The U.S. Department of Transportation has announced that Stephen Carmel has been confirmed by the Senate as the 21st administrator of the Maritime Administration (MarAd) in a 53–43 vote. In his new role, Carmel will be central to implementing President Trump’s Executive Order on Restoring Maritime Dominance and will advise Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on commercial maritime policy, the U.S. maritime industry, and strategic sealift. A licensed deep sea master and former tanker captain, Carmel previously served as senior vice president of maritime services at Maersk Line Ltd., overseeing the U.S. Marine Management Inc. business unit. He has also held multiple operations and finance roles at Maersk and served on key advisory bodies, including the CNO Executive Panel, National Academies’ Marine Board and Naval Studies Board, and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy’s Board of Visitors. Carmel emphasized the essential role of mariners, port and terminal workers, inland waterway workers, and Great Lakes sailors in supporting the economy and national security, pledging to advance the maritime sector as a pillar of American life.