Homeland Security Subcommittee News

The U.S. Coast Guard’s “number one priority is the offshore patrol cutter,” the service’s commandant told the House Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee Thursday, reports U.S. Naval Institute. The service will be looking again at its force-mix analysis, taking into account the money appropriated for a ninth national security cutter for this fiscal year, Adm. Paul Zukunft said. He said he had “the utmost confidence” the Coast Guard will down-select to one shipbuilder this year for the offshore patrol cutter. The budget request for Fiscal Year 2017 includes $100 million for long-lead procurement for the offshore patrol cutter program. A service fact sheet said the 25 offshore patrol cutters and 58 fast response cutters will replace 90 cutters now in the fleet.

The Obama administration’s failure to budget $1.6 billion for two of the Coast Guard’s flagship vessels is drawing criticism from U.S. lawmakers, who contend that the service’s missions will be threatened. The Department of Homeland Security’s proposal for the fiscal year, beginning October1, requests $683 million to fund only the sixth of eight planned National Security Cutters, made by Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc. The agency, which oversees the Coast Guard, didn’t seek funding for the remaining two cutters for fiscal years 2014 to 2017. The 418-foot-long cutters are needed to replace an aging fleet of vessels, many of which are more than 40 years old and expensive to maintain, according to the service.

At two separate Congressional hearings, representatives of the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) emphasized the need for federal support for seaport security and maintenance and improvements to federal navigation channels. Port industry leaders illustrated the challenges underfunding security and dredging pose for national security and U.S. international competitiveness. As the House Appropriations Committee begins work on the Fiscal Year 2013 budget, AAPA executives…

ADM Robert J. Subcommittee. capabilities. For more than 220 years, the U.S. Coast Guard has safeguarded the nation’s maritime interests and natural resources on our rivers and ports, in the coastal regions, on the high seas, and around the world. The Coast Guard saves those in peril and protects the nation’s maritime border, marine transportation system, natural resources, and the environment. Coast Guard men and women – active duty, reserve, civilian and auxiliarists alike – deliver premier service to the public. military force of maritime professionals whose broad legal authorities, assets, geographic diversity, and expansive partnerships provide a persistent presence in the inland waters, ports, coastal regions, and far offshore areas of operations.

A commitment to ending the dredging crisis on the Great Lakes has earned Congresswoman Candice Miller (R-MI) an award as 2011 Great Lakes Legislator of the Year from the largest labor/management coalition representing workers and industries dependent on shipping on America’s Fourth Sea Coast. Rep. Miller, who represents Michigan’s 10th District in the House of Representatives, will formally receive the award from Great Lakes Maritime Task orce (“GLMTF”) in Washington on February 9.

The U.S. Arctic Research Commission believes that the U.S. needs a robust research program to address spill response in broken ice, as shipping moves into the Arctic Ocean and offshore oil drilling - in several Arctic nations - moves forward. Mead Treadwell, chair of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, prepared testimony for the August 20 field hearing in Anchorage of the U.S. Senate's Homeland Security Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Treadwell told the committee that, contrary to laws passed by Congress after the Exxon Valdez oil spill disaster in 1989, a significant national oil spill research program does not exist, nor is one planned to fit the special needs of the Arctic. It was anticipated that the U.S.

Responding to the inclusion of $400 million for port security grants in the mark-up of the fiscal 2008 Homeland Security Appropriations bill last Friday, American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) President and CEO Kurt Nagle praised the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security and its chairman, Rep. David Price (D-NC), and ranking member, Rep. Hal Rogers (R- KY). "As handlers of most of America's vast international cargo trade, public ports are often our first line of defense against terrorism," said Mr. Nagle. Nagle noted that, while funding for port security has been on the increase in the years following 9/11, this year Congress is making port security a priority.

United States Coast Guard Commandant Thomas H. Collins testified before the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Science and Technology and the Armed Services Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities on responding to catastrophic events. His written statement identified the Coast Guard’s primary missions in disaster response (saving lives, security and reconstitution, hazardous material response, and support to other agencies), and discussed how the strengths and weaknesses of the organization affect its ability to perform them. Perhaps most significantly, the report addressed the ineffectiveness of the government’s response to hurricane Katrina…

President's request. private sector. established priorities for homeland security. from future terrorist attacks. million above the amounts proposed by the President. billion. and testing. security operations). This includes $2 billion for U.S. security activities. $530 million for "Deepwater". $10 million for transit security and training. million above amounts requested by the President. excellence. 2003 enacted levels. infrastructure. $1.15 billion for the U.S. operations centers.

The Senate Committee on Appropriations released the Statement of Asa Hutchinson

The Senate Committee on Appropriations released the Statement of Admiral Thomas Collins