[House Hearing, 117 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


                    TAKING THE HELM: THE COMMANDANT'S VISION 
                             FOR THE U.S. COAST GUARD

=======================================================================

                                HEARING

                               BEFORE THE

                            SUBCOMMITTEE ON
                           TRANSPORTATION AND
                           MARITIME SECURITY

                                 OF THE

                     COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                    ONE HUNDRED SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS

                             SECOND SESSION

                               __________

                             JULY 14, 2022

                               __________

                           Serial No. 117-65

                               __________

       Printed for the use of the Committee on Homeland Security
                                     

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        Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.govinfo.gov

                               __________
                               

                    U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE                    
49-364 PDF                 WASHINGTON : 2022                     
          
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------                                  

                     COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY

               Bennie G. Thompson, Mississippi, Chairman
Sheila Jackson Lee, Texas            John Katko, New York
James R. Langevin, Rhode Island      Michael T. McCaul, Texas
Donald M. Payne, Jr., New Jersey     Clay Higgins, Louisiana
J. Luis Correa, California           Michael Guest, Mississippi
Elissa Slotkin, Michigan             Dan Bishop, North Carolina
Emanuel Cleaver, Missouri            Jefferson Van Drew, New Jersey
Al Green, Texas                      Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Iowa
Yvette D. Clarke, New York           Diana Harshbarger, Tennessee
Eric Swalwell, California            Andrew S. Clyde, Georgia
Dina Titus, Nevada                   Carlos A. Gimenez, Florida
Bonnie Watson Coleman, New Jersey    Jake LaTurner, Kansas
Kathleen M. Rice, New York           Peter Meijer, Michigan
Val Butler Demings, Florida          Kat Cammack, Florida
Nanette Diaz Barragan, California    August Pfluger, Texas
Josh Gottheimer, New Jersey          Andrew R. Garbarino, New York
Elaine G. Luria, Virginia            Mayra Flores, Texas
Tom Malinowski, New Jersey
Ritchie Torres, New York
                       Hope Goins, Staff Director
                 Daniel Kroese, Minority Staff Director
                          Natalie Nixon, Clerk
                               
                               ------                                

          SUBCOMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND MARITIME SECURITY

             Bonnie Watson Coleman, New Jersey, Chairwoman
Donald M. Payne, Jr., New Jersey     Carlos A. Gimenez, Florida, 
Dina Titus, Nevada                       Ranking Member
Josh Gottheimer, New Jersey          Jefferson Van Drew, New Jersey
Elaine G. Luria, Virginia            Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Iowa
Bennie G. Thompson, Mississippi (ex  Mayra Flores, Texas
    officio)                         John Katko, New York (ex officio)
                Alex Marston, Subcomittee Staff Director
          Kathryn Maxwell, Minority Subcomittee Staff Director
                     Alice Hayes, Subcomittee Clerk
                            
                            
                            C O N T E N T S

                              ----------                              
                                                                   Page

                               Statements

The Honorable Bonnie Watson Coleman, a Representative in Congress 
  From the State of New Jersey, and Chairwoman, Subcommittee on 
  Transportation and Maritime Security:
  Oral Statement.................................................     1
  Prepared Statement.............................................     2
The Honorable Carlos A. Gimenez, a Representative in Congress 
  From the State of Florida, and Ranking Member, Subcommittee on 
  Transportation and Maritime Security:
  Oral Statement.................................................     4
  Prepared Statement.............................................     4
The Honorable Bennie G. Thompson, a Representative in Congress 
  From the State of Mississippi, and Chairman, Committee on 
  Homeland Security:
  Prepared Statement.............................................     5

                                Witness

Admiral Linda L. Fagan, Commandant, United States Coast Guard:
  Oral Statement.................................................     6
  Prepared Statement.............................................     7

                                Appendix

Questions From Chairwoman Bonnie Watson Coleman for Linda L. 
  Fagan..........................................................    23
Questions From Honorable Jefferson Van Drew for Linda L. Fagan...    27

 
   TAKING THE HELM: THE COMMANDANT'S VISION FOR THE U.S. COAST GUARD

                              ----------                              


                        Thursday, July 14, 2022

             U.S. House of Representatives,
                    Committee on Homeland Security,
                            Subcommittee on Transportation 
                                     and Maritime Security,
                                                    Washington, DC.
    The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:07 a.m., in 
room 310, Cannon House Office Building, Hon. Bonnie Watson 
Coleman [Chairwoman of the subcommittee] presiding.
    Present: Representatives Watson Coleman, Gottheimer, 
Gimenez, Miller-Meeks, and Flores.
    Also present: Representative Jackson Lee.
    Chairwoman Watson Coleman. Good morning. The Subcommittee 
on Transportation and Maritime Security will come to order.
    Without objection, the Chair is authorized to declare this 
subcommittee in recess at any point.
    Welcome to the Transportation and Maritime Security 
Subcommittee's hearing entitled ``Taking the Helm: The 
Commandant's Vision for the U.S. Coast Guard''. With us today 
is the Commandant of the Coast Guard, Admiral Linda L. Fagan.
    As the first female service chief in the history of our 
Nation, your leadership shows service members across the globe 
that the highest ranks of military service are no longer 
reserved solely for men. You have said you hope to make work 
force issues a central tenet of your leadership over the next 4 
years. I hope you will share more about what the Coast Guard is 
doing to attract a modern work force that fully represents the 
diversity of this great Nation. It is my hope that the next 4 
years will be a time of growth and success for the Coast Guard, 
with more women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQ 
community rising through the ranks and building off of your 
success.
    This committee and subcommittee have long been dedicated to 
developing a diverse and inclusive environment in the Coast 
Guard, in which every service member is free from harassment 
and retaliation. A safe and welcoming culture that celebrates 
our differences is vital to creating a work force that responds 
to new challenges and meets the diverse needs of the American 
public.
    Currently, the demographics of the Coast Guard fail to 
reflect the diversity of our Nation. For example, only 6 
percent of active-duty members are Black, compared to about 14 
percent of the U.S. population, and women make up just 15 
percent of the active-duty force. I am particularly concerned 
that diversity decreases with rank, leaving little opportunity 
for women and minorities at the top, with the immediate 
exception here today.
    Admiral Fagan, your leadership as the first female service 
chief will be essential for expanding opportunities for all 
women in the Coast Guard. Today, women struggle to secure 
limited opportunities for deployments on ships not outfitted 
for a 21st Century work force inclusive of all genders. Some 
women report being forced to choose between raising their 
families and earning promotions. For people of all genders, 
races, and ethnicities, in the Coast Guard and throughout the 
armed forces, there remains a tragically common experience of 
sexual harassment and assault.
    Additionally, any instance of retaliation against a service 
member who brings forward allegations of wrongdoing is illegal 
and reprehensible. The Coast Guard still needs to make progress 
toward improving reporting procedures, protecting 
whistleblowers, and holding those in leadership positions to 
account.
    Admiral, I hope you will give us your commitment today to 
improve the diversity and the equity within the Coast Guard and 
root out harassment, assault, and retaliation. I also hope you 
will discuss your vision for the future of the Coast Guard's 
mission. An ever-changing geopolitical landscape and new 
challenges from climate change mean that the Coast Guard has 
never been more essential to America's National security. Ice 
levels in the Arctic have begun to recede drastically, creating 
both environmental catastrophe and conflict over trade routes, 
natural resources, fishing rights, and global power.
    In the far North, the Coast Guard's ice-breaking 
capabilities are outmatched by our enemies and the rising 
threat from China and Russia poses a serious risk to American 
prosperity and security.
    In the Indo-Pacific, the Coast Guard is increasing its 
efforts to maintain freedom of movement in international 
waters. Here at home, the Coast Guard is working tirelessly to 
secure our maritime borders and interdict illegal drug 
trafficking.
    These are just a few pieces of the global, multifaceted 
mission of the Coast Guard that you must execute, even as it 
faces an aging fleet and challenges in recruiting top talent 
amid stiff competition in the labor force.
    The Coast Guard and Congress must work together to ensure 
the service has all the funding and resources it needs.
    Admiral Fagan, I thank you again for your service and for 
appearing before us today. I congratulate you and look forward 
to working with you and to hearing from you directly on your 
vision for the next 4 years of the U.S. Coast Guard and the 
future of the service.
    The Chair now recognizes the Ranking Member of the 
subcommittee, Mr. Gimenez, for an opening statement.
    [The statement of Chairwoman Watson Coleman follows:]
             Statement of Chairwoman Bonnie Watson Coleman
    Good morning.
    Today the committee is meeting for a hearing titled ``Taking the 
Helm: The Commandant's Vision for the U.S. Coast Guard.''
    With us today is the Commandant of the Coast Guard, Admiral Linda 
L. Fagan.
    Admiral Fagan, I am pleased to have you appearing here today at the 
start of your historic tenure as the 27th Commandant of the United 
States Coast Guard.
    As the first female service chief in the history of our Nation, 
your leadership shows service members across the globe that the highest 
ranks of military service are no longer reserved solely for men.
    You have said you hope to make workforce issues a central tenet of 
your leadership over the next 4 years.
    I hope you will share more about what the Coast Guard is doing to 
attract a modern workforce that fully represents the diversity of this 
great Nation.
    It is my hope that the next 4 years will be a time of growth and 
success for the Coast Guard, with more women, people of color, and 
members of the LGBTQ community rising through the ranks and building 
off your success.
    This committee and subcommittee have long been dedicated to 
developing a diverse and inclusive environment in the Coast Guard, in 
which every service member is free from harassment and retaliation.
    A safe and welcoming culture that celebrates our differences is 
vital to creating a workforce that responds to new challenges and meets 
the diverse needs of the American public.
    Currently, the demographics of the Coast Guard fail to reflect the 
diversity of our Nation.
    For example, only 6 percent of active-duty members are Black, 
compared to about 14 percent of the U.S. population, and women make up 
just 15 percent of the active-duty force.
    I am particularly concerned that diversity decreases with rank, 
leaving little opportunity for women and minorities at the top.
    Admiral Fagan, your leadership as the first female service chief 
will be essential for expanding opportunities for all women in the 
Coast Guard.
    Today, women struggle to secure limited opportunities for 
deployments on ships not outfitted for a 21st Century workforce 
inclusive of all genders.
    Some women report being forced to choose between raising their 
families and earning promotions.
    And for people of all genders, races, and ethnicities, in the Coast 
Guard and throughout the armed forces, there remains a tragically 
common experience of sexual harassment and assault.
    Additionally, any instance of retaliation against a service member 
who brings forward allegations of wrongdoing is illegal and 
reprehensible.
    The Coast Guard still needs to make progress toward improving 
reporting procedures, protecting whistleblowers, and holding those in 
leadership positions to account.
    Admiral Fagan, I hope you will give us your commitment today to 
improve diversity and equity within the Coast Guard and root out 
harassment, assault, and retaliation.
    I also hope you will discuss your vision for the future of the 
Coast Guard's mission.
    An ever-changing geopolitical landscape and new challenges from 
climate change mean that the Coast Guard has never been more essential 
to America's National security.
    Ice level in the Arctic have begun to recede drastically, creating 
both environmental catastrophe and conflict over trade routes, natural 
resources, fishing rights, and global power.
    In the far North, the Coast Guard's icebreaking capabilities are 
outmatched by our enemies and the rising threat from China and Russia 
poses a serious risk to American prosperity and security.
    In the Indo-Pacific, the Coast Guard is increasing its efforts to 
maintain freedom of movement in international waters.
    And here at home, the Coast Guard is working tirelessly to secure 
our maritime borders and interdict illegal drug trafficking.
    These are just a few pieces of the global, multifaceted mission the 
Coast Guard must execute, even as it faces an aging fleet and 
challenges in recruiting top talent amid stiff competition in the labor 
force.
    The Coast Guard and Congress must work together to ensure the 
service has all the funding and resources it needs.
    Admiral Fagan, I thank you again for your service and for appearing 
before us today.
    I look forward to hearing from you directly on your vision for the 
next 4 years of the U.S. Coast Guard and the future of the service.

    Mr. Gimenez. Thank you so much, Chairwoman Watson Coleman, 
for holding this hearing today. I thank Admiral Linda Fagan for 
being here--congratulations, Admiral--to discuss her vision for 
the Coast Guard as she takes over at the helm as the 27th 
Commandant of the Coast Guard.
    Coast Guard has an increasingly complex difficult mission 
and faces a number of critical homeland security challenges. I 
work closely with Admiral Karl Shultz and his initiatives to 
strengthen the service and look forward to doing the same with 
Admiral Fagan.
    As a former mayor of Miami Dade I have seen first-hand what 
an integral role the Coast Guard plays in protecting our 
Nation's ports, our waterways, and our harbors. The Coast Guard 
is vitally important to facilitating lawful trade and travel 
and protecting the marine transportation system. The Coast 
Guard continues to face evolving threats of drug and human 
smuggling stemming from an on-going crisis at our Southwest 
Border. In addition, the number of undocumented migrants that 
the Coast Guard interdicts at sea continues to grow year after 
year.
    Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing has replaced 
piracy as the leading global maritime security threat, 
resulting in tens of billions of dollars in economic losses for 
legal fishing enterprises. I am interested to hear from Admiral 
Fagan on how she will position the service to counter this 
challenging threat environment.
    It is critical that you also recognize the growing 
strategic importance of the Arctic to U.S. interests. Russia 
and China are making significant investments in the Arctic. I 
am pleased that there is funding in the fiscal year 2023 
President's budget request for long lead materials for the 
Coast Guard's third polar security cutter. These heavy 
icebreakers are long, long overdue and I am interested to hear 
details on the acquisition and the delivery time lines on this 
critical infrastructure.
    The new polar security cutters will greatly improve our 
capabilities and presence in the polar regions.
    I look forward to hearing today from Admiral Fagan on her 
plans for her term as Commandant. Her extensive experience and 
impressive background positions her as the right person to take 
on this critical job.
    I thank Admiral Fagan for her continued service to our 
Nation.
    Thank you, Madam Chairwoman.
    I will yield back.
    [The statement of Ranking Member Gimenez follows:]
               Statement of Ranking Member Carlos Gimenez
    Thank you, Chairwoman Watson Coleman, for holding this hearing 
today.
    I thank Admiral Linda Fagan for being here to discuss her vision 
for the Coast Guard as she takes over the helm as the 27th Commandant 
of the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard has an increasingly complex, 
difficult mission and faces a number of critical homeland security 
challenges. I worked closely with Admiral Karl Schultz in his 
initiatives to strengthen the service and look forward to doing the 
same with Admiral Fagan.
    As the former mayor of Miami-Dade, I have seen first-hand what an 
integral role the Coast Guard plays in protecting our Nation's ports, 
waterways, and harbors. The Coast Guard is vitally important to 
facilitating lawful trade and travel and protecting the Marine 
Transportation System.
    The Coast Guard continues to face evolving threats of drug and 
human smuggling stemming from the on-going crisis at our Southwest 
Border. In addition, the number of undocumented migrants that the Coast 
Guard interdicts at sea continues to grow, year over year. Illegal, 
Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing has replaced piracy as the leading 
global maritime security threat, resulting in tens of billions of 
dollars in economic losses for legal fishing enterprises. I am 
interested to hear from Admiral Fagan on how she will position the 
service to counter this challenging threat environment.
    It is critical that we also recognize the growing strategic 
importance of the Arctic to U.S. interests. Russia and China are making 
significant investments in the Arctic. I am pleased that there is 
funding in the fiscal year 2023 President's budget request for long-
lead materials for the Coast Guard's third polar security cutter. These 
heavy icebreakers are long overdue, and I am interested to hear details 
on the acquisition and delivery time lines. The new polar security 
cutters will greatly improve our capabilities and presence in the polar 
regions.
    I look forward to hearing today from Admiral Fagan on her plans for 
her term as Commandant. Her extensive experience and impressive 
background positions her as the right person to take on this difficult 
job. I thank Admiral Fagan for her continued service to our Nation.
    Thank you, Madam Chairwoman, and I yield back.

    Chairwoman Watson Coleman. Thank you, Ranking Member.
    Members are also reminded that the subcommittee will 
operate according to the guidelines laid out by the Chairman 
and Ranking Member in their February 3 colloquy regarding 
remote procedures.
    Additional Member statements may be submitted for the 
record.
    [The statement of Chairman Thompson follows:]
                Statement of Chairman Bennie G. Thompson
    Thank you to Chairwoman Watson Coleman and Ranking Member Gimenez 
for holding this hearing, and to Admiral Fagan for appearing before 
this subcommittee as she embarks on her historic tenure as the 27th 
Commandant of the United States Coast Guard.
    Admiral, I would like to echo my colleagues' congratulations on 
your more than three decades of service leading up to becoming our 
Nation's first female service chief.
    What you have achieved to this point is evidence of your unwavering 
service to our country and the men and women of the Coast Guard.
    As you have come up through the ranks, you have undoubtedly 
experienced the enormous challenges facing the Coast Guard--challenges 
you will now lead the service through as Commandant.
    Russia's invasion of Ukraine, unprecedented cybersecurity threats 
to the Marine Transportation System, and accelerating climate change 
mean that the Coast Guard's ability to adapt to dynamic circumstances 
is more important than ever.
    To respond to emerging threats and the increased demand for its 
services, the Coast Guard is undergoing a massive effort to 
recapitalize its aging fleet.
    I was pleased that the fiscal year 2023 budget request includes 
proposals for continued investments in new cutters, including National 
security cutters and polar security cutters built in my home State of 
Mississippi.
    Beyond investing in vessels, aircraft, and infrastructure, this 
moment must be a turning point for investing in the Coast Guard's 
people.
    I have long-standing concerns about diversity, equity, and 
inclusion within the Coast Guard, as well as the Service's treatment of 
whistleblowers and failure to hold offenders accountable.
    I am pleased that the Coast Guard has increased the number of 
women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQ community in its 
ranks, but more work remains to be done.
    The Service has major problems retaining and advancing these 
individuals due to deep-seated cultural issues and policies in dire 
need of improvement.
    The Committee on Homeland Security has heard from many 
whistleblowers in recent years who have sounded the alarm about rampant 
discrimination, sexual assault, and retaliation that erode the Coast 
Guard's cohesion and mission-readiness.
    Admiral, at your nomination hearing in April, you stated that you 
will prioritize building a diverse, welcoming Coast Guard that gives 
members ``a strong sense of belonging, so every individual is valued, 
safe, and able to deliver their best service to the Nation.''
    I am grateful to you for making that commitment--and I fully intend 
to hold you to it.
    I look forward to hearing today about your plans to ensure that our 
United States Coast Guard lives up to its reputation as the best in the 
world.
    I congratulate you again on your confirmation, and I thank you for 
your service to our Nation.
    With that, I yield back.

    Chairwoman Watson Coleman. I will now welcome our witness.
    Admiral Linda Fagan was nominated by President Biden to be 
the 27th Commandant of the United States Coast Guard and 
assumed that command on June 21, 2022. She is the first woman 
to serve in her role and as a service chief in the United 
States Armed Forces. Prior to becoming Commandant, Admiral 
Fagan served as the 32nd Vice Commandant of the Coast Guard and 
in numerous prestigious leadership roles across the service, 
including as Specific Area Commander, Coast Guard Defense Force 
West Commander, and Deputy Commandant for Operations Policy and 
Capability, among others. She has spent more than 3 decades in 
uniform on all 7 continents and is the Coast Guard's first-ever 
Gold Ancient Trident, an honor given to the officer with the 
longest tenure in the Marine Safety Program.
    We welcome you, Admiral Fagan.
    Without objection, the witness' full statement will be 
inserted in the record.
    I now ask you, Admiral, if you would summarize your 
statement for 5 minutes.

STATEMENT OF ADMIRAL LINDA L. FAGAN, COMMANDANT, UNITED STATES 
                          COAST GUARD

    Admiral Fagan. Thank you.
    Good morning, Chairwoman Watson Coleman and Ranking Member 
Gimenez and distinguished Members of the subcommittee. Thank 
you for entering my written testimony into the record.
    Thank you for the opportunity to describe the state of the 
Coast Guard today and share my vision for the service. I also 
would like to thank Congress for your enduring support of the 
United States Coast Guard.
    For nearly 232 years the Coast Guard has provided safety, 
security, and economic prosperity for the American people. Our 
work force lives and serves in communities along the Atlantic, 
Gulf, Pacific, and Arctic coasts and on the Great Lakes and 
along our inland rivers where we are trusted to perform 
essential missions. Around the world the racing stripe on our 
ships and aircraft is a symbol of professionalism, good 
governance, and hope for those nations striving to protect 
their own sovereignty and prosperity. Our blend of authorities, 
capabilities, and leadership are in demand around the globe to 
help protect American interests.
    However, the world we operate in is changing rapidly. 
Advances in technology, pressures on maritime supply chains, 
and threats to the global rules-based order are changing demand 
for Coast Guard missions and changing the communities where our 
people live and work.
    The Coast Guard must keep pace with these changes to uphold 
our proud tradition of service. The heartbeat of the Coast 
Guard is our work force and without them we cannot execute our 
missions. My highest priority as Commandant is to transform our 
talent management system. We will recruit people from across 
our great Nation who are service-oriented and have a high sense 
of purpose. Our leaders will provide an increasingly diverse 
work force, a strong sense of belonging, so every individual is 
valued, safe, and able to deliver their best service to the 
Nation.
    Once a person has joined the Coast Guard we will retain 
them by providing them and their family the support they need 
and deserve, including access to high-quality housing, health 
care, and child care. We will provide greater career 
flexibility, eliminating policy barriers that deter people from 
continuing to serve. To keep our competitive edge we must 
provide the right tools, including a modern fleet of vessels 
and aircraft, as well as the resilient shore facilities that 
support them. Applying new technologies, we will incorporate 
data systems into our operations so our leaders can make the 
best decisions across every mission. We will advance our 
mission excellence and we will continue to be brilliant at our 
core missions at home while we meet global demand for the Coast 
Guard by deploying where we provide the American people the 
greatest benefit.
    From the Arctic to Antarctica, throughout the world's 
oceans, and along the entire coastline of the United States, we 
will protect the Nation's safety, security, and prosperity.
    As Commandant of the United States Coast Guard I am humbled 
to have the responsibility for operating and advocating for 
this incredible service. I am committed to the service, our 
work force, and the Nation.
    I look forward to working with Congress as we navigate the 
Coast Guard into the future together.
    Chairwoman Watson Coleman, Ranking Member Gimenez, 
distinguished Members, it is a privilege to appear before you 
today and I thank you for the opportunity to testify and I look 
forward to your questions.
    Thank you.
    [The prepared statement of Admiral Fagan follows:]
                  Prepared Statement of Linda L. Fagan
                             July 14, 2022
                              introduction
    Good morning Chairwoman Watson Coleman, Ranking Member Gimenez, and 
distinguished Members of the subcommittee, I appreciate the opportunity 
to testify today and thank you for your enduring support of the United 
States Coast Guard. I am humbled and grateful for the confidence and 
trust of President Biden, Secretary Mayorkas, and the Congress.
    I appreciate the opportunity to describe the state of the Coast 
Guard today, share my vision for the Service and describe how the 
administration's fiscal year 2023 budget request best positions the 
Coast Guard to advance our National, economic, and environmental 
security interests in an increasingly complex and connected world.
    The Coast Guard makes significant contributions to global maritime 
safety, security, and economic prosperity by applying our unique blend 
of authorities and capabilities. The Service's broad authorities and 
collaborative approach are increasingly vital to National objectives in 
a broad spectrum of strategic challenges. The racing stripe on our 
ships is a symbol of professionalism, good governance, and hope. Coast 
Guard presence abroad creates security at home and strengthens partners 
and allies as they counter threats to their sovereignty and prosperity. 
This past year, the Coast Guard's cutters operated with partners and 
allies across the globe. Coast Guard Cutter MUNRO participated in 
cooperative at-sea exercises with the Royal Australian Navy in the 
South China Sea, while BERTHOLF enforced regional fisheries management 
with maritime law enforcement entities from Canada, the Republic of 
Korea, and Japan during Operation North Pacific Guard. In the Atlantic, 
the cutter MOHAWK will conduct law enforcement exercises with 6 African 
nations to help them strengthen their own maritime governance.
    Last year the Coast Guard commissioned and fielded 3 new 154-foot 
Fast Response Cutters which now operate from Coast Guard Forces 
Micronesia/Sector Guam. These new assets are strategically placed to 
support the Indo-Pacific Strategy of the United States, which details 
the need for an expanding Coast Guard presence in the region to work 
collaboratively with partners and bolster Indo-Pacific security.
    In the Arctic, Coast Guard Cutter HEALY transited the Northwest 
Passage and circumnavigated North America. On this important 
deployment, scientists on-board HEALY mapped the seafloor and analyzed 
meltwater from Greenland's glaciers. This work improved navigation 
routes, and advanced the scientific understanding of the ways the 
ocean, atmosphere, and ice interact in a changing climate. In 
Antarctica, the Nation's only heavy polar icebreaker, the Coast Guard 
Cutter POLAR STAR, created a navigable path through ice as thick as 21 
feet to enable the annual replenishment of America's McMurdo Station.
    As America's maritime first responder, the Coast Guard is woven 
into communities along the Pacific, Atlantic, Arctic, and Gulf Coasts 
as well as the Great Lakes and navigable inland rivers. We provide 
essential services to the American public: We rescue mariners in 
distress, protect vital marine natural resources, break ice to 
facilitate commerce, inspect ships to verify safety and pollution 
controls, deliver aid after a disaster, mark navigable waterways to 
keep mariners safe from hazards, secure our ports and harbors, and 
interdict illegal drugs. In 2021, the Coast Guard saved 4,747 lives in 
search-and-rescue cases, interdicted 380,000+ pounds of cocaine, 
responded to 11,000+ pollution incident reports, surged forces in 
response to domestic natural disasters such as Hurricane Ida, and 
facilitated the free flow of commerce worth $5.4 trillion across the 
Marine Transportation System (MTS).
             readiness to meet the challenges of the future
    Today, the Coast Guard faces both new challenges and new 
opportunities. My vision for the Service is responsive to this changing 
world and includes three tenets: Transform our Total Workforce, Sharpen 
Our Competitive Edge, and Advance Our Mission Excellence.
    Transform the Total Workforce.--The Coast Guard workforce is my 
highest priority and requires innovative tools, inclusive policies, 
trustworthy technology, modernized training, and exceptional support to 
meet demand today and tomorrow. The world's most capable and talented 
Coast Guard has over 57,000 active duty, reserve, and civilian 
personnel, supported by 21,000 Auxiliary volunteers. Moving forward, we 
will continue to pursue policies and practices that enable us to 
recruit, train, and retain a workforce representative of the American 
public we serve. We will build an inclusive culture that enables a 
sense of belonging, empowering all to deliver their personal best while 
serving as part of the world's best Coast Guard.
    We will seek improved opportunities for our workforce and their 
families to access high-quality health care, housing, and child care. 
We will remain relentless in our effort to eradicate harmful behaviors, 
such as sexual assault and sexual harassment, from our Service, and 
continue our work to implement the military justice reforms from the 
2022 National Defense Authorization Act. We will continue to revisit 
policies that deter otherwise qualified members from continuing their 
careers, and instead we will actively encourage our brightest talent to 
stay. Similarly, we will pursue new training designs to engage our 
workforce in meaningful learning, whether in a classroom or in the 
field. These actions will improve quality of life for our workforce and 
strengthen our operational readiness.
    The fiscal year 2023 budget requests $170 million for pay and 
benefits and $53 million to enhance recruiting and retention 
initiatives, further expand diversity, equity, inclusion, and 
accessibility efforts, modernize training, and better support the needs 
of our workforce. These new initiatives will attract the mission-ready 
total workforce we need today and into the future, and enable our field 
leaders to bolster the resiliency of our people and their families.
    Sharpen our Competitive Edge.--The Coast Guard must lean forward to 
remain the world's best Coast Guard. Constantly evolving technology 
requires the Service to develop new capabilities to keep pace. The 
Coast Guard is in the midst of our largest recapitalization effort 
since World War II--an effort critical to ensuring our Nation has the 
capable, modern assets it needs to meet the unprecedented growth in 
demand for Coast Guard services. However, until fully recapitalized, 
the Coast Guard continues to conduct missions with legacy assets, some 
of which are over 50 years old.
Surface Assets
    With the continued strong support of both the administration and 
Congress, we are acquiring the Nation's first new heavy polar 
icebreakers in almost half a century. The polar security cutters (PSCs) 
will provide the global reach and icebreaking capability necessary to 
ensure U.S. presence in the Arctic and Antarctic regions in support of 
the National Security Strategy and the National Defense Strategy.
    The fiscal year 2023 request also includes the acquisition, 
modification, and operation of a commercially available polar 
icebreaker to add near-term National capability in the Arctic, train 
icebreaker sailors, and help inform capability requirements for the 
future acquisition of Arctic security cutters (medium icebreakers). As 
melting sea ice creates new routes in the High Latitudes that 
increasingly attract human activity, scientific discovery, and economic 
prospects, the Nation needs year-round surface access to the critically 
important geo-strategic Polar Regions.
    Continued progress on the Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) program is 
absolutely vital to recapitalizing the capability provided by our 
legacy fleet of 210-foot and 270-foot Medium Endurance Cutters (MECs). 
The OPCs are assets our crews deserve and our Nation needs. The fiscal 
year 2023 request provides $650 million for construction of the fifth 
OPC and long lead time materials for the sixth. Last month the Coast 
Guard awarded a contract for the construction of the second phase of 11 
OPCs, a vital step as we progress toward our program of record of 25 
hulls. The legacy assets the OPCs will replace have been workhorses for 
decades and have served the Nation with distinction, but the MEC fleet 
is becoming more difficult and expensive to maintain, and we continue 
to see degradation in its operational availability.
    The fiscal year 2023 request also includes $77 million to support 
the detailed design and construction of the Waterways Commerce Cutter 
(WCC) program. Recapitalization of our fleet of inland tenders--some of 
which have been in service since the 1940's--is essential to 
maintaining both the fixed and floating aids that enable safe 
navigation on the MTS. This system includes over 25,000 miles of rivers 
and navigable channels that connect America's consumers, producers, 
manufacturers, and farmers to domestic and global markets, with an 
annual economic impact of $4.6 trillion. The marine highways are 
critical to American prosperity.
Aviation Assets
    The fiscal year 2023 request continues the Coast Guard's transition 
of our rotary wing fleet with $100 million for an additional four MH-
60T helicopters. Our current fleet includes 98 MH-65 Dolphin and 48 MH-
60 Jayhawk helicopters. Both helicopters are undergoing essential 
Service Life Extension Programs (SLEP) to push current capabilities 
into the late 2030's. Growing the Coast Guard's fleet of MH-60's via 
the purchase of new hulls, or the conversion of low-hour former Navy 
air frames at our Aviation Logistics Center, is crucial to sustaining 
Coast Guard air operations and meeting mission demands.
Cybersecurity and C5I Modernization
    Evolving cyber threats continue to present challenges to the 
security of the Coast Guard's network and of the MTS. The fiscal year 
2023 request promotes continued efforts to modernize and protect the 
Coast Guard's networks pursuant to Executive Order 14028 on Improving 
the Nation's Cybersecurity, while positioning the Service to have the 
robust suite of cyber tools and professionals necessary to keep pace 
with technological advances and increasing cyber threats.
    Additionally, we are leveraging the momentum of recent 
Congressional support for our ``Technology Revolution''--a ``Whole-of-
Service'' effort to ensure our workforce has reliable, mobile, and 
integrated information systems to leverage data and empower operations.
Shore Infrastructure
    Every Coast Guard mission begins and ends at a shore facility. Our 
facilities, piers, and runways are as critical for operations as our 
ships and aircraft, and the buildings where our people eat and sleep 
while standing duty are as important to workforce retention as our 
talent management policies. Additionally, the Nation's reliance upon 
the Coast Guard to serve as a first responder after man-made and 
natural disasters underscores the importance of resilient facilities. 
Coast Guard shore infrastructure is located in areas prone to 
hurricanes, flooding, earthquakes, and other natural disasters. We 
greatly appreciate the $434 million provided by the Congress as part of 
the Infrastructure and Investment and Jobs Act, and the $355 million 
provided in fiscal year 2022 to support critical shore facility 
investments.
    The Coast Guard continues to focus on recapitalizing our shore 
infrastructure, updating and where possible replacing legacy military 
housing and support facilities, and modernizing waterfront facilities 
to be ready for new assets. Despite these efforts, substantial backlogs 
for both the recapitalization of infrastructure and asset maintenance 
remain. While we are making consistently strong headway on 
recapitalizing our cutters and aircraft, that progress requires making 
tough annual tradeoffs that continue to impact shore infrastructure 
investment needs. The fiscal year 2023 request includes targeted 
investments to improve the condition of our aging shore facilities, and 
to prepare for the Coast Guard's future fleet. Given the scope of the 
challenge, additional investments and a modern approach to project 
planning, prioritization, and execution are necessary to ensure the 
Service has the adequately maintained and resilient infrastructure 
required to meet operational demands into the future.
    Advance Our Mission Excellence.--The Coast Guard thrives in the 
increasingly complex and unforgiving maritime environment by continuing 
our tradition of exceptional service in our core missions, while 
innovating to meet the changing needs of the American people.
    The Coast Guard is committed to the Secretary of Homeland 
Security's priorities, including maritime border security, full 
participation in crisis response, and the protection of critical 
infrastructure, including in the cyber domain. In 2021, Coast Guard 
responders provided critical health care and other logistical support 
to meet surging demand on the Southwest Border. With our unique 
authorities and capabilities, the increasing demand for Coast Guard 
services comes from all levels of government and from abroad. As the 
sole military service within the Department of Homeland Security, the 
Coast Guard is uniquely positioned to support coordination with the 
Department of Defense across the full spectrum of integrated National 
Security, National Defense, Homeland Security, and Homeland Defense 
missions.
    The Coast Guard will continue to be a leader in global maritime 
governance. We are ideally positioned as the preferred maritime partner 
for many nations. We will use our unique authorities and capabilities 
to uphold America's long-standing commitment to a stable and open 
international system that adheres to the rule of law and good maritime 
governance. The fiscal year 2023 request provides the Coast Guard $118 
million to expand the Service's operations in regions vital to 
America's National security and prosperity--the Arctic, Indo-Pacific, 
and the Atlantic Basin.
                               conclusion
    As we look to fiscal year 2023 and beyond, we must continue to 
resource the Coast Guard to maintain a ready and resilient force. 
Funding provided in the fiscal year 2023 President's Budget will enable 
the Service to protect the homeland, save those in peril, enhance our 
economic prosperity by supporting the maritime industry, protect our 
National resources, adapt to climate change, and strengthen the 
international rules-based order. I look forward to working with this 
committee to be a more adaptive and connected Coast Guard that 
generates sustained readiness, resilience, and capability in new ways 
to enhance our Nation's maritime safety, security, and prosperity.
    With the continued support of the administration and Congress, your 
Coast Guard will live up to our motto--Semper Paratus--Always Ready. I 
thank the committee for your dedication and support of the Coast Guard 
and its workforce.
                   FISCAL YEAR 2023 BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS
Budget Priorities:
   Restore Readiness.--The Coast Guard must maintain momentum 
        restoring Service readiness. More than ever, the Nation needs a 
        ready Coast Guard with the personnel, tools, and support 
        systems to operate in an increasingly complex, interconnected, 
        and technologically advanced maritime domain.
   Build the Coast Guard of the Future.--The Coast Guard is in 
        the midst of the largest recapitalization effort since World 
        War II--an effort critical to ensuring the Service has the 
        capable, modern assets it needs to meet the unprecedented 
        growth in demand for Coast Guard services.
    The fiscal year 2023 budget requests $9.62 billion for Operations 
and Support (O&S) and $1.65 billion for Procurement, Construction, and 
Improvements (PC&I). Budget highlights include:
Restore Readiness (O&S):
            Support the Mission Ready Total Workforce
   $170 million for requisite military pay and allowances per 
        National Defense Authorization Act requirements, maintaining 
        parity with the military branches within the Department of 
        Defense, and $49 million for civilian pay and benefits (O&S).
   $53 million for workforce readiness, including recruiting, 
        retention, diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, 
        training, and support.
            Modernize Operational Capability
   $100 million for new assets including: Operations and 
        maintenance for OPC #2; crew for OPC #3; operations and 
        maintenance for National Security Cutter (NSC) #10 and crew for 
        NSC #11. Additionally, the budget provides funding for 
        operations, maintenance, and crew for three C-27J aircraft.
   $11 million for marine safety capacity to modernize and 
        oversee the merchant mariner credentialing program, and 
        additional personnel to conduct timely and thorough marine 
        inspections and investigations to enable commerce and maritime 
        security.
            Expanding Operations: Arctic, Oceania, and the Atlantic 
                    Basin
   $30 million to crew a commercially-available polar 
        icebreaker to expand Coast Guard capacity, and near-term 
        enhanced capability to conduct Arctic operations, grow High 
        Latitude sailors, and inform Arctic strategy.
   $48 million to expand operations in the Indo-Pacific in 
        order to promote economic prosperity, combat IUUF, promote 
        environmental resilience, and ensure unrestricted lawful access 
        to the region's maritime environment.
   $40 million to support activities in the Partnership for the 
        Atlantic Basin initiative to address maritime security issues.
            Cybersecurity and C5I Modernization
   $47 million to operate, maintain, secure, and protect Coast 
        Guard IT networks, enhance the cybersecurity of maritime 
        critical infrastructure, and conduct cyber effects operations 
        to deter and respond to cyber attacks on the Marine 
        Transportation System (MTS).
   $7 million to transition to modern software and provide 
        mobile solutions for the workforce.
Recapitalize Legacy Assets and Infrastructure (PC&I):
   $1.2 billion for vessels, including: $650 million for 
        construction of OPC #5 and long-lead time materials for OPC #6; 
        $167 million for the PSC program, including project management 
        and construction of PSCs #1-2 and long-lead time materials for 
        PSC #3; $60 million for post-delivery activities for NSCs #9-
        11; $77 million for the Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC) 
        program, including project management and long-lead time 
        materials; and $125 million to acquire a commercially-available 
        polar icebreaker.
   $182 million to recapitalize and sustain fixed and rotary-
        wing aircraft including: Sustainment of the current MH-60T 
        helicopter fleet and funding for fleet expansion; modernization 
        and sustainment of MH-65 helicopters to extend service lift 
        into the 2030's; and continued missionization of HC-27J medium-
        range fixed-wing surveillance aircraft.
   $180 million for shore infrastructure improvements to 
        support new acquisitions and the execution of Coast Guard 
        operations including: PSC homeport in Seattle, Washington; FRC 
        homeport in St. Petersburg, Florida; WCC homeports; continued 
        buildout of the consolidated Goperational base in Charleston, 
        South Carolina; and other infrastructure repairs and upgrades.

    Chairwoman Watson Coleman. Thank you, Admiral, for your 
testimony.
    I am going to remind the committee that we will each have 5 
minutes to question the witness.
    Without objection, Members not on this subcommittee shall 
be permitted to sit and question the witness.
    I will now recognize myself for questions.
    Admiral, there is so much I am interested in with regard to 
the Coast Guard. I have kind-of three quick questions I would 
like to just pose to you at one time, asking that you recognize 
we have got 5 minutes in total to respond to them.
    First, with this being your first hearing before Congress 
since you took command, could you express for us what you hope 
to achieve during these next 4 years of tenure and what you see 
being your greatest challenge?
    Also I would like to know--I would like you to know I and 
other Members are very interested in Coast Guard Arctic mission 
and how that mission continues to expand and grow in importance 
as climate changes. So I would like to know from you how has 
Russia's attack on Ukraine changed the state of play in the 
Arctic at all? What do you view as the future of our encounters 
with Russia and China in the Arctic? Are there any ways in 
which Russia and China cooperate or will cooperate with the 
international community on scientific research initiatives or 
other opportunities for cooperation?
    Finally, the question that you and I spoke about the other 
day has to do with the LGBTQ community and the Rand 
Corporation's study that did not look into this issue. We are 
very much concerned about that issue and issues facing women 
and racial minorities. I believe those studies were 
tremendously valuable and hope that you will be able to commit 
to continuing that endeavor to uncover these issues.
    Admiral Fagan. Thank you, Chairwoman.
    There are a lot in those three questions and I am mindful 
of time.
    First, with regard to what I hope to achieve as Commandant. 
I have published the Commandant's Strategic Intent with three 
tenets. Of the three, the most significant and most critical to 
the service is transforming our talent management system and 
addressing work force issues.
    As I shared with you, recruiting is an immediate focus area 
to ensure that we are drawing the best talent into the service 
that we can. We then need to get after policies that have 
served us well but do not continue to serve us well as we move 
forward in a way that is reflective of society and the work 
that we are asking our work force to do. That work is under 
way. I am excited about the transformative change that we have 
an opportunity to make. Making it easier for people to enter 
the service and stay in the service directly gets at exactly 
the opportunity that you have asked us to make available to any 
and all who choose to service.
    With regard to the Arctic mission and Russia and China, as 
we know, China has declared themselves as a near-Arctic nation. 
We are an Arctic nation. We are not a near-Arctic nation, we 
are an Arctic nation. So getting the capability and capacity to 
create enduring presence in the Arctic, in the waters off of 
Alaska, are absolutely a priority. I am thankful for the 
support we received from Congress with regard to money to begin 
building polar security cutters. As you said, we are working 
detail design for the first polar security cutter. We have 
purchased long lead time materials for the second. I have a 
sense of urgency for the Nation that we need to get that 
capability fielded as soon as possible.
    With regard to Russia and the Coast Guard's interaction 
with Russia, we continue--you know, we operate in and along the 
maritime boundary line that we share, you know, in the Bering 
with Russia. We continue to operate in--those engagements 
continue to be professional. We two winters ago had the Polar 
Star up above 65 degrees and had some interactions with the 
Russians there. You know, actual presence matters, and so 
getting that capability--and then the Coast Guard is really 
excited about fielding that and operating that for the Nation.
    There are a number of multi-lateral forums that help get at 
the kind of dialog and discussion I think are important for us 
as a Nation, the Arctic Coast Guard Forum, North Pacific Coast 
Guard Forum. It is unclear to me where we will sort-of end with 
those Forums or what form they will take moving forward, 
particularly with regard to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
    Finally, on the LGBTQ community and the Rand Study. I am 
committed to creating a safe, fair environment for everyone 
that serves in the Coast Guard. I am committed to ensuring 
where that does not happen--and we have reports that there has 
been retaliation or harassment, that we investigate those, that 
they are done fairly, swiftly, and in compliance with all the 
laws and policy and that we cannot afford to not continue to 
seek the best environment for our work force.
    Thank you, Chairwoman.
    Chairwoman Watson Coleman. Thank you, Admiral. It is 
incredible how timely you are in your responses and in your 
testimony.
    I now recognize the Ranking Member of the subcommittee, the 
gentleman from Florida.
    Mr. Gimenez. Thank you, Madam Chairwoman.
    Admiral, how many icebreakers do the Russians operate right 
now?
    Admiral Fagan. They operate in varying size and numbers, 
but most estimates put it at greater than--somewhere greater 
than 40 icebreakers.
    Mr. Gimenez. I am sorry, how many?
    Admiral Fagan. Something north of 40.
    Mr. Gimenez. Forty? How many does the United States 
operate?
    Admiral Fagan. We currently operate one heavy icebreaker, 
the Polar Star, which I had an opportunity to visit last week 
in the yard. When she is done with the yard with Vallejo we 
will send her south to Antarctica for the Deep Freeze mission. 
The Coast Guard cutter Healy is a medium icebreaker that we 
continue to operate. Healy just left Seattle a couple of days 
ago to conduct science operations in the Arctic.
    To your point, sir, this is why it is so critical that we 
get the polar security cutter fielded and operational as soon 
as possible.
    Mr. Gimenez. The 40 you talked about, are they different 
sizes? Are they heavy and medium, light, et cetera? I mean what 
constitutes their fleet?
    Admiral Fagan. They are of varying sizes. We can certainly 
get you the details on the--you know, from small to large 
nuclear icebreakers and what that breakdown is for the 
Russians.
    Mr. Gimenez. How many of them will have the same capability 
as our new icebreakers, the ones that you are designing right 
now?
    Admiral Fagan. I do not have that number. It is a much 
smaller number of the large heavy icebreakers. Be happy to 
provide you that exact breakdown with regard to Russian 
capabilities. We would also offer you the Canadians have some 
icebreaking capacity, as do some of our other Arctic nations. 
Happy to provide a more complete breakdown on what that 
capability looks like.
    Mr. Gimenez. All right. You said the Chinese are also now 
saying they are a near-Arctic nation. Are they constructing or 
do they have icebreakers in the region?
    Admiral Fagan. The Chinese have two icebreakers, ice-
capable research vessels, the Xue Long 1 and the Xue Long 2, 
and they regularly operate those vessels either in the Arctic 
or Antarctica.
    Mr. Gimenez. Do you have any intelligence that they are 
building more?
    Admiral Fagan. I would be happy to get you that information 
if they have got plans for more. I don't have it off-hand.
    Mr. Gimenez. Fair enough.
    OK, what is your strategic interest in the Arctic? What do 
you think? Is there a strategic interest in the Arctic?
    Admiral Fagan. You know, as we watched the Chinese as they, 
you know, operate around the world, you know, presence and 
access I believe is their interest, which is why it becomes so 
critical for us as an Arctic nation to have a presence on the 
water in the Arctic to ensure our own national sovereignty.
    Mr. Gimenez. Fair enough. How long is it going to take for 
us to get these new icebreakers on-line?
    Admiral Fagan. So we are on contract with Halter to build 
the polar security cutters. We are working with the yard to get 
to the level of maturity on detailed design to begin cutting 
steel, which we are hopeful will occur soon. Once we get to the 
level of detail design, we will have better time lines and 
updates on when we will actually see that cutter operational.
    We have not built a polar security cutter since the mid-
1970's, when both the Polar Sea and the Polar Star were 
constructed. We have not done this as a Nation since then. It 
is going to be--it is a complex ship to build. We are excited 
about the opportunity. Halter will absolutely deliver a quality 
product for us, but we have got to get the detail designed.
    Mr. Gimenez. Can you give me a guesstimate of when you 
think these things will be operational?
    Admiral Fagan. Right now, the program of record has us into 
mid-2025. Again, once we get the detail design and begin 
cutting steel, we will have a better update on what the actual 
time lines are.
    Mr. Gimenez. How many of these cutters do you think you 
need? How many cutters does the United States of America need?
    Admiral Fagan. We have been consistent with regard to that 
we need six icebreakers, at least three of which are heavy and 
we need one now, which is why the polar security cutter at 
Halter is so critical. We continue to work, you know, on what 
an Arctic security cutter might look like, a medium-capable 
icebreaker and are, you know, excited about the conversation in 
support around the potential for a commercially-available 
icebreaker.
    Mr. Gimenez. I am concerned about the time it takes to 
procure things around here. I am not just talking the Coast 
Guard, I am talking about everything, all right. The time it 
takes to procure and the amount of money it takes to procure. 
Can you come up with some recommendations for us to--maybe as 
Congress to start cutting some of this tape so that we can 
start procuring stuff a lot quicker?
    I mean how long do you think that it takes the Russians to 
build a cutter and the Chinese to build a cutter versus us?
    Admiral Fagan. I don't have estimates on their time line. 
Be happy to work with you and Congress on, you know, the 
Federal Acquisition Rules that we abide by. We do do all our 
acquisitions in compliance with the Federal Government.
    Mr. Gimenez. I understand. No, I think it is our problem 
actually. We put more red tape in front of it. We need to 
acquire stuff, we need to acquire equipment much quicker than 
we are doing right now because our adversaries are doing it 
much quicker than we are doing. So we need to react to that and 
that is just a plain fact.
    So thank you, ma'am. I think my time is up.
    I yield back.
    Chairwoman Watson Coleman. Thank you to the Ranking Member.
    The Chair will now recognize other Members for questions 
that they may wish to ask of the witness.
    In accordance with the guidelines laid out by the Chairman 
and the Ranking Member in the February 3 colloquy, I will 
recognize Members in their order of seniority, alternating 
between Majority and Minority. Members are also reminded to 
unmute themselves when recognized for questions.
    The Chair now recognizes the gentlelady from Texas, Ms. 
Sheila Jackson Lee, for 5 minutes.
    The Chair will now recognize Representative Miller-Meeks 
for 5 minutes.
    Mrs. Miller-Meeks. Thank you, Madam Chair, and Ranking 
Member Gimenez, and thank you so much, Admiral Fagan, for being 
here. You have got an illustrious career. As a veteran of the 
United States Army, I thank you for your service.
    In fiscal year 2021 the Coast Guard interdicted over 3,500 
undocumented migrants at sea, almost double the number from 
fiscal year 2020. What role does the Coast Guard play in 
protecting our border security from human and drug smuggling, 
which we know has rapidly increased in the past 18 months?
    Admiral Fagan. Thank you, Representative.
    We play a critical role in the maritime migration vectors. 
This is life-saving work. The journey to attempt migration by 
sea is particularly perilous and the potential for loss of life 
significant. So we remain postured with both our cutters and 
small boats and aircraft to detect early when a migration 
attempt has begun and then move to intercept so that we don't 
experience a loss of life. But your statistics are correct, the 
flows are higher this year than they have been in the past, but 
we are postured to prevent a loss of life in those vectors.
    With regard to, you know, counter-narcotics in the counter-
narcotic mission, we as well are postured both, you know, in 
the Caribbean and in the Eastern Pacific to interdict and 
counter those illicit activities at sea. This is a 365, 24/7 
mission for the Coast Guard. We do it in conjunction with other 
interagency partners, you know, with SOUTHCOMM, Joint 
Interagency Task Force--South, Customs and Border Control. It 
is truly a team effort, certainly in the counter-narcotics, as 
well as in the maritime migration realm. It is to my mind a 
great example of a unity of effort approach with regard to our 
National resources against those threat streams.
    Mrs. Miller-Meeks. You mentioned this briefly, but 
transnational crime organizations and drug cartels are 
leveraging capability gaps and the gaps in our Southern Border 
to enhance their operations. What trends has the Coast Guard 
observed related to ships and smuggling routes in the Caribbean 
as Pacific maritime domains?
    Admiral Fagan. Thank you.
    We honestly follow the trends and flows closely and, you 
know, would be happy to give you details on, you know, what has 
changed. There is increased flow in the Caribbean at this point 
this year we have seen in previous years.
    We have done a lot as well--and, again, in a Classified 
setting we would be happy to share some of the analysis we have 
done on the network, on, you know, the TCO networks and how 
they operate to then, you know, put a vessel at sea with 
illicit narcotics on it.
    You know, I would add that the counter narcotics and the 
interdiction work we do, this too is life-saving work. These 
are drugs that do not get into our cities and overdoses that 
are avoided. We would be happy to give a much more detailed 
assessment on the flows, what shifted, and how we are 
encountering the TCOs.
    Mrs. Miller-Meeks. Yes, if that is something permissible, I 
think it would be valuable for all of us. We know that these 
gaps in our Southern Border have led to increased drugs, 
especially synthetic Fentanyl coming across. We recently voted 
on legislation in order to protect our CBP agents, Coast Guard 
agents, our Coast Guard members, and others who handle these 
drugs--law enforcement officers--from touching them. It could 
lead to deadly overdose.
    You are correct, it is not only life-saving for those 
members coming across, but for those people in the United 
States that receive drugs, but also for our Coast Guard itself 
when there is increased trafficking, increased people trying to 
come across into this country.
    So I want to thank you for your testimony and would love to 
have a further briefing on the trends that you are noticing as 
well too.
    Thank you so much. Thank you for your leading this.
    Chairwoman Watson Coleman. The Chair recognizes Mr. 
Gottheimer from the great State of New Jersey.
    Mr. Gottheimer. Great State indeed, Madam Chairwoman. Thank 
you very much. Thank you for holding this important hearing and 
thank you to Admiral Fagan for being here today and for your 
service to our great country. I am joining my colleagues in 
congratulating you on your historic appointment. The Coast 
Guard plays a critical role in securing our ports, our 
waterways, our coastlines from all types of National security 
threats.
    I have called for a National carjacking and car theft task 
force as a result of a rising number of car thefts impacting my 
district, the State of New Jersey, and of course across our 
country. However, this threat reaches our ports as well, deep 
into them, with thousands of stolen vehicles bound for 
countries overseas being recovered by our Federal law 
enforcement at our ports. I have called on this subcommittee to 
hold a hearing to examine this matter closer and how it impacts 
our port security, especially as we have seen a significant 
surge in New Jersey in recent months of car theft in 
particular. The U.S. Coast Guard, along with other Department 
of Homeland Security agencies, has an important role, as I 
know, in port security. But if I can ask, what if anything is 
the U.S. Coast Guard to combat the use of American ports for 
transnational trafficking of stolen cars and other products?
    Admiral Fagan. So I am very familiar with the Port of New 
York and New Jersey from my previous time as the captain of the 
port in New York and I am well acquainted with the--you know, 
the host of agencies that help ensure the lawful and, you know, 
safe and secure movement of cargo, both into and out of that 
port. While the captain of the port plays a really critical 
role in bringing agencies together, I am certain that they are 
having those conversations within the port with all of the key 
players who have authority and opportunity to address the 
problem that you have raised.
    You know, obviously ensuring safe cargo movement, secure 
cargo movement, is a key. We play a role in that, but we are 
not the sole agency that ensures that that is occurring.
    Mr. Gottheimer. Thank you.
    Admiral, does the Coast Guard--will they interdict if they 
see--and working with either the CBP or other Department of--
DHS agencies to increase port security? If you see outgoing 
traffic of stolen or illicit goods, is that something the Coast 
Guard gets involved with? Are you trying to be more attuned to 
that? Because we are seeing a significant number of vehicles 
moving into Port of Newark in New Jersey and then things 
shipped overseas, big surge into Western Africa of stolen 
vehicles. You know, what role can the Coast Guard play there?
    Admiral Fagan. So we would be engaged with those other 
enforcement and law enforcement entities. Again, there are some 
great and very mature coordinating mechanisms within New York 
for that to happen between CBP, the Coast Guard, you know, 
NYPD--pick the host of enforcement agencies that would have a 
role in addressing the problems that you have raised. We would 
absolutely be part of those interagency conversations. I am 
aware of several, you know, joint Coast Guard-CBP interdictions 
where you have had illegal cargo coming into the port and, 
again, good mature process to bring those--all of the 
authorities together to address the problems.
    Mr. Gottheimer. Can you board? So if you see a ship that is 
suspicious, is that something you board? What is the best way 
that that happens? How does the Coast Guard--you see it work 
obviously with Homeland, but it gets off the coast, are you 
focused more on egress versus ingress or vice versa?
    Admiral Fagan. So our part, we screen every vessel that is 
bound to enter the United States. You know, there is both cargo 
and cruise screening 96 hours in advance. Those coordination 
centers, a lot of that screening happens right here in the 
District of Columbia. It is a joint effort, the Coast Guard and 
Customs and Border Patrol. Where a vessel is identified as 
being at risk for having illicit cargo, then the type of 
coordination we talked about occurs well before that ship 
arrives in the United States and then, you know, decisions on 
where the boarding occurs, who is on the boarding, all 
coordinated in advance.
    You know, the----
    Mr. Gottheimer. Is that less so from going out and more 
coming in?
    Admiral Fagan. So that is the inbound.
    Mr. Gottheimer. Yes.
    Admiral Fagan. The egress problem set that you have raised, 
right, that again these same agencies, law enforcement agencies 
with authorities work in collaboration to address, you know, 
where the illicit cargo may be and then work to coordinate who 
has got primary authority for the boarding.
    Mr. Gottheimer. Thank you, Admiral Fagan. Congratulations 
again on your distinguished career and service to our country 
and on your new appointment. Congratulations.
    Admiral Fagan. Thank you.
    Mr. Gottheimer. Thanks for being here.
    Thank you, Chairwoman. I yield back.
    Chairwoman Watson Coleman. I am sorry, Congresswoman Sheila 
Jackson Lee.
    Well, I have a few more questions for a second round. I 
think my Ranking Member does, and I am sure Mr. Gottheimer has 
some.
    I want to ask you a general question. I know you have only 
been there a month, but you know what you know and you have 
been there in the Coast Guard for a very long time. If I ask 
you what are your three greatest challenges to getting what you 
need to get done? I would like to know what you would tell me, 
because I am asking.
    Then I would like you to specify what is it that you would 
be happy to have Congress work on on behalf of the Coast Guard.
    Admiral Fagan. Thank you. Thank you for the question, 
Chairwoman.
    As I have said, the biggest issue at hand centers around 
people and work force. As I shared with you yesterday, the 
recruiting challenge for the service is real. It is here now. 
It is not unique to the Coast Guard. I have a real sense of 
urgency around what we need to do to surge into the recruiting 
challenge that we face. We are moving to do that.
    Chairwoman Watson Coleman. Let me ask you a question about 
that real fast. Do you think you have the resources to compete 
with other entities recruiting the very best that you would 
like to have?
    Admiral Fagan. So we have the recruiting resources that we 
have right now. One of the things I have asked the team to do 
is to answer exactly that question, do we have our recruiting 
enterprise appropriately resourced, are we in the right places, 
do we have the right tools. That is work that is on-going.
    You know, some of the other services are paying significant 
bonuses to recruit folks into the organization. I don't believe 
that that is an adequate long-term strategy. That is why the 
work force transformation in policy is so critical. We will get 
after the problem of drawing people into the Coast Guard. 
People stay in the Coast Guard, we retain people at a high 
rate, but we need to make it easier to retain and even bring in 
the number of people. That gets at policy and support that 
makes it easy for people to come, stay, and serve successfully. 
That will require us to unpack some of the assumptions of 
service that we have used for so long. You know, for example, 
opportunities to lateral into the service at a mid pay grade 
point where you have got full credentials on the civilian side, 
opportunities to opt out of promotion for a year because you 
are in a place that you and your family are happy and stable, 
and then an ability to opt back in without penalty or impact. 
That is all work in front of us.
    Chairwoman Watson Coleman. Mm-hmm. OK.
    Admiral Fagan. This is transformational, this is cultural 
change with regard to work force policy and talent that we are 
going to need to get after as a service. As you know culture 
change is difficult. I have challenged the team though to be 
bold, be transformative. The red flag for me is if someone 
says, well, we have always done it that way. That generally 
indicates it is an area we need to make progress in.
    Chairwoman Watson Coleman. So, you know, I thank you for 
your delving into this whole issue of the work force. 
Hopefully, you know, the policies and procedures in place and 
the accountabilities and making sure the investigations take 
place and that the results of the investigation are reflective 
of what actually happened and the consequences of those 
infractions are appropriately addressed.
    I want to ask you this question. I think it is following up 
on what my colleague and my friend here asked. That is about 
how do you get to build your ships and boats and things like 
that more quickly. I wanted to ask you this the other day when 
I talked to you, because you were talking about purchasing an 
already existing cutter from a commercial owner. I am wondering 
what is so different now, even though we haven't built any, 
other folks have built them, that it is so complicated that we 
can't quite, as you say, cut the steel until we do this 
reimagine what it should be. What is so different now that 
would necessitate that kind of possibly delay?
    Admiral Fagan. Right. So, you know, as I indicated, all of 
our acquisition capabilities are done in accordance with the 
Federal acquisition rules and there are significant controls 
and checks and balances on how that happens. You know, 
commercial industry, you know, other countries have different 
rules with regard to building----
    Chairwoman Watson Coleman. Yes, but I know you are not 
going to buy something that doesn't meet your needs. So I think 
my question is more to, you gave me the impression that what we 
were trying to build is so complex now that it is taking a long 
time to get all the little plans together and the designs 
together.
    I know I am running out of time, so if you could just kind-
of quickly----
    Admiral Fagan. So the commercially-available icebreaker is 
not a heavy icebreaker. It will not be as capable as the polar 
security cutter and likely less capable than the Arctic 
security cutters.
    Chairwoman Watson Coleman. OK.
    Admiral Fagan. What it provides is capability now, you 
know, in a way that we can field much quicker than new 
construction. We are excited for the support and, you know, all 
of the on-going conversation around what it would take to give 
both funding and authority for the Coast Guard to purchase a 
commercially-available icebreaker. Again, sense of urgency for 
getting operating capability into the Arctic so we can create a 
more enduring presence.
    Thank you.
    Chairwoman Watson Coleman. Thank you. Thank you.
    I would like to yield to the Ranking Member for 5 minutes 
and 46 seconds.
    Mr. Gimenez. Thank you so much, Madam Chair.
    This is something that I learned a long time ago when I was 
a fire chief before I was a mayor, and the firefighters always 
wanted a certain kind of fire truck. Then we were at a point 
where we really needed a new fire truck, so I just bought some 
commercial stuff. Guess what, it put out fires too, OK. So it 
is the nature of the beast that you want a specific thing that 
has got--it has got to be just for us and all that, but I think 
we need to do something better, we need to procure things a lot 
quicker.
    I want to get back to interdiction at sea and the policy. 
If somebody is interdicted at sea, if a migrant is interdicted 
at sea, say in the Caribbean, what happens to them?
    Admiral Fagan. When we encounter migrants at sea, they are 
brought onto--you know, onto the Coast Guard vessel and, you 
know, processed and then, you know, over the course of the 
processing time, which is not--is done by another agency, but 
eventually they are then returned to their country of origin.
    Mr. Gimenez. Do you have any idea why a migrant who is 
coming by sea is treated any differently that somebody who is 
crossing the Southern Border?
    Admiral Fagan. I can just speak to the role we play with 
regard to, you know, ensuring that there is not a loss of life 
with regard to migrants attempting to enter the United States 
by sea.
    Mr. Gimenez. So your policy--the policy as given to you by 
this administration is to return them to their country of 
origin and yet somebody coming through the Southern Border just 
comes into the United States? So if you are at sea you are 
treated one way, if you are coming by land you are treated a 
different way?
    Admiral Fagan. As I----
    Mr. Gimenez. That is not for you to answer, it is a 
political statement.
    Thank you. OK.
    Let us go back to a much easier subject for you. On the 
issue--again I want to get back to this issue of procurement. I 
really do want to see how we can speed things up and also want 
to see how you can make sure that you are not over-engineering 
the heck out of everything, just to your specifications. 
Because I think not only the Coast Guard, but this entire 
Government as a whole, it may be over-engineering stuff to the 
point that it becomes incredibly expensive and incredibly long 
time to acquire stuff.
    I will give you an example, not in your area. The Orion 
Spacecraft. It has been under development for like 15 years, 
still not capable of sending, you know, people up. They are 
going to do a test flight now. It took the United States less 
than 10 years to get from zero to the moon and we can't even 
build a spacecraft anymore. Thank god for, you know, private 
enterprise who do things a lot faster than we do.
    So, again, if you can work on that, I appreciate it. It is 
just not your agency, it is something that I would really--I am 
going to try to work on in the future to see how we can speed 
things up around here because it is getting to be too expensive 
and way, way too complicated.
    Thank you.
    Chairwoman Watson Coleman. Thank you to the Ranking Member.
    Admiral Fagan, we don't have any more members here. I kind-
of indicated to you when we first encountered one another here, 
this is like a crazy busy day, so--but please do not take that 
as any indication of not interested in the important work that 
you do or welcoming you and congratulating you.
    I am going to yield to my--the 46 second he didn't use, I 
am going to----
    Mr. Gimenez. I am sorry, there is one more point that I 
would like to make. Something that I have seen. It is not just 
the Coast Guard, but the Armed Services in general. People 
having to move around all over the place and whether they get 
promoted or whatever and you have got to go from here to there. 
It may be OK for people that may be single or not attached, but 
people who have families, that is a really tough thing. That 
may be something that we need to look at culturally that we 
change, that you can stay in a place. It is not bad to be in a 
place, to, you know, have roots in a community. So that may 
help you out--it may help us out in recruiting more and more 
people. Some people may just not want to move around all over 
the place, all over, you know, the world to have a career. I 
know that I wouldn't, OK. I want to be close to my family, to 
my kids, to my grandchildren. Something that would tear me 
away, it is something that I just would not do.
    So thank you and I just want you to consider that.
    Chairwoman Watson Coleman. Yes. As an extension of that, 
thank you for having mentioned the fact that individuals who 
make those decision to stay in place, opt out of the promotion 
for the moment, but can opt in at some other point. Maybe that 
happens in a place that is more suitable for them.
    So we thank you for the things that you have acknowledged 
here and the vision that you have shared with us and certainly 
for the valuable questions that my Members and my colleagues 
have asked you today.
    The Members of the subcommittee may have additional 
questions for you and we ask that you would respond 
expeditiously in writing to those questions.
    The Chair reminds Members of the subcommittee that the 
committee's record will remain open for 10 days.
    Without objection, the subcommittee stands adjourned. Thank 
you very much.
    [Whereupon, at 10:56 a.m., the subcommittee was adjourned.]



                            A P P E N D I X

                              ----------                              

   Questions From Chairwoman Bonnie Watson Coleman for Linda L. Fagan
                   arctic operations and icebreakers
    Question 1a. The Coast Guard's budget request for fiscal year 2023 
includes a proposal to purchase a commercially-available icebreaker.
    What market research has the Coast Guard conducted on commercially-
available icebreakers?
    Question 1b. How many icebreakers are available on the market today 
that fit the Coast Guard's needs?
    Question 1c. What type of modifications does the Coast Guard expect 
to make to a commercially-available icebreaker to make it mission-
ready?
    Question 2a. Has the Coast Guard considered seeking a waiver to 
purchase an icebreaker built outside the United States?
    Question 2b. What market research has the Coast Guard conducted on 
foreign-built commercially-available icebreakers, and what are the 
results of such research?
    Question 2c. What are the potential benefits and risks of 
purchasing an icebreaker built outside the United States?
    Question 3. How quickly does the Coast Guard believe it could 
acquire and put an icebreaker into operation, should the budget request 
be approved?
    Answer. The Coast Guard conducted market research through two 
Requests for Information (RFI) to industry. The first RFI was released 
on 8 January 2021 by the Navy's Military Sealift Command to identify 
commercial polar icebreakers available for demise charter by the U.S. 
Government. The second RFI was released on 3 May 2022 to identify 
commercial vessels available for purchase that were constructed at a 
U.S. shipyard and capable of operating in or around the Arctic. Current 
market research indicates that there is one domestic commercially-
available polar icebreaker.
    The Coast Guard's minimum requirements for the purchase of a 
commercially-available polar icebreaker include the capability to break 
3 feet of ice at 3 knots and International Association of 
Classification Societies Polar Class-3 (or equivalent) certification, 
which would provide the capability to support the following Coast Guard 
missions in the Polar Regions at Initial Operating Capability (IOC): 
Ice Operations, Living Marine Resources, and Other Law Enforcement 
(deter illegal fishing and Exclusive Economic Zone incursions). To 
attain IOC, the vessel must demonstrate compliance with its original 
specification, attain certification to its current classification, bear 
Coast Guard markings, and be commanded by a commissioned Coast Guard 
Officer.
    Additional modifications to attain Full Operating Capability would 
enhance the vessel's ability to operate in a multi-mission capacity 
comparable to legacy assets and include items such as a Coast Guard 
standard small boat and davit; Command, Control, Communication, 
Computer, Cyber, and Intelligence systems; law enforcement equipment; 
and flight deck certifications and hangar. As these modifications are 
completed, the commercially-available polar icebreaker will gain 
capability to exercise authority in the following mission areas: Ice 
Operations; Living Marine Resources; Other Law Enforcement; Ports, 
Waterways and Coastal Security; Search and Rescue; and Defense 
Readiness.
    Statutory provisions in 14 U.S.C.  1151 prohibit the Coast Guard 
from acquiring a foreign-built icebreaker without a Presidential 
waiver. The Coast Guard has not previously requested a Presidential 
waiver and is working with the Navy to better understand the process. 
The Coast Guard conducted research on two foreign-flagged commercial 
icebreakers that responded to the January 2021 RFI. Since both of these 
foreign-built vessels were constructed between 1992 and 1993, both are 
approaching the end of their designed 30-year service life. The Coast 
Guard conducted a 7-day assessment of the two vessels, which revealed 
that while operationally capable, they posed support challenges due to 
differences in foreign manufacturing processes and standards, 
incompatible electrical systems (including the installed 50 Hertz 
European standard electrical distribution system), and translation of 
technical data and publication packages. These differences would 
necessitate major overhaul, resulting in high operating costs and 
associated training and operational challenges. A domestically-
constructed vessel provides the greatest degree of sustainment 
efficiency including maintenance support, parts availability, and 
logistics integration.
    With relief from specific statutory acquisition requirements, the 
Coast Guard estimates a commercially-available polar icebreaker could 
be acquired and modified to achieve IOC within 18-24 months of an 
enacted appropriation.
                           global operations
    Question 4. How has the Coast Guard's stance toward Russia changed 
since the onset of the conflict in Ukraine?
    Question 5. How is the Coast Guard working with allies in the 
Arctic, the Indo-Pacific, and around the globe to counter Russia's 
aggression?
    Answer. Following Russia's February invasion of Ukraine, the Coast 
Guard adjusted its engagement policy with Russia across all mission 
areas in accordance with the U.S. Department of State guidance. In 
coordination with other U.S. Government agencies and our international 
partners, the Coast Guard temporarily paused participation in the 
Arctic Coast Guard Forum when hosted by Russia. When hosted outside of 
Russia, bi-lateral and multi-lateral engagements are reviewed on a 
case-by-case basis. Emergent operational engagement may continue for 
active law enforcement, protecting the safety of life at sea, search 
and rescue, and transboundary maritime environmental response purposes.
    The Coast Guard has a unique role in preserving the free flow of 
commerce, responding to natural disasters, enhancing regional stability 
and resilience, and supporting National strategic objectives around the 
globe. The fiscal year 2023 President's Budget expands the Coast 
Guard's presence in the Arctic, the Indo-Pacific, and the Atlantic 
Basin. Peace, prosperity, stability, and resilience depend on the 
adherence to the rules-based international order. The Coast Guard is an 
ideal partner to build capacity among our regional counterparts to meet 
maritime security challenges. Whether supporting enforcement of laws in 
our partner nations' Exclusive Economic Zones through our robust 
bilateral shiprider agreements, enhancing partnership with Allies and 
partners through joint training and exercises, or supporting the U.S. 
Department of Defense (DoD) Combatant Commanders in fulfilling theater 
security cooperation plans, the Coast Guard is optimally suited to 
enhance partner collaboration and models the rules-based order.
                             climate change
    Question 6a. What are some of the immediate and anticipated 
challenges that climate changes poses to Coast Guard operations?
    Question 6b. What steps is the Coast Guard taking to prepare for 
the increasing relevance of the changing climate?
    Question 6c. What resources does the Coast Guard need to respond to 
climate change, both in the short and long term?
    Answer. The Coast Guard is actively incorporating resilience into 
requirements and capabilities development. To support our statutory 
missions, we must continually build resiliency in our workforce, 
training, infrastructure, and resources. Further, the Coast Guard works 
continually to expand expertise in incident and emergency management, 
and train our partners to ensure a coordinated, swift, and capable 
response to any disaster.
    The Coast Guard is committed to ensuring the safety and resiliency 
of our facilities to meet mission demands. Based on the nature of those 
missions, Coast Guard facilities are often located in areas prone to 
hurricanes, flooding, earthquakes, and other natural disasters. The 
Nation trusts that the Coast Guard will continue to serve as a first 
responder after these disasters, which underscores the importance of 
our facilities remaining always ready for operations. The Coast Guard 
is proactively addressing climate-related risks by ensuring new 
construction is built to environmentally resilient standards.
                           drug interdictions
    Question 7. How do the amounts of drugs entering the United States 
by water and air compare to the amount of drugs entering through land 
borders?
    Question 8a. What percentage of suspected movements of illegal 
drugs is the Coast Guard currently able to interdict given current 
resources?
    Question 8b. What additional tools or resources would have the 
greatest impact in enabling the Coast Guard need to interdict a greater 
share of illegal drug movements?
    Answer. The Coast Guard's drug interdiction mission supports 
National and international strategies to deter and disrupt the market 
for illegal drugs, dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations, and 
prevent transnational threats from reaching the United States. The 
Coast Guard is the lead Federal agency for drug interdiction on the 
high seas, and shares the lead in U.S. territorial seas with U.S. 
Customs and Border Protection (CBP). While the Coast Guard maintains 
data on illicit drug flow via maritime routes, data on illicit drug 
flow via U.S. land borders is maintained by CBP. In fiscal year 2021, 
the Coast Guard in cooperation with our partners interdicted 381,399 
pounds of cocaine and 71,392 pounds of marijuana.
    In fiscal year 2021, the Coast Guard interdicted 59 percent of 
detected targets of interest. There is potential to increase both the 
number of detections and the interdiction rate by acquiring and 
operationalizing our future fleet of ships and aircraft. The Coast 
Guard is acquiring a fleet of 25 Offshore Patrol Cutters (OPCs) to 
replace the Service's legacy medium endurance cutters. The OPC is 
critical to the Coast Guard's capacity to conduct drug interdiction and 
once complete will represent 70 percent of the Coast Guard's offshore 
capacity. Advanced electronics, communications, and operational 
capabilities of the OPC will increase the Coast Guard's ability to 
identify, target, and successfully interdict illicit narcotics at sea. 
The transition from a MH-65 fleet to a much more capable MH-60T fleet 
will also significantly enhance these efforts.
              whistleblower retaliation and accountability
    Question 9. In 2018 and 2019, the Department of Homeland Security's 
Office of Inspector General issued several findings substantiating 
instances of retaliation against whistleblowers, in violation of the 
Military Whistleblower Protection Act.'' How has the Coast Guard 
responded to each of the Office of Inspector General's (OIG) findings 
in terms of holding perpetrators accountable for retaliation, making 
victims whole, and protecting whistleblowers from retaliation in the 
future?
    Please provide the committee with documentation of the Coast 
Guard's response to each individual finding of whistleblower 
retaliation, including specific actions taken to hold each individual 
perpetrator accountable.
    Question 10a. Admiral Fagan, under your leadership as Commandant, 
how will you promote a culture of accountability within the Coast Guard 
that makes clear reporting misconduct is not just tolerated but 
encouraged?
    Question 10b. Admiral Fagan, How will you communicate to the entire 
workforce, and especially those in leadership positions, that 
retaliation against those who make such reports is unacceptable?
    Question 11. In 2019, the committee on Homeland Security and the 
Committee on Oversight and Reform issued a joint Majority staff report 
regarding incidents of harassment, bullying, and whistleblower 
retaliation at the Coast Guard Academy and the Coast Guard's failure to 
ensure that investigations into complaints were carried out 
appropriately.
    Commander Kimberly Young-McLear, Ph.D., who testified before the 
joint committees, and other whistleblowers and complainants whose 
complaints have been corroborated by investigations have long asked for 
written apologies from the Coast Guard to serve as evidence that 
leadership is committed to providing accountability for failures within 
the service. Admiral Fagan, will you commit on behalf of the Coast 
Guard to send written apologies to whistleblowers and complainants 
whose complaints have been substantiated, including Commander Young-
McLear? If so, please provide a copy of each such apology for the 
record.
    Question 12. Admiral Fagan, as Commandant, will you commit to 
meeting regularly with whistleblowers and other survivors who are 
willing, such as Commander Young-McLear, to listen to their stories and 
hear their suggestions for actions needed to create accountability for 
their cases and across the Coast Guard?
    Answer. The Coast Guard took action on each recommendation issued 
by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of the 
Inspector General (OIG). Additional actions included updating the Civil 
Rights Manual, updating the Discipline and Conduct Manual, creating and 
promulgating Anti-Harassment Hate Incident (AHHI) training and tactics, 
techniques and procedures, and creating reference guides and training 
for Unit Commanders. Taking action on DHS OIG recommendations to make 
policy changes regarding documentation, training, and clarification of 
a member's right to file complaints has better positioned the Coast 
Guard to protect whistleblowers from retaliation.
    Retaliation against whistleblowers violates the Coast Guard's core 
values and has no place in our Service. I am committed to ensuring that 
accountability for wrongdoing is swift, fair, and in accordance with 
Coast Guard policy and Federal law. The Coast Guard promulgated revised 
policies and improved the training and resources available to enhance 
the efficacy of our AHHI program and procedures. The Coast Guard also 
issued guidance and job aids to ensure Unit Commanders respond more 
quickly to whistleblower complaints, improve the quality of the 
investigations, and increase oversight by the Civil Rights Directorate 
and superiors in the chain of command. There is progress to be made and 
I am committed to strengthening accountability within our Service so 
that all members are empowered and valued.
    In order to implement the recommendations from the Righting the 
Ship report, the Coast Guard formed an interdisciplinary team to 
develop and execute an action plan to address all recommendations. This 
plan was provided to Chairman Thompson via letter on 4 March 2020. 
After implementation of the recommendations, the then Commandant, 
Admiral Karl Schultz, sent a letter to various committee Members 
detailing the steps taken, and the Coast Guard briefed committee staff 
members via teleconference.
    Retaliation against whistleblowers violates the Coast Guard's core 
values and has no place in our service. I am committed to moving 
forward and building a Coast Guard where all members are treated with 
the highest level of respect and inclusion. I am committed to 
transforming our personnel management policy and system to ensure the 
Coast Guard empowers, values, and protects its workforce. These steps 
will serve as evidence of our commitment to holding those who violate 
our core values accountable.
    In consultation and alignment with our Service Secretary and 
consistent with the Service Chiefs of the other Armed Forces of the 
United States, the Office of the Commandant will explore an engagement 
framework for Senior Leaders to learn from the experiences of Coast 
Guard whistleblowers. I am committed to ensuring the fair and equitable 
treatment of all members in accordance with Federal law, including 
those laws which protect whistleblowers and respecting the independence 
of whistleblower investigative services such as the DHS OIG.
      diversity, equity, and inclusion at the coast guard academy
    Question 13. What is the status and time line for completing and 
issuing a comprehensive, long-term diversity and inclusion action plan 
for the Coast Guard Academy, as recommended in the Congressionally-
mandated assessment of cultural competence at the Academy issued by the 
National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) earlier this year?
    Question 14. What other actions is the Coast Guard taking to 
improve diversity, equity, and inclusion at the Academy?
    Question 15a. How will the Coast Guard measure the effectiveness 
and success of the actions it is taking to improve diversity, equity, 
and inclusion at the Academy?
    Question 15b. Will you commit to commissioning additional studies 
in the future from outside entities that have previously studied these 
issues at the Academy, such as the Center for Urban Education and the 
National Academy of Public Administration, to measure the Academy's 
progress?
    Answer. The Coast Guard Academy Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan 
(DIAP) was published on 17 August 2022. In concert with the Service-
level DIAP, we will advance these important initiatives to ensure the 
Coast Guard reflects the society we serve.
    The Coast Guard will continue to recruit, train, and retain a 
diverse workforce and grow the Coast Guard's Recruiting Corps in 
efforts to access new markets and talent. The Coast Guard is committed 
to representing the best of our Nation's diverse talent and providing 
an inclusive environment for all who serve. There is still work to be 
done to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion across all of our 
accession sources. The Coast Guard recently formed a dedicated Officer 
Recruiting Corps focused on recruiting at Historically Black Colleges 
and Universities and other Minority-Serving Institutions. Regional 
offices in New Orleans, LA; Miami, FL; Atlanta, GA; and Hampton Roads, 
VA will conduct outreach throughout the country. I am proud to share 
that the Coast Guard Academy class of 2026 is 43 percent female and 37 
percent underrepresented minorities.
    The Coast Guard is committed to evaluating and assessing the 
effectiveness of actions taken to improve diversity, equity, and 
inclusion at the Academy. The Service remains committed to taking 
action and commissioning additional studies as needed to best recruit 
and retain our Nation's diverse talent and provide an inclusive 
environment for all who serve.
                             sexual assault
    Question 16. What specific changes do you believe need to be 
implemented to eradicate sexual assault from the U.S. Coast Guard? How 
will the Coast Guard go about implementing these needed changes?
    Answer. Sexual assault is a crime and not tolerated in the Coast 
Guard. We will continue to evaluate policy, training, prevention, and 
response programs in order to hold offenders accountable, support 
survivors, and work to stop sexual violence before it starts. When 
these crimes do occur, I am committed to ensuring an environment where 
victims feel safe, are supported, and are empowered to report 
harassment or assault. In August 2021, the Coast Guard expanded access 
to Sexual Assault Prevention Response and Recovery services, to include 
Coast Guard civilians and all former members of the Coast Guard who 
were sexually assaulted while serving on active or reserve duty. 
Civilians and former members now have the option to meet with a Sexual 
Assault Response Coordinator or Victim Advocate to receive information, 
discuss reporting options, and receive referrals for care. The Coast 
Guard continues to seek ways to expand the availability of these 
critical support services. We are also working to release our annual 
report to Congress in a timely manner and more in alignment with the 
other Armed Services. The Coast Guard is also working, in coordination 
with the DoD, to implement military justice reform from the 2022 
National Defense Authorization Act.
                       culture of respect report
    Question 17. ``Culture of Respect'' report that found serious 
cultural issues within the service. However, the report and its 
findings were never released service-wide or publicly, limiting the 
workforce and the public's visibility into the problems that were 
identified and the recommended solutions. In addition, the report 
recommended that the analysis behind the report be repeated every 3 to 
4 years. However, while the RAND Corporation and others have studied 
related issues, no updated study with the scope of the Culture of 
Respect report has been carried out.
    Will the Coast Guard commit to the completion of a new ``Culture of 
Respect'' study and to releasing this new ``Culture of Respect'' Study 
to the public?
    Answer. The recent third-party studies such as the Coast Guard 
Academy-focused NAPA study and the broader RAND Underrepresented 
Minorities and Women's Retention studies have provided valuable and 
actionable recommendations and highlight the benefit of an outside view 
of the Service's policies and practices. We will continue to seek 
external subject-matter experts to conduct studies to help us 
understand how the culture of our Service is viewed and guide the 
necessary changes to remove barriers and improve experiences for those 
who serve.
     Questions From Honorable Jefferson Van Drew for Linda L. Fagan
    Question 1. Admiral Fagan, thank you for testifying before the 
committee today and congratulations on your confirmation as the first 
female Commandant of the United States Coast Guard. Your position is 
well-deserved, and I look forward to working together on strengthening 
the readiness and responsiveness of the service. My question relates to 
the personnel issues facing the Coast Guard. I understand recruitment 
levels are down, which poses great challenges. We can have all the 
helicopters and cutters in the world, but they won't be of any use if 
we don't have Coast Guard members to operate them. As you know, 
Training Center Cape May is located in my district. It serves as the 
sole accession point for every enlisted recruit, which accounts for 
roughly 85 percent of all active-duty Coast Guard service members. The 
current barracks at the training center are in dire need of 
replacement, as they were built roughly 60 years ago before women were 
allowed to enlist and do not offer the Coast Guard the necessary 
infrastructure to grow and evolve. I was glad to see Phase 1 of the 
barracks recapitalization funded in last year's appropriations and look 
forward to helping secure funding for the subsequent phases. Can you 
please explain how future phases of the Coast Guard's ``Training Center 
Cape May--Barracks Recapitalization'' project will help the Coast Guard 
become more resilient and fulfill its mission to increase recruitment?
    Answer. I am committed to ensuring that Training Center (TRACEN) 
Cape May is a state-of-the-art training facility, with the capacity to 
meet future needs, and worthy of the young women and men who have 
chosen to serve their nation. To meet the challenges of the future, we 
have developed a holistic campaign plan for TRACEN Cape May. This plan 
will be instrumental in improving resiliency, supporting greater 
diversity for today's Coast Guard, and enhancing the training program 
for our enlisted workforce. I would like to thank Congress for your 
support and advocacy for TRACEN Cape May. The Infrastructure Investment 
and Jobs Act included $10 million for initial planning and survey and 
design for the multi-phase modernization project. The fiscal year 2022 
Omnibus included $55 million to begin recapitalization of the recruit 
barracks facilities. The Coast Guard's fiscal year 2023 Unfunded 
Priorities List requested $60 million for Phase 2, which would 
construct the second of three recruit barracks. The Coast Guard is in 
the planning stage to determine scope and phasing of future 
construction with a focus on expanding capacity and building resiliency 
into TRACEN Cape May.
    Question 2. I have consistently heard from Coast Guard members 
stationed at sites in my district that they struggle to find housing 
that they can fully pay for using their Basic Allowance for Housing 
(BAH). It is no secret that coastal areas generally have a higher cost 
of living, but it does not appear that housing allowances for Coast 
Guard members account for this.
    Please share any plans or initiatives the Coast Guard is working on 
to address affordable housing within the service?
    Answer. Many of our service members are facing difficulties when 
making housing decisions due to inventory shortages and high costs in 
certain areas. The Coast Guard's workforce is especially susceptible to 
changes in the housing market because a significant portion of our 
workforce is stationed in high-cost metropolitan areas or remote 
locations with limited housing inventory. Additionally, the Coast Guard 
has limited Government-owned housing, so the vast majority of our 
workforce is directly impacted by rising housing costs. We continue to 
work with our DoD partners, who determine Basic Allowance for Housing 
(BAH) rates annually, to ensure we support our Coast Guard families and 
evaluate our own policies for changes we can make on behalf of our 
workforce. Our local Coast Guard commands and housing offices will 
continue to identify specific geographic areas that do not accurately 
represent military costs and work with DoD to ensure local expertise is 
included in the data collection process. We have also temporarily 
extended temporary lodging expenses for up to 60 days to provide our 
service members additional time to locate housing in certain locations 
with housing shortages. Finally, we are aligned and coordinating with 
DoD in their ``Taking Care of Our Service Members and Families'' 
effort, which supports specific improvements in pay, BAH, Permanent 
Change of Station move challenges, and family support.

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