With only five days remaining until a possible government shutdown, Congressman Steve Israel (D-Huntington) announced today new legislation that would allow midshipmen attending the United States Merchant Marine Academy to continue taking classes should a shutdown occur.
The Midshipmen Education Certainty Act would automatically appropriate funding for the USMMA during the duration of a government shutdown, according to a news release from the congressman’s office.
“Our midshipmen, who have committed themselves to serving our country, should not have to be faced with the risk of not graduating on time because of a government shutdown, which is no fault of their own,” Israel said in the release. “With only days left until another government shutdown, my common-sense legislation would ensure that USMMA classes continue regardless of an irresponsible shutdown.”
The 950 student academy is overseen by the U.S. Department of Transportation, which like other federal agencies would stop its non-essential operations after the Oct. 1 midnight deadline for Congress to pass a bill to fund the government.
Congressional Republicans are threatening a shutdown due to their opposition of a proposed $500 million in federal funding for women’s health organization Planned Parenthood.
USMMA officials said that without the legislation a government shutdown would impact the possibility of seniors at the academy completing all necessary coursework to graduate on time.
“A government shutdown not only forces us to close our doors and send midshipmen home, it also disrupts our academic calendar and jeopardizes the chances of our seniors graduating on time and beginning their careers,” said Jim Tobin, president of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Alumni Association & Foundation. “I thank Congressman Israel for introducing this legislation and hope that even if Congress shuts down our government, our students will not be adversely affected.”
During the last government shutdown in 2013, the USMMA was forced to close from Oct. 1- Oct. 16 and send students home, which would have put seniors at risk of not finishing coursework on time to graduate if the shutdown lasted longer.
The department’s Maritime Administration, the division which oversees the academy, was scheduled to furlough 451 of its 830 staff, according to the transportation department’s contingency plan for the 2013 shutdown.
In 2013, the other four service academies including the United States Military Academy, Naval Academy, Coast Guard Academy, and Air Force Academy were able to stay open during the shutdown because of the Pay Our Military Act, which requires the government to continue appropriating pay for active duty military personnel.
Since there are few active duty military personnel at the USMMA compared to the other four academies, the campus was forced to close, according to the release.
The USMMA is located on an 82-acre waterside campus on Long Island’s North Shore in Kings Point.
