President Barack Obama on Friday announced his intent to nominate Commissioner Rebecca F. Dye for a third term as Federal Maritime Commissioner, and announced the nomination of Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioner Mario Cordero to an open seat on the commission.
The FMC is an independent regulatory agency of the United States government charged with the administration of the regulatory provisions of federal shipping laws and responsible for the regulation of ocean-borne transportation in the foreign commerce of the US.
Dye was first nominated to the five-seat FMC board in 2002 by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the United States Senate in November 2002. She was nominated to her second term, which expires on June 30, 2010, by President Bush in July 2005, and confirmed by the Senate later the same month.
Prior to joining the FMC, Dye was Counsel to the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee of the US House of Representatives from 1995 until 2002
First time FMC nominee Cordero is an attorney currently serving his second six-year term as a Port of Long Beach harbor commissioner. The harbor commission sets policy and provides oversight for the operation and maintenance of the port. During his tenure on the port board, Cordero has been involved in the harbor commission's approval of numerous environmental remediation programs designed by port staff to cut harmful pollution generated by port activities.
Cordero, now nominated to a position setting national maritime policy on the FMC, was, ironically, a staunch defender on the port board of local government rights superseding federal interstate commerce laws.
Cordero will now face a confirmation hearing in the Senate.