Providing for Consideration of H.R. 2830, Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2008
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 2830, COAST GUARD AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2008 -- (House of Representatives - April 23, 2008)
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Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this rule. Every day the valiant men and women of the United States Coast Guard save lives and protect the welfare of our great country. And every day the Coast Guard lives its motto and stands always ready to help those in need.
Since the devastating attacks of September 11, 2001, the Coast Guard has taken on the enhancement role in homeland security. Yet the President has consistently submitted budgets that fail to give the Coast Guard adequate resources to execute all its missions. Now it's our turn to help them.
The legislation to be considered today, H.R. 2830, funds the Coast Guard at $8.4 billion, $200 million over the President's budget. It also increases the Coast Guard in strength to 47,000 by adding 1,500 new members. The bill authorizes additional maritime security response teams to provide anti-terrorism protection for strategic shipping, high-interest vessels, and other critical infrastructure. These teams are the Coast Guard's quick response force. They can be deployed rapidly anywhere in the Nation via air, ground, or sea to respond to changing threat conditions.
H.R. 2830, Mr. Speaker, also authorizes additional K-9 detection teams to detect explosives, drugs, and smuggled persons.
Additionally, this bill authorizes the Waterway Watch program, a nationwide initiative modeled after Neighborhood Watch programs, to allow fishermen, recreational boaters, and others who work or play on American waterways to notify the Coast Guard of suspicious activities.
Since 9/11, the Coast Guard has struggled to develop much-needed port security regulations, including those mandated by the Safe Ports Act, such as long-range vessel tracking and enhanced crew member identification. H.R. 2830 address this critical gap and others by creating a dedicated assistant commandant for port and waterway security to oversee port security measures.
With respect to liquefied gas terminals, the bill requires the Coast Guard to protect and enforce the security zones around all existing LNG facilities. Admiral Allen himself has acknowledged, Mr. Speaker, to Congress that when it comes to the proliferation of LNG facilities, he doesn't have the resources necessary to fulfill the Coast Guard's port security responsibilities.
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