The American Waterways Operators - Annual Reports 2019 | Page 4

2019 ACHIEVEMENTS: ADVOCACY
Since AWO’s founding, advocacy has been the heart of our mission. In 2019, AWO championed the
tugboat, towboat and barge industry’s interests in Congress; with the Administration and federal
agencies; and in the states, the courts and the media by:
■ Defending the Jones Act against hostile
legislation, well-financed adversaries, and
an unprecedented effort to convince the
Administration to agree to a long-term
waiver of the law.
• Worked with key stakeholders to
marshal Congressional allies to secure
a commitment from President Trump
not to issue a long-term Jones Act
waiver.
• Leveraged Congressional and coalition
relationships to decisively defeat an
anti-Jones Act amendment before the
Senate Commerce Committee.
• Launched the Jones Act Centennial
Countdown Campaign to increase positive
press and social media attention to the
vibrancy and importance of the Jones Act.
■ Working with the Coast Guard to facilitate a
smooth transition to Subchapter M, pressing the
agency hard to increase its attention to proactive
enforcement and consistent application of
the regulations and securing practical policy
guidance that:
n 2 THE AMERICAN WATERWAYS OPERATORS
• Allows towing vessel inspections to be
coordinated among Coast Guard field units
to avoid duplications of effort and speed COI
issuance.
• Permits persons in charge of fuel transfers on
towing vessels to have a letter of designation
in lieu of a Coast Guard license or tankerman
endorsement.
• Allows harbor tugs nosing out beyond the
Boundary Line to operate without additional
manning, credentialing and watchkeeping
requirements.
■ Taking our case for uniform federal regulation
of vessels in interstate commerce to the courts
and elevating the issue of federal preemption in
our advocacy with Congress, the Coast Guard
and the states.