Unwavering Support for Our Coast Guard Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. WICKER. Madam President, I rise today in strong support of our U.S. Coast Guard.

For more than 230 years, the U.S. Coast Guard has watched over our shores, protected against foreign threats, lent a helping hand to those in need of rescue, and enforced the rule of law.

The Coast Guard lives by its motto, ``Always Ready,'' and has earned the trust and admiration of the American people. America could not do without this uniquely capable branch of our military.

The Coast Guard is so effective and so versatile that it is tasked with 11 statutory missions spanning the entire globe.

One of the best known Coast Guard missions is search and rescue. The Coast Guard carries out 45 search and rescue missions on an average day, saving the lives and property of Americans in dire need.

The Coast Guard also protects our ports and inland waterways, facilitating billions of dollars in trade and maintaining the navigation aids that make sea commerce possible. In today's global economy, 80 percent of international trade travels by sea. The Coast Guard plays a crucial role in screening commercial vessels, patrolling maritime infrastructure, and servicing aids to navigation, such as beacons and buoys. Each of these functions contributes to our Nation's prosperity and security.

The Coast Guard is also increasingly involved in homeland security. It is largely the Coast Guard's job to deter potential threats before they arrive in U.S. ports. Coast Guard men and women can be found in every major port in America, conducting security boardings and escorting passenger and cargo vessels into our waterways. The Coast Guard also helps to enforce U.S. migration laws and saves the lives of those who foolishly risk everything to travel on unseaworthy vessels.

Beyond this, the Coast Guard plays a crucial role in blocking narcotics and illegal weapons from entering our country. It is not uncommon for Americans to open their news feeds and read a report about the latest multimillion-dollar drug bust carried out at sea by the Coast Guard. In one recent example, three Coast Guard cutters joined efforts to intercept more than 11,000 pounds of cocaine valued at $220 million. That was a remarkable feat, but not unusual for the U.S. Coast Guard.

As the polar regions attract more interest from Congress, it should be known that the Coast Guard is America's surface presence in both the Arctic and the Antarctic waters. Coast Guard icebreakers carry out a wide range of operations, allowing us to have a sustained presence in Antarctica and conduct research in some of the most remote corners of the Earth.

If all of these roles were not enough, the Coast Guard is taking on greater responsibilities in national security. Partnering side-by-side with the Navy, today's Coast Guard conducts freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea, provides maritime security in the Middle East, and deters illegal fishing in international waters.

This long list of responsibilities should make two things very clear: First, the Coast Guard is indeed capable and adept; and, secondly, it is being stretched increasingly thin. Today, the Coast Guard is being asked to carry out almost every maritime task imaginable, but Coast Guard funding has not kept up with these increased demands. The fifth branch of our military needs the certainty, predictable funding, and authorities necessary to accomplish all of its missions.

Congress has the ability to meet these needs, and I am asking my colleagues to do so by supporting a new bill, the Unwavering Support for Our Coast Guard Act. This legislation would essentially do five things.

No. 1, it would protect pay and allowances for Coast Guard members during the government shutdown. During the latest government shutdown, the Coast Guard members went without pay yet continued to serve admirably. This should not be allowed to happen again. We need to safeguard Coast Guard pay and allowances from failures here in Washington.

No. 2, the legislation would provide full funding to eliminate the shore-side facility maintenance backlog while building resilience into these facilities.

No. 3, the bill would enhance the diversity of the Coast Guard.

No. 4, it would support needed renovations at the Coast Guard Yard in Maryland.

And, No. 5, the bill would require the Coast Guard to tell us the assets and facilities it needs to complete all of its missions.

For too long, the Coast Guard has been asked to do more with less. Congress needs to understand the true cost of modernizing and recapitalizing our Coast Guard fleet to meet its mission requirements in the increasingly complex maritime domain.

I am proud of my State's role in supporting the Coast Guard's fleet recapitalization efforts. Mississippi is building two of the vessels that will be the vanguard of our Coast Guard for years to come: the National Security Cutter and the cutting-edge Polar Security Cutter.

The National Security Cutters have already proven themselves to be the most capable and versatile ships the Coast Guard has ever used. They can deploy all around the world and integrate seamlessly with our NATO allies, and use next-generation technologies, like unmanned drones, to extend their reach. These cutters are especially effective at countering drug smuggling, illegal fishing, and illegal movement of migrants.

America will also benefit significantly from the new Polar Security Cutters, which will be the first heavy icebreakers built in America since the 1970s. Our current fleet of icebreakers is aging and shrinking. We have fallen far behind Russia in our icebreaker fleet, and the Arctic is quickly becoming a critical national security domain. A fleet of new Polar Security Cutters will allow us to maintain a heavy presence in polar regions and keep our adversaries at bay.

America needs a capable and growing Coast Guard, and the Coast Guard needs the support of this legislation. I look forward to working with my colleagues to provide the Coast Guard with the resources it needs to continue its exemplary service to our Nation.

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