The last-minute deal to reopen the federal government and avoid default included full funding for the Maritime Security Program for Fiscal Year 2014.
The MTD, its affiliates and Port Councils had been working with the U.S-flag maritime industry to alert Congress and the White House to fix an anomaly created when the program had some leftover funds that rolled into the Fiscal Year 2013 calculations. Preliminary budget figures for the coming year did not take that anomaly into account.
Bipartisan support on the Hill in both the Senate and the House corrected the problem. The MSP amount for 2014 returns to the called for $186 million.
However, the compromise passed on October 16 was approved only for three months. The MTD will work with its affiliates and Port Councils to monitor negotiations headed toward the January 15 deadline, and will work with the Congress and administration to ensure full funding for MSP.