Latest news with #NSMV
New York Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
White House scrapped Biden ship tour after learning ‘how many steps were involved,' emails show
The White House opted against having former President Joe Biden board a vessel during a July 2023 visit to a Philadelphia shipyard after learning 'lots of steps' were required to get on board, newly released emails show. The records, obtained by watchdog group Protect the Public's Trust via a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and first reported by Fox News, show Department of Transportation staffers attempting to gather information about Biden's July 20, 2023, trip to the Philly Shipyard and what the president would be doing during his visit. The DOT's Maritime Administration (MARAD) had awarded the Philly Shipyard a contract to build a massive National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) years earlier – but the agency learned days before Biden's trip that the White House would not allow the then-80-year-old president to inspect the boat. Advertisement 3 White House officials would not allow Biden, who was 80-years-old at the time, to board a vessel at a Philadelphia shipyard in 2023. AFP via Getty Images 'No visit to the NSMV vessel is planned after the WH realized how many steps were involved to get on the ship,' a MARAD official notified members of Office of the Secretary of Transportation (OST), quoting a contact the agency had at that shipyard. 'True – lots of steps on grating,' the message continued in a parenthetical note. Advertisement Biden's visit to the Philly Shipyard (PSI), where he met with apprentices and attended a steel-cutting ceremony for an offshore wind farm construction vessel, came just weeks after he took a hard fall at an Air Force Academy graduation ceremony in Colorado. Since the fall, the president had been observed boarding Air Force One using the aircraft's shorter set of stairs. Seven days before the Philadelphia shipyard visit, Biden stumbled on Air Force One's short staircase as prepared to depart Helsinki-Vantaan International Airport in Finland. 3 Biden took a hard fall less than two months before the Philly trip. AP Advertisement 3 The National Security Multi-Mission Vessel being built at the shipyard had too many steps for Biden, according to an email sent to DOT staffers from a MARAD official. Bloomberg via Getty Images The White House's refusal to let Biden board the National Security Multi-Mission Vessel in Philadelphia may not have been the only time the president wasn't allowed to get on a boat over concerns about the number of steps involved. Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson claimed in his autobiography, 'Unleashed,' that the White House would not allow Biden to board the British Navy's flagship aircraft carrier – the HMS Prince of Wales – ahead of the 2021 G7 summit in Cornwall. Advertisement The decision left Johnson questioning Biden's 'physical fitness.' 'His staff told us that he would not in fact be boarding our vast aircraft carrier — which we had proudly stationed in the bay — because it had so many steps; and we wondered what that meant about his physical fitness,' Johnson said, according to an excerpt from the former prime minister's book obtained by The Telegraph.
Fox News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Unearthed emails reveal White House nixed Biden visiting ship because of 'how many steps were involved'
FIRST ON FOX: Unearthed emails as part of a FOIA request show Biden administration agencies scrapping a plan to visit a vessel at an event because it would have required then-President Joe Biden to take too many steps. Records show, as part of a FOIA request by Protect the Public's Trust obtained by Fox News Digital, that Biden was set to visit a National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) while touring a Philadelphia shipyard in July 2023. However, according to the emails, that visit to the vessel was scrapped because of "how many steps were involved to get on the ship." The emails show that the United States Maritime Administration (MARAD) was engaged in a major project at the Philadelphia shipyard at the time that Biden was planning to visit to tout offshore wind and clean energy jobs. A MARAD official emailed members of the Office of Secure Transportation, with the Department of Transportation CC'd, on July 17, 2023 that said, "No visit to the NSMV vessel is planned after the WH realized how many steps were involved to get on the ship. {True – lots of steps on grating}." The email exchanges also show a lack of coordination between the White House and MARAD, an agency of the DOT, as the next day an email between DOT officials said, "MARAD hasn't had anyone reach out to them from WH. All info they have received has been from Philly shipyard. S2 team reached out to WH Advance, and that is how we confirmed the visit was scheduled. Nothing else heard and no further call made or received on this event that I am aware of." The decision to skip visiting the vessel in the shipyard came a little more than a month after Biden faced questions over his mental and physical sharpness when he stumbled and fell on stage at an Air Force Academy graduation ceremony in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on June 1, 2023. The White House said at the time that the president tripped over a sandbag and that he was not injured by the fall. Around the same time, White House officials were rejecting concerns from conservatives about Biden's health and insisting he was able to perform his duties at a high level. Roughly a week after the event in Philadelphia, then-White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre bristled at a question about Biden's age and whether the White House could assure people there was nothing to be concerned about by outlining the president's accomplishments. "Look, we've been asked this question multiple times," Jean-Pierre said. "And you have a president who — I just went through his Unity Agenda — what we've been able to do in a bipartisan way as it relates to issues that really matter to the American people — right? — the Cancer Moonshot, which is actually going to make a difference with people and family — fam- — Americans who have family members dealing with cancer. That is something that this President has been able to do." Fox News Digital reached out to Biden's office and the Philadelphia shipyard for comment. "There's an awful lot wrong here, beginning with the White House planning a presidential visit to one of the most important shipyards in the nation without bothering to give a heads-up to the Department of Transportation, which has major ongoing projects there," Protect the Public's Trust Director Michael Chamberlain told Fox News Digital. "That's amateurish. Second and far more critical, the president's staff was proscribing events he couldn't physically handle more than a year before he dropped out of the reelection race, all while lambasting anyone who claimed he wasn't fit enough to complete the Ironman Competition. I realize there's an elevator down to the White House Situation Room, but most voters would like to think they're pulling the lever for a president who could take the stairs in an emergency." A former Biden aide pushed back on that narrative, saying that it is "ironic that an organization called 'Protect the Public Trust' is more interested in how many steps the former President took than the current President's cost-raising agenda and close relationship with Jeffrey Epstein." "The group is presenting a deceptive story with this 'don't look at Epstein' bait based on a single email with no context and they know it." A former Biden administration official reached by Fox News Digital referenced the massive size of the shipyard and that the size would be considered when planning events like this, adding that the email references steps and not stairs specifically. The former official also pushed back on the person sending the email not having spoken directly with someone at the White House and explained that several teams are involved in arranging events like the one at the shipyard, considering factors like accessibility, security risks, visuals, and other factors.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Keel Laying Held for NSMV V, The Fifth and Final National Security Multi-Mission Vessel in the Fleet
The fifth vessel is commissioned by MARAD for California State University Maritime Academy PHILADELPHIA, March 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- TOTE Services, LLC ("TOTE Services"), an affiliate of the TOTE Group, and Hanwha Philly Shipyard, Inc. ("Hanwha Philly Shipyard"), today celebrated a major shipbuilding milestone with the keel laying of the fifth and final vessel in the National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) program. Commissioned by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration (MARAD), the NSMV program is designed to provide world-class training for America's future mariners while also supporting humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions when needed. Laying the keel is a longstanding maritime tradition in which the first grand block of a vessel is placed in the building dock. This ceremonial event is believed to bring good fortune to the ship during construction and throughout its service life. Under the Vessel Construction Manager (VCM) acquisition model, TOTE Services and Hanwha Philly Shipyard have delivered the first two NSMV's (Empire State and Patriot State) with the third vessel scheduled for delivery later this year. The VCM approach allows for the application of commercial best practices in design and construction, increasing efficiency and accelerating vessel deliveries to the U.S. Government. All five NSMV keels have been laid over the past 39 months, demonstrating the speed at which the commercial sector can move under this contracting model. "We are proud to celebrate the keel laying of NSMV V, marking another key milestone in this groundbreaking shipbuilding program," said David Kim, Hanwha Philly Shipyard CEO. "This program is a testament to the strength of the U.S. maritime industry, and we are honored to work alongside TOTE Services and MARAD in delivering these advanced training vessels that will benefit generations of cadets to come." The NSMV program is a major boost for American shipbuilding, an industry that sustains nearly 400,000 jobs across the country. These state-of-the-art vessels feature advanced training facilities, a fully equipped bridge, and accommodation for up to six hundred cadets and one hundred faculty, offering an unmatched educational experience at sea. Graduates from the nation's state maritime academies make up over half of all newly commissioned U.S. merchant marine officers each year, playing a crucial role in keeping commerce moving and strengthening national security by staffing military sealift operations. "As we celebrate this milestone, we reaffirm our commitment to MARAD and the future of U.S. maritime education and shipbuilding," said Jeff Dixon, President of TOTE Services. "The VCM model executed by TOTE Services has demonstrated its ability to reduce costs, accelerate delivery timelines, and provide state-of-the-art vessels that will serve our country for decades to come." The five NSMVs are being constructed to replace aging training vessels at SUNY Maritime College, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Maine Maritime Academy, Texas A&M Maritime Academy, and California State University Maritime Academy. The vessels will be owned and operated by MARAD. "California State University Maritime Academy is honored to be part of a distinguished fleet of purpose-built training ships, each designed to meet the evolving needs of America's maritime education while also providing the U.S. with ships that can support disaster response and other critical national needs," said Vice Admiral (Ret.) Michael J. Dumont, Interim President of Cal Maritime. "This vessel stands as a testament to innovation, resilience, and the nation's unwavering commitment to preparing the next generation of mariners. It will be proudly operated by the crew, cadets, and faculty of the only state maritime academy on the West Coast." The first and second NSMV, Empire State and Patriot State were delivered in September 2023 and 2024, respectively. The three remaining vessels are currently in various stages of construction at Hanwha Philly Shipyard. Monthly photo updates of the NSMV program's progress are available at About Hanwha Philly ShipyardHanwha Philly Shipyard is a leading U.S. shipbuilder with a state-of-the art shipbuilding facility that has earned a reputation as a preferred provider of ocean-going merchant vessels with a track record of delivering quality ships, having delivered around 50% of all large ocean-going U.S. Jones Act commercial ships since 2000. The shipyard is part of Hanwha Group, a multinational company with a robust network of affiliates in the energy, ocean, aerospace, finance, and retail & services industries. For more information, visit About TOTE ServicesTOTE Services, LLC ("TOTE Services") is a leading U.S.-based company that provides ship management, vessel construction management and technical consulting services to governmental and commercial parties. Since 2015, TOTE Services has been a first mover in clean alternative fuels, having overseen the construction and management of the nation's first LNG-powered container ships and the first LNG bunker barge. TOTE Services, along with TOTE Maritime Alaska, LLC and TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico, LLC, are part of the TOTE Group. TOTE Group is a member of the Saltchuk family of companies. For more information about TOTE Services, please visit About California State University Maritime AcademyEstablished in 1929, California State University Maritime Academy is the only degree-granting maritime academy on the West Coast. Located in Vallejo, California, the 92-acre campus offers undergraduate degrees preparing students for careers in engineering, transportation, international relations, business, and global logistics. Cal Maritime also offers a master's degree in transportation and engineering management with three areas of concentration: transportation, engineering management, and humanitarian disaster management, as well as many extended learning programs and courses. Cal Maritime uses the four points of the compass to symbolize our mission and commitment to our students: intellectual learning, applied technology, leadership development, and global awareness. In November of 2024, the California State University Board of Trustees voted to integrate California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) & Cal Maritime. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE TOTE Services
