the government funded while the House and Senate continue their work on passing full-year appropriations bills.

“Today, I voted in support of a clean, short-term Continuing Resolution to keep the government running while Congress continues working on full-year funding bills,” said Congressman Valadao. “While a CR isn’t the preferred solution, government shutdowns are unproductive, cost billions, and disrupt the services Americans depend on. As a member of the House Committee on Appropriations, I’m proud we’ve done our job by advancing all twelve Fiscal Year 2027 appropriations bills, and I stand ready to continue negotiations with my Senate colleagues to get full-year funding bills across the finish line.”

The Continuing Appropriations Act, 2027:

• Funds the government at current levels through December 4, 2026.
• Allows the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to continue providing food assistance to low-income women, infants, and children for the duration of the CR.
• Continues Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding for the National Flood Insurance Program and the Disaster Relief Fund.
• Authorizes U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) to obligate funding for critical wildfire suppression efforts.
• Provides the Small Business Association (SBA) with the authority to continue small business support programs.
• Extends authorization of the Livestock Mandatory Reporting Program

Background:

The House and Senate each must pass 12 full-year appropriations bills before September 30th or a Continuing Resolution (CR) to buy more time to find agreement between the House, Senate, and White House on various funding levels to keep the government open. The House Appropriations Committee passed all 12 bills out of Committee and passed 3 off the House Floor. Congress now has until December 4, 2026 to find agreement on full-year appropriations bills for Fiscal Year 2027.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Rick Larsen (2nd Congressional District Washington)

Larsen Votes No on Unserious Republican Funding Bill

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09)

Says even considering not offering legal counsel to children facing deportation “is hard to fathom”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Whip Katherine Clark and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar released the following statement:

The House Republican continuing resolution gives the Trump administration even more power over the federal budget and fails to block funding for Donald Trump’s violent mass deportation machine. Their my-way-or-the-highway approach has consistently failed to address the high cost of living or meet the needs of the American people. This continuing resolution is a premature and desperate attempt by Republicans to abdicate their responsibility to govern while there are still several months left to negotiate a bipartisan agreement. We will be voting No. 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mark Pocan (2nd District of Wisconsin)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Mark Pocan (WI-02) issued the following statement after the State Department released its latest report on Cuba:

“The State Department just published a ridiculous report about the threat to America from Cuba. It may be the stupidest, most fantastical, most biased thing I’ve ever read from a governmental agency. This report focuses on the 1960s & 70s with no clear connection to today. Yet somehow, the State Department uses this report to say that this impoverished nation is responsible for everything from Black Lives Matter to Antifa, the anti-ICE protests and more.

“It’s clear that this report was written for Marco Rubio and his South Florida politics as a way to justify Trump setting up another war, not based on the reality of an impoverished nation due to our blockade. We simply can’t get involved in another illegal war.” 

Pocan recently returned from a fact-finding mission to Cuba, where he saw firsthand that the U.S. policy toward Cuba is not working, and that this blockade must end. 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09)

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today announced that St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital will receive a grant of $515,504 from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences for research on yeast transcription under the direction Dr. Tanja Mittag of the Department of Structural Biology. Yeast cells are one of the model systems in the field of genetics. Better understanding the components in the pathway which facilitates DNA transcription to mRNA and then into protein is crucial for understanding our own biology. The congressman announced three grants to St. Jude, totaling $2.3 million, earlier today.

Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

“I am pleased to see these substantial investments in our premiere children’s research hospital. I congratulate Dr. Mittag and wish her well as she pursues this research.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09)

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today questioned expert witnesses at a House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence hearing on “Emerging Threats 25 Years after 9/11.”

Congressman Cohen asked about threats to free and fair elections in the United States, the use of emerging technology in infantry warfare in Ukraine and future conflicts, President Trump’s lifting of export controls on China to allow it to buy advanced computer chips, and the importance of Taiwan in the manufacturing of advanced computer chips.

See his line of questioning here.

Witnesses at today’s hearing were:

• Lieutenant General (retired) H.R. McMaster, former National Security Advisor, Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution at Stanford University;
• Dr. Seth G. Jones, President, Defense and Security Department, Center for Strategic and International Studies;
• Frank Cilluffo, Director, McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure at Auburn University;
• Dr. Benjamin Buchanan, Dmitri Alperovitch Assistant Professor, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08) and Congressman Nick Langworthy (NY-23) introduced the Fair Licensing for Operations of Water Structures (FLOWS) Act, legislation to streamline the hydropower and marine energy permitting process – bolstering clean energy across the country. Companion legislation was introduced by Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Angus King (I-ME) and passed through the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee unanimously. 

“The vast majority of Washington State’s energy comes from hydropower, making it essential that we efficiently maintain dams to support our communities,” said Congresswoman Schrier. “Helping our hydropower operators perform routine maintenance, repairs, replacements, and temporary adjustments for our dams will lower energy costs, ensure reliability, and improve public safety. This bill will also support emerging clean energy research as we find new ways to produce energy without emitting greenhouse gases.”

Current federal permitting processes for hydropower projects contain redundancies and inefficiencies that unnecessarily delay project work and increase costs. Under existing requirements, routine maintenance and in-kind replacements at hydropower facilities often require prior approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), resulting in months-long delays and diluting focus from substantial actions that need it most.

The FLOWS Act aims to chart the course for a reformed hydropower and marine energy permitting process through the following improvements:

• Releases hydropower project developers from seeking FERC approval for non-substantial alterations or additions; routine maintenance, repair, or replacement; or seasonal or temporary adjustments in response to circumstances beyond the project’s control.
• Requires FERC to conduct a rulemaking with public comment to determine definitions of a ‘‘substantial alteration or addition,’’ ‘‘nonsubstantial alteration or addition,’’ and ‘‘routine maintenance, repair, or replacement.’’
• Allows FERC to issue short-term licenses of 10–20 years for hydrokinetic energy projects under five megawatts of installed capacity.
• Requires FERC to submit a report to Congress on the effects of these hydrokinetic projects on the environment, economy, and electricity reliability and affordability no later than five years after the bill’s enactment or after the first 50 licensed projects have been operational for one year.

“Hydropower has powered communities across America for generations, but the federal permitting process hasn’t kept pace with modern technology or common sense,” said Congressman Langworthy. “Too often, operators are forced to navigate unnecessary federal red tape just to perform routine maintenance or replace equipment with identical components. That drives up costs, delays improvements, and makes it harder to keep reliable, affordable power on the grid, while having no real impact on environmental safety. At a time when New Yorkers are being crushed by skyrocketing energy costs, this is bipartisan, common-sense legislation is essential to preserving the future of one of America’s most affordable sources of electricity.”

“Rivers are essential to the health of our communities, wildlife, and economy. As the House considers policies to support hydropower, it is critical that river protection remains a central priority,” said American Rivers’ Hydropower Reform Director Kelly Catlett. “We appreciate Representatives Schrier and Langworthy’s thoughtful introduction of the FLOWS Act to build on the important work already underway at FERC, and we look forward to continuing to work with them to strengthen the legislation and ensure it advances both renewable energy and healthy rivers.”

“The FLOWS Act is a commonsense, bipartisan solution that reduces red tape for routine maintenance and non-substantial work, allowing hydropower operators to stay focused on what matters most: dam safety, reliability, and keeping power affordable,” said Matthew Allen, Senior Director of Legislative Affairs at the National Hydropower Association. “It also establishes a needed pathway for wave, tidal, and river-current technologies to get into the water more quickly and demonstrate their value to America’s clean energy future. By modernizing outdated processes, this bill will help preserve today’s hydropower fleet while unlocking tomorrow’s innovation. NHA thanks Reps. Langworthy and Schrier for introducing this legislation in the House as well as Senators Lisa Murkowski and Angus King for shepherding the Senate companion bill. NHA looks forward to working with these water power champions to move the bill through Congress as quickly as possible.” 

“The FLOWS Act will encourage more investment in existing hydropower supporting reliability, safety, and affordability without triggering unnecessary regulatory processes for non-substantial project modifications or routine maintenance conducted under existing federal licenses.  Thank you, Congresswoman Schrier, for advancing this important legislation,” said Kirk Hudson, general manager of Chelan County Public Utility District. 

“The University of Washington is proud to be at the cutting edge of research for hydrokinetic technologies that produce clean energy and minimize environmental impact,” said Brian Polagye, former Director of the Pacific Marine Energy Center. “With this legislation, new permitting pathways for hydrokinetics can play a crucial role in scaling up prototypes and demonstrating reliability. I thank Representatives Schrier and Langworthy for their work to help meet our state’s growing clean energy demand and lower costs for ratepayers.”

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