WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-FL), chairman of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security, delivered Chairman Mark E. Green’s, MD (R-TN) opening statement in a full Committee hearing to examine the U.S. Coast Guard’s (USCG) role in protecting the homeland. This hearing featured witness testimony from USCG Commandant Admiral Linda L. Fagan.

As prepared for delivery:

Maritime trade is the engine of global commerce. A robust military presence on the high seas is essential to deter piracy and adversarial states, ensuring this engine runs smoothly. 
 
The 17th Century English explorer Sir Walter Raleigh once wrote, “Whoever commands the sea commands the trade; whoever commands the trade of the world commands the riches of the world, and consequently the world itself.” Control of the high seas has empowered nations throughout history, from Phoenicia and Athens to the Dutch Republic and the British Empire. This is true today just as much as it was thousands of years ago. 
 
Yet the threat landscape facing our country grows increasingly complex with every passing year. Cartels and smugglers exploit blind spots along our massive maritime border to traffic people and narcotics into our country. The People’s Republic of China, the Russian Federation, and other geopolitical adversaries contest our laws and international norms through gray zone actions at sea. 
 
Nation-states and non-state actors increasingly utilize cyberspace to attack, disrupt, and degrade our port infrastructure and the maritime transportation system that our economy depends on. That is why the United States must prioritize its ability to enforce laws, hold bad actors accountable, and protect life at sea. 
 
During my time at West Point, I learned the importance of tailoring strategy to appropriately address the specific characteristics of each situation. Therefore, I understand the United States Coast Guard’s unique role in protecting our homeland and upholding our national sovereignty. 
 
With its eleven statutory missions, the Coast Guard is a multifaceted actor that can conduct law enforcement missions, support the intelligence community, and build and maintain international partnerships.
 
From the Gulf of Mexico to the Straits of Florida, from the Persian Gulf to the Bering Strait, and from the Western Pacific to the Eastern Seaboard, Coast Guard personnel operate surface, air, and unmanned assets performing critical national security missions. 
 
The Coast Guard performs exceptionally well in the most challenging environments on earth, and the demand for Coast Guard services at home and abroad is only increasing. 

Unfortunately, the Coast Guard has critical manpower and asset needs in order to meet this growing demand. In the Caribbean, the Coast Guard  is under severe pressure to interdict the massive waves of illegal immigrants, leaving scant resources for counter-narcotics missions. This allows cartel activity to go unchecked. 
 
In its partnership-building work with Pacific nations, the Coast Guard does not have enough people to maintain a consistent presence in areas where the PRC is poised to seize the initiative and impose its will upon smaller states that lack the means and governance structures to push back. 
 
Like most of the military, the Coast Guard is struggling to recruit enough personnel to fulfill its complex missions. Last year, the Coast Guard told Congress that they had missed their recruiting goals for the previous four years, and earlier this year Coast Guard officials stated that they were short nearly 2,500 people. 
 
Ensuring that more high-quality individuals enlist and commission in the Coast Guard will provide the service with the personnel necessary to carry out its broad mission at home and across the globe. The Coast Guard is also in the process of replacing some of its aging surface and air assets, some of which have been in service since World War II.
 
Of particular importance is the Polar Security Cutter, or PSC, program, which will deliver three new heavy polar icebreakers to replace the Coast Guard’s lone operational heavy icebreaker, which was commissioned nearly fifty years ago. 
 
With Russia and the PRC challenging U.S. sovereignty in the Arctic and Antarctic, the United States must maintain a credible, persistent presence in the polar regions. During the past year and a half, our Committee has heard from several Coast Guard officials about the multitude of threats, the unique capabilities the Coast Guard has to respond to these threats, and the pressing needs of the service to ensure they have the capacity to do so.  
 
In thinking about the service’s current situation, I am especially concerned about the systemic issues that threaten to undermine the Coast Guard’s ability to fulfill its statutory mission requirements and protect the homeland. 
 
The Coast Guard has experienced major problems in administering its acquisition programs. For instance, the PSC program was initially supposed to have delivered the first cutter by this year, yet construction on the first ship has not even begun. 
 
Additionally, according to a Congressional Budget Office cost estimate that Transportation and Maritime Security Subcommittee Chairman Carlos Gimenez and I requested last year, the PSC program’s cost will be almost 60% higher than the Coast Guard’s current estimate.  
 
These shortcomings ultimately hinder the Coast Guard’s ability to maintain a sufficient presence in critical mission areas. Regarding personnel, the Coast Guard has severely damaged its standing with its handling of Operation Fouled Anchor and the wider issue of sexual assault, sexual harassment, and retaliation within the service’s ranks. 
 
While I appreciate the ongoing efforts to address the issues, the Coast Guard must earn back the trust of its service members and the American public. It is long past time for more accountability and an overhaul of the Coast Guard’s service culture. In closing, the Coast Guard ensures the United States can meet any maritime threat, from criminal activity to nation-state aggression, with appropriate and decisive force. 
 
To reiterate Sir Walter’s words—control of the high seas enables our nation’s prosperity and security. We must prioritize the mission of the Coast Guard—our homeland security depends on it. I thank our witness, the Commandant of the Coast Guard Admiral Linda Fagan, for appearing before the Committee today, and I look forward to your testimony. 

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