Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. HUIZENGA of Michigan. I thank my good friend from Illinois for yielding.

Mr. Chairman, we not only serve on the Financial Services Committee together, we also share a Great Lake.

Michigan is uniquely situated, literally bordering all five of the Great Lakes--Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Lake Saint Clair, Lake Ontario. Four of those are actually international boundary waters with thousands of miles of shoreline that are on there, and there are dozens of ports throughout the Great Lakes. I might add that they are aptly served by the District Nine commander out of Cleveland as he is juggling all of the various assets that the Coast Guard has.

But I do reject the plans by this administration to decrease the search and rescue capabilities in the Great Lakes. This vital amendment restores funding in order to maintain a level of capability that has been present in the Great Lakes for many years, and it has been much needed, Mr. Chairman.

As the gentleman noted, these funds, combined with offsets in this bill, address shortfalls that this administration has actually advocated for. So Coast Guard search and rescue in all of the Great Lakes cannot be shortchanged. As we see in example after example, whether it be by boat or by helicopter in Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake St. Clair, Lake Ontario, some of the busiest boating traffic--recreational, as well as commercial traffic--that we see anywhere in the world concentrated in that area.

I urge a ``yes'' vote on this amendment.

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