Washington Waves 

The Senate failed to advance a funding bill that would avoid another partial government shutdown, leaving operations important to the waterways industry once again at risk. 

H.R. 7147 drew a roll call of 52 to 47, eight short of the 60 votes needed to advance. 

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) switched his vote to nay to reserve his right to seek another vote on the bill. 

Stopgap funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was scheduled to expire at midnight Friday. 

At issue are changes sought by Democrats to rein in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). 

A shutdown at DHS also would impact operations at the Coast Guard, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Transportation Security Administration and other operations. 

With the Senate at an impasse, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, introduced a bill to fund every agency under DHS except ICE and CBP. 

DeLauro said “law-abiding” components of DHS would receive their funding while negotiations would continue on ICE and CBP. 

Coal Power 

Hoping to boost “beautiful clean coal,” President Donald Trump directed the Pentagon to buy power from the nation’s coal generation fleet through long-term agreements or with coal-powered energy production facilities to serve defense installations or other mission-critical facilities. 

In coordination with the Department of Energy, the executive order signed by the president added that the actions are to enhance grid reliability and blackout prevention, on-site fuel security and mission assurance for defense and intelligence capabilities. 

Trump’s order cited the nation’s “vast coal resources and the proven reliability of our coal-fired generation fleet” as well as the importance of ensuring military installations and other key centers remain fully powered under all conditions, including natural disasters and wartime contingencies. 

“Maintaining this capability is a matter of national security, strategic deterrence and American energy dominance,” the order states. 

In a separate announcement, Trump’s Energy Department announced $175 million in funding to modernize, retrofit and extend the life of coal-fired plants in West Virginia, Ohio, North Carolina and Kentucky. 

Trump’s efforts quickly drew criticism that included warnings that they would lead to higher energy prices for consumers. 

CBP Rule 

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced it is receiving comments on its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to amend its regulations to require the advance submission of electronic export manifest (EEM) information for cargo transported by vessel departing the United States. 

CBP said the proposed rule identifies the parties that would be eligible to transmit vessel EEM information and their responsibilities, as well as the time frames for transmission of the information prior to cargo loading or conveyance departure. 

Requiring advance transmission of EEM data would significantly improve cargo safety and security while minimizing disruption to the flow of commerce for exports in the sea environment, the agency added. 

Comments must be received by April 13. Identified by Docket No.USCBP-2025-0911, the comments should be submitted via www.regulations.gov. For additional information, contact David Garcia at 202-344-3277 or cbpexportmanifest@cbp.dhs.gov. 

MarAd CoEs 

The Maritime Administration (MarAd) issued a notice soliciting applications from eligible entities for the 2026 cycle of designating Centers of Excellence (CoE) for Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education. 

In its Federal Register posting on February 12, MarAd said the notice also updates CoE policy to align with Executive Order (E.O.) 14151, Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing, and announced the termination of the 2024 application cycle, which was no longer in compliance with current administration policy. 

Applications, including all supporting information and documents, must be submitted by 8 p.m. Eastern Time on April 13 by email to CoEDMWTE@dot.gov. 

MarAd said it will host a webinar to provide guidance to prospective applicants on the content of its Federal Register Notice of Opportunity. Information about the webinar will be announced on www.maritime.dot.gov/education/maritime-centers-excellence. 

For additional information, contact Gerard Wall at 202-366-7273 or gerard.wall@dot.gov. 

Coast Guard Recommendations 

The Coast Guard needs to address challenges that hinder its ability to meet its maritime security operations demands identified in reports dating back to 2019, according the Government Accountability Office (GAO). 

Of the 26 recommendations in those seven reports, the government watchdog agency said only four have been implemented as of January, even though the Department of Homeland Security, which includes the Coast Guard, “generally agreed with the recommendations.” 

The GAO cited the nearly $25 billion the service received in supplemental funding for fiscal year 2025 for various acquisitions and in support of efforts to modernize operations and capabilities. 

GAO, which testified recently on the Coast Guard’s maritime security operations before the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security, said it continues to monitor the service’s progress in implementing the remaining recommendations. 

CVC Guidance 

The Coast Guard Office of Commercial Vessel Compliance (CVC) published a Work Instruction (WI) to provide guidance on permitting inspected vessels to operate beyond the scope of their Certificate of Inspection when supporting disaster relief operations. 

Entitled Requests for Inspected Vessels to Participate in Disaster Relief Operations, CG CVC-WI-034(I) can be found on the CVC website. 

Workers’ Comp Guidance 

The Labor Department’s Office of Workers’ Compensation Program (OWCP) issued guidance to clarify the securitization requirements for insurance carriers authorized under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA) and its extensions. 

“This guidance establishes a rubric which allows OWCP to adjust the insurance carriers’ obligations based on their fiscal stability and performance within the Longshore industry and serves to establish a clear and standardized process for determining the amount of collateral an authorized insurance carrier must deposit to cover its potential liabilities,” the agency stated. 

“This clarification benefits insurance carriers by providing predictability which aids in capital planning and avoids arbitrary or unexpected security adjustments. This also helps to standardize compliance across the industry and ensures authorized carriers secure their critical obligations.” 

The agency added the sub-regulatory guidance does not supersede existing regulations and is intended to provide insurance carriers with clarification on the posting of security deposits to collateralize liabilities. 

For additional information, contact Ryan Jansen at jansen.ryan@dol.gov, or Lorynn Holloway at 202-693-3435 or holloway.lorynn.n@dol.gov.