OPINION:
Nearly every week, news outlets report on the brave actions of our Coast Guard men and women who have rescued a boater off Florida’s coast, found a lost fisherman in the Pacific, or stopped illegal immigrants trying to access our border by sea. As chairman of the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, I have had the privilege of meeting many dedicated and capable men and women who serve in our nation’s Coast Guard. Since 1790, the Coast Guard has safeguarded the American people, promoted national security, and protected the nation from maritime threats. Today, the Coast Guard has dedicated and capable personnel stationed around the world.
From protecting our maritime borders against drug trafficking and mass migrations from the Caribbean to operating our nation’s only icebreakers in the Arctic and Antarctic and countering Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific, the Coast Guard is expected to project American sovereignty across the globe. However, to continue these missions, the Coast Guard needs the right tools and resources. It needs Offshore Patrol Cutters to operate at the border in the Caribbean and the Indo-Pacific, and Polar Security Cutters to continue its Arctic and Antarctic missions. My committee has long been ringing the bell to warn the Coast Guard that it is approaching a fiscal cliff. We have now arrived.
Even as we acknowledge the vital importance of the Coast Guard in protecting our nation, the service faces an existential crisis as it’s constantly asked to do more with less. Hampered by years of underinvestment, the Coast Guard is left with crumbling shoreside infrastructure, cutters that are operating well beyond their intended service life, and an aviation fleet that requires modernization. Unfortunately, the president’s yearly budget requests consistently fall short of the resources needed. Instead of getting more, the Coast Guard is getting less. These concerns are exacerbated by recruiting challenges and insufficient funding, which jeopardize the service’s ability to meet its mission requirements. To use a nautical turn of phrase, the Coast Guard is in shoal water.
In fiscal year 2026, the Coast Guard is scheduled to double its acquisition of Offshore Patrol Cutters, consuming nearly two-thirds of its historical annual procurement budget. It will also need additional funding for Polar Security Cutters. Adding to the height of the cliff, other critical investments like shoreside infrastructure, air modernization, and information technology upgrades are also needed. The math simply does not add up. Without a significant increase in resources, the Coast Guard will have no choice but to pare back its vital missions.
In contrast to meager appropriations and budget requests, the bipartisan Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2024 authorizes levels to provide the bare minimum needed to keep the service from losing even more ground. The House did its work and sent that bill to the Senate in May. I urge the Senate to come to the table and move this important legislation before the end of this fiscal year.
The way ahead will not be easy, but it is crucial to the safety and security of those who operate on the sea or rely on those who do. I was encouraged that during recent subcommittee testimony, the Commandant of the Coast Guard made clear that she recognizes the challenges facing the service and that it will require significant investments if it is to keep on its present course. I will continue to work with the Coast Guard and my colleagues to right the ship and ensure that the Coast Guard remains always ready. Our national security depends on it.
• Rep. Daniel Webster, R-Fla., represents the state’s 11th congressional district. He is a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee where he also serves as chairman of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation.
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