Waterway News From The Nation’s Capital

Washington, D.C.—President Donald Trump quietly nominated Adam Telle of Mississippi to serve as the assistant secretary of the Army for civil works, a top civilian leadership position over the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. During Trump’s first term, Telle served as the Senate lead of the White House Office of Legislative Affairs.

For four years, Telle has served as chief of staff for Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), who said Telle will continue in that position while his nomination is pending in the Senate. According to Hagerty, Telle holds degrees in computer science and journalism from Mississippi State University.

“Adam will do a terrific job leading the Corps as it harnesses America’s ports and waterways, prevents natural disasters, rebuilds our infrastructure, and serves as the nation’s ‘utility player’ when Americans need it most,” Hagerty said on X.

According to Senate records, Telle’s nomination was received in the Senate on March 24. His nomination apparently was not announced by a customary press release issued by the White House, which did not respond to an inquiry. That was a stark difference from the approach taken during Trump’s first term when he nominated R.D. James to the position Telle now has been tapped to take.

The White House issued a press release on nominees that included James along with a summary of his academic background and experiences in public service, such as his 1981 appointment to the Mississippi River Commission by then-President Ronald Reagan.

Responding to Telle’s nomination, the National Waterways Conference (NWC) said he “brings deep experience in congressional affairs and public service.”

If confirmed by the Senate, NWC added, Telle would assume “a pivotal role in advancing the administration’s infrastructure priorities and ensuring the continued development, restoration and resilience of the nation’s water resources.”

Trump Tariffs

President Donald Trump rolled out his much-anticipated trade policy that starts with an across-the-board 10 percent tariff on imports with additional reciprocal tariffs for certain countries until he decides specific conditions are resolved.

Trump singled out exceptions for Mexico and Canada, two U.S. neighbors already covered by an existing trade agreement.

Applying the moniker of “Liberation Day” to describe his action, the president also announced he had declared a national emergency to deal with the threat posed by unacceptable trade policies of the past, increase the competitive edge for the U.S., protect its sovereignty and strengthen its national and economic security.

Trump’s sweeping action, no doubt, will require time to reveal its impact entirely, but reaction in Washington appeared to track along partisan lines.

The White House quickly issued a press release titled “President Trump’s Bold Trade Action Draws Praise” that included “immediate praise” from key leaders such as House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), other top House Republicans and Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.).

Statements of support from those representing the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the Steel Manufacturers Association and other trade groups also were included in the White House press release.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, both New York Democrats, led their party’s quick criticism of Trump’s actions.

EU & The Jones Act

A bipartisan group of leaders of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee urged the European Union (E.U.) to stop circumventing proper diplomatic channels in an effort to undermine the Jones Act.

In a letter to E.U. Ambassador to the United States Jovita Neliupsiene, the group also raised serious concerns regarding a recent Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) filing describing the E.U. efforts to lobby U.S. lawmakers and policy officials for modification of the Jones Act that included TikTok-like videos.

The lawmakers wrote in their letter that the lobbying document apparently was dropped shortly after its existence was disclosed publicly.

“We encourage you to utilize traditional diplomatic channels and direct engagement with United States lawmakers to discuss any proposed modifications to the Jones Act,” stated the letter led by Reps. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) and Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), chairman and ranking member of the House committee.

An aide said the committee has not yet received a response to the letter.

Transportation Funding

Addressing concerns coming from members of Congress, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy assured a key Senate committee that his department’s funding has not been paused.

Valid reimbursement requests under existing obligations continue as usual and were never paused, he told the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee during a hearing kicking off work on the next surface transportation reauthorization bill. Duffy blamed a backlog of more than 3,200 awarded projects without signed agreements in place, which were inherited by the Trump administration, adding his team is prioritizing the review of those projects.

Between President Trump’s election and his inauguration, Duffy continued, the Biden administration announced 940 award selections for discretionary grants totaling nearly $9 billion.

“This is an unprecedented surge of midnight awards,” Duffy said, comparing it to the 103 award selections made during the same period following the 2020 election.

LNG Regulations

The Department of Energy (DOE) announced the removal of additional regulatory barriers for liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporters by rescinding a Biden-era policy statement. According to the department, the policy statement required authorized LNG exporters to meet stringent criteria before a request to extend a commencement date for an approved project would be considered.

This policy statement added unnecessary red tape to the extensive LNG export permitting process and made it more difficult for operators of approved projects to obtain necessary extensions, the agency added.

PSC Contract

Key members from Congress applauded the Coast Guard’s decision to award a $951-million contract modification to Bollinger Mississippi Shipyards for the continued development of the Polar Security Cutter (PSC) program they described as a critical investment that strengthens America’s national security presence in the Arctic and reinforces Mississippi’s role as a leader in domestic shipbuilding excellence.

“As maritime activity increases in the Arctic, Russia and China are patrolling the region with new and capable icebreakers, said Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.), chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. “American leadership in the Arctic requires a new fleet of Coast Guard cutters that can reliably represent and protect our national interests in the region.”

Rep. Mike Ezell (R-Miss.), the chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, said the Bollinger Mississippi Shipyards’ contract to advance the Polar Security Cutter program is a major win for America’s maritime strength and Arctic presence.