Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation
Steve LaTourette, Ranking Republican
The Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation has jurisdiction over the activities of the United States Coast Guard, including its duties, organization, functions, and personnel. The Subcommittee also has jurisdiction over regulation of ocean shipping and non-national security aspects of the merchant marine.
Link to Legislation Referred to the Subcommittee
Recent News
Mica: No Pork in Stimulus II, Only Vetted Projects
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
House Passes Bill to Remove Red Tape for Florida Maritime Salvage Vessels
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Jurisdiction
The Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation has jurisdiction over the activities of the United States Coast Guard, including its duties, organization, functions, personnel, the Coast Guard Academy, the Coast Guard Reserve, and the Coast Guard Auxiliary.
The Coast Guard performs a variety of traditional missions, including search and rescue, illegal drug and migrant interdiction, oil spill prevention and response, marine safety, maintaining aids to navigation, icebreaking operations, enforcement of U.S. fisheries laws, and defense readiness. Since September 11, 2001, the Coast Guard is also the lead agency responsible for maritime homeland security.
The Subcommittee also has jurisdiction over regulation of ocean shipping and non-national security aspects of the merchant marine, including activities of the Federal Maritime Commission.
Issues and agencies under the jurisdiction of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee include:
- United States Coast Guard
- Maritime transportation safety
- Navigation, port and waterway safety
- Maritime transportation regulatory activities, including the regulation of vessels and merchant seaman,
- State boating safety programs
- Marine environmental protection, generally as related to vessel operations (oil and plastics pollution, invasive/aquatic nuisance species transported by vessels, international agreements concerning transportation of oil and hazardous substances)
- Port security
- Federal Maritime Commission and the regulation of ocean shipping
- The Jones Act (United States cabotage laws governing shipping of goods and passengers between any two points in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone)
- Non-national security aspects of the merchant marine
Members
Republican Members of the
Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime transportation
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
U.S. House of Representatives
110th Congress
Steve LaTourette, OH, Ranking Member
Don Young, AK
Howard Coble, NC
Wayne T. Gilchrest, MD
Frank A. LoBiondo, NJ
Ted Poe, TX
John L. Mica, FL (ex officio)
Ranking Member Biography
U.S. Rep. Steve LaTourette is the Ranking Republican on the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee. As a Member from the Great Lakes region, LaTourette is a fitting selection to lead Republicans on the panel concerned with shipping safety, security, and commerce, and the various missions of the Coast Guard.
LaTourette is also the previous Chairman of the Railroads Subcommittee. In the 109th Congress, he led the Committee’s oversight of rail safety, coauthored legislation to authorize Amtrak, and conducted oversight into Amtrak’s need for institutional reforms in order to bring about greater efficiency to the nation’s major provider of intercity passenger rail service. In the 107th and 108th Congresses, LaTourette chaired the Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management Subcommittee.
LaTourette is serving his seventh term representing Northeast Ohio’s 14th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. LaTourette is a fiscally conservative, moderate Republican who is well respected in his district. He has been recognized for his independence and the good he has done for his district and Ohio. LaTourette’s legislative accomplishments and voting record have been lauded by groups such as Watchdogs of the Treasury, National Federation of Independent Business, National Tax Limitation Committee, and U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
He is active in Great Lakes and environmental issues, serving as Co-Chair of the Great Lakes Task Force from 1995 to 2005, and Co-Chair of the Northeast-Midwest Coalition and its Manufacturing Task Force. He is also is a longstanding member of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council
Prior to his election to Congress, LaTourette served seven years as the Lake County Prosecutor. In 1990, he was named Prosecuting Attorney of the Year in Ohio for his successful prosecution of 13 members of a murderous religious cult. LaTourette is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Cleveland Marshall College of Law. He lives in Concord Township and is the father of five children.
Steve LaTourette, OH, Ranking Republican, Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation