Washington, DC - Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed bipartisan legislation to reauthorize, strengthen, and support the United States Coast Guard in its critical missions to save lives, safeguard our shores, protect the marine environment, and help ensure a 21st century maritime transportation system for America. The bill now moves to the Senate.
“I am pleased that the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee was again able to come together to find common ground in support of the Coast Guard and to address our nation’s maritime transportation needs. I am thankful for the support of my Republican colleagues. Passage of this bill today bodes well for the Committee’s plans to move other major transportation bills this Congress,” said Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair DeFazio (D-OR). “While I am disappointed the final bill did not include my provision to ensure our Coasties get paid during a shutdown if other branches of the military are paid, I’ll keep fighting to move my provision elsewhere, because it’s the right thing to do. This legislation is vital to our Coast Guard and maritime workers across the country—I encourage a swift passage through the Senate and look forward to the President signing it into law.”
“The men and women of the Coast Guard risk their lives on a daily basis to protect the Nation’s borders, stop the flow of illegal drugs and migrants into the United States, enforce U.S. laws at sea, facilitate commerce, and more. This bill helps provide the Coast Guard, one of our Nation’s five armed services, with resources to improve its aging fleet of assets and carry out its missions more effectively,” said Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Ranking Member Sam Graves (R-MO).
“As the Chairman of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee, I am confident this bill will give the Coast Guard the tools it needs to protect our waters and coastal communities. Our Coasties work tirelessly in their missions to patrol our waters, interdict drug smugglers, and support communities after natural disasters and emergencies. These brave men and women deserve our full support and this bipartisan bill delivers that,” said Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Chair Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY).
“The Coast Guard Authorization Act is an important bipartisan effort to ensure the men and women who play a unique role in national security and maritime safety have the best and latest tools to fulfill their missions. Coast Guard personnel work tirelessly day in and day out to prevent drugs from entering our country, keep Americans safe on water, and maintain open lanes of commerce. I am proud to have joined my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass this bill. Thank you to Chairman DeFazio, Ranking Member Sam Graves, and Subcommittee Chairman Maloney for working together with me to strengthen the Coast Guard and assist them in protecting coastal, inland, and Great Lakes waterways,” said Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Ranking Member Bob Gibbs (R-OH).
H.R. 3409, the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2019 (CGAA 2019), is legislation that reauthorizes appropriations for the Coast Guard and Federal Maritime Commission through Fiscal Year 2021. The bill also includes regulatory improvements to promote the U.S. maritime industry and offshore renewable energy development, ongoing authorization of funding to build new polar security cutters (heavy ice breakers), new requirements for the Coast Guard to assess and evaluate unmanned technologies for potential use in Coast Guard operations, provisions to increase diversity at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, and new maritime safety enhancements.
Bill text can be found here.
Section by section summary can be found here.
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