An Obscure Presidential Appointment With Real Climate Power: Head Of The US Maritme Administration

[hatrack]

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Captain John Konrad: The Maritime Administrator has a lot of power that has gone unused for decades. With the right person in charge, it could be the vehicle for the US to invest in infrastructure and green energy, starting today. Under several Presidents, this seat was not filled for years.

According to law and legal precedence, dating back to the time of Alexander Hamilton, MARAD is the fourth arm of defense and has power beyond that of the pentagon, legislative and judicial branches. The MARAD administrator is not just an Under Secretary of the Department of Transportation like the Head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The administrator is Commandant of the US Merchant Service and is a Four-Star Admiral.

Technically, the administrator has powers that no other branch or service has, but these have not been exercised. Indeed, no MARAD Administrator has worn the Four-Star uniform they are entitled to wear, since the Vietnam War. So the MARAD position will not just have to oversee the transition to a green shipping industry, but will play a crucial role for US National Security. The Maritime Administrator is responsible for elements of national defense through the US Strategic Sealift, that covers a range of responsibilities such as national preparedness, mobilization, training of the US merchant navy fleet.

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The United States has led the world with several treaties on maritime pollution (e.g., Clean Water Act, Marine Mammals Protection Act, the ban on single hull oil tankers following the Exxon Valdez following OPA-90 Oil Pollution Act, Department of Interior negotiations with the shipping insurance P&I Clubs). The US experience, and this legislation could form the backbone for many countries around the world, rather than the weaker United Nations shipping laws. The United States could have a significant diplomatic opportunity to offer to countries around the world through bilateral and multilateral treaties to bolster their maritime laws in line with the higher safety and sustainability laws of the United States. The IMO has been criticized for undermining the Paris Agreement with emissions that actually increase, not decrease. A new Maritime Administrator needs to be able to push stronger treaties at the IMO like laws on salvage, and also support countries like Mauritius, which is still suffering the ongoing effects of a major oil spill from this summer.”

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https://www.forbes.com/sites/nishandegnarain/2020/11/08/bidens-shipping-agency-nominee-could-prove-crucial-to-us-climate-change-plans/?sh=238baac01df4

[Sherman A1]

1. Interesting

Thanks for posting.

[klook]

2. Good information - thanks.

Pressuring the International Maritime Organization to take a more prominent role to strengthen climate regulations for international shipping could yield some real benefits.

At the top of the article, the author states that there are some 4,000 positions to be filled that require Senate confirmation, but didn’t make it clear whether this is one of them. (At least that I could discern.) Since it’s under the cabinet-level Dept. of Transportation, I assume a position like this would require confirmation. I can easily see McConnell trying to block this one, especially with his family ties to shipping enterprises that benefit from lax regulation.