[House Hearing, 118 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
FROM DRUG INTERDICTIONS IN THE CARIBBEAN
TO NATIONAL SECURITY PATROLS IN THE
ARCTIC: EXAMINING U.S. COAST GUARD'S ROLE
IN SECURING THE HOMELAND
=======================================================================
HEARING
BEFORE THE
COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
__________
JULY 24, 2024
__________
Serial No. 118-77
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Homeland Security
[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.govinfo.gov
__________
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
59-846 PDF WASHINGTON : 2025
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY
Mark E. Green, MD, Tennessee, Chairman
Michael T. McCaul, Texas Bennie G. Thompson, Mississippi,
Clay Higgins, Louisiana Ranking Member
Michael Guest, Mississippi Eric Swalwell, California
Dan Bishop, North Carolina J. Luis Correa, California
Carlos A. Gimenez, Florida Troy A. Carter, Louisiana
August Pfluger, Texas Shri Thanedar, Michigan
Andrew R. Garbarino, New York Seth Magaziner, Rhode Island
Marjorie Taylor Greene, Georgia Glenn Ivey, Maryland
Tony Gonzales, Texas Daniel S. Goldman, New York
Nick LaLota, New York Robert Garcia, California
Mike Ezell, Mississippi Delia C. Ramirez, Illinois
Anthony D'Esposito, New York Robert Menendez, New Jersey
Laurel M. Lee, Florida Thomas R. Suozzi, New York
Morgan Luttrell, Texas Timothy M. Kennedy, New York
Dale W. Strong, Alabama Yvette D. Clarke, New York
Josh Brecheen, Oklahoma
Elijah Crane, Arizona
Stephen Siao, Staff Director
Hope Goins, Minority Staff Director
Sean Corcoran, Chief Clerk
C O N T E N T S
----------
Page
Statements
Honorable Mark E. Green, a Representative in Congress From the
State of Tennessee, and Chairman, Committee on Homeland
Security:
Oral Statement................................................. 1
Prepared Statement............................................. 3
Honorable Bennie G. Thompson, a Representative in Congress From
the State of Mississippi, and Ranking Member, Committee on
Homeland Security:
Oral Statement................................................. 5
Prepared Statement............................................. 7
Witness
Admiral Linda L. Fagan, Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard:
Oral Statement................................................. 8
Prepared Statement............................................. 10
FROM DRUG INTERDICTIONS IN THE CARIBBEAN TO NATIONAL SECURITY PATROLS
IN THE ARCTIC: EXAMINING U.S. COAST GUARD'S ROLE IN SECURING THE
HOMELAND
----------
Thursday, July 24, 2024
U.S. House of Representatives,
Committee on Homeland Security,
Washington, DC.
The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:02 a.m., in
room 310, Cannon House Office Building, Hon. Carlos A. Gimenez
[Acting Chairman of the committee] presiding.
Present: Representatives Gimenez, Greene, Gonzales, Ezell,
Luttrell, Strong, Brecheen, Crane, Thompson, Carter, Thanedar,
Magaziner, and Menendez.
Mr. Gimenez. The Committee on Homeland Security will come
to order. Without objection, the Chair may declare the
committee in recess at any point. The purpose of this hearing
is to examine the United States Coast Guard's role in securing
the homeland.
I now recognize myself for an opening statement. Maritime
trade is the engine of global commerce. A robust military
presence on the high seas is essential to deter piracy and
adversarial states ensuring this engine that runs smoothly.
The 17th Century English explorer, Sir Walter Raleigh, once
wrote, ``Whoever commands the sea commands the trade; whoever
commands the trade of the world commands the riches of the
world, and consequently the world itself.''
Controlling the high seas has empowered nations throughout
history, from Phoenicia and Athens to the Dutch Republic and
the British Empire. This is true today just as much as it was
thousands of years ago, yet the threat landscape facing our
country grows increasingly complex with every passing year.
Cartels and smugglers, they exploit blind spots along our
massive maritime border to ensure to traffic people and
narcotics into our country. The People's Republic of China, the
Russian Federation, and other geopolitical adversaries contest
our laws and international norms through gray zone actions at
sea.
Nation-states and non-nation actors increasingly utilize
cyber space to attack, disrupt, and degrade our port
infrastructure and the maritime transportation system that our
economy depends on. That is why the United States must
prioritize its ability to enforce laws, hold bad actors
accountable, and protect life at sea.
During my time I learned--during time at West Point it is
taught the importance of tailoring strategy to appropriately
address the specific characteristics of each situation.
Therefore, the United States Coast Guard is unique in its role
in protecting our homeland and upholding our national
sovereignty.
With its 11 statutory missions, the Coast Guard is a
multifaceted actor that can conduct law enforcement missions,
support the intelligence community, and build and maintain
international partnerships. From the Gulf of Mexico to the
Straits of Florida, from the Persian Gulf to the Bering Strait,
and from the Western Pacific to the Eastern Seaboard, Coast
Guard personnel operate surface, air, and unmanned assets,
performing critical national security missions.
The Coast Guard performs exceptionally well in the most
challenging environments on Earth and the demands for Coast
Guard services at home and abroad is only increasing.
Unfortunately, the Coast Guard has critical manpower and
asset needs in order to meet this growing demand. In the
Caribbean, the Coast Guard is under severe pressure to
interdict the massive waves of illegal immigrants leaving scant
resources for counternarcotics missions. This allows cartel
activity to go unchecked.
In its partnership-building work with Pacific nations, the
Coast Guard does not have enough people to maintain a
consistent presence in areas where the PRC is poised to seize
the initiative and impose its will upon smaller states that
lack the means and governance structures to push back.
Like most of the military, the Coast Guard is struggling to
recruit enough personnel to fulfill its complex missions. Last
year the Coast Guard told Congress that they had missed their
recruiting goals for the previous 4 years and earlier this year
Coast Guard officials stated that they were short nearly 2,500
people. Ensuring that more high-quality individuals enlist and
commission in the Coast Guard will provide the Service with the
personnel necessary to carry out its broad missions at home and
across the globe.
The Coast Guard is also in the process of replacing some of
its aging surface and air assets, some of which have been in
service since World War II. Of particular importance is the
Polar Security Cutter, or the PSC, program, which will deliver
3 new heavy polar icebreakers to replace the Coast Guard's lone
operational heavy icebreaker, which was commissioned nearly 50
years ago.
With Russia and the PRC challenging U.S. sovereignty in the
Arctic and Antarctic, the United States must maintain a
credible, persistent presence in the polar regions. During the
past year-and-a-half our committee has heard from several Coast
Guard officials about the multitude of threats, the unique
capabilities the Coast Guard has to respond to these threats,
and the pressing needs of the Service to ensure that they have
the capacity to do so.
Thinking about the Service's current situation I am
especially concerned about the systemic issues that threaten to
undermine the Coast Guard's ability to fulfill its statutory
mission requirements and protect the homeland. The Coast Guard
has experienced major problems in administering its acquisition
programs. For instance, the PSC program was initially supposed
to have delivered the first cutter by this year, yet
construction of the first ship has not even begun.
Additionally, according to a Congressional Budget Office
cost estimate that Transportation and Maritime Security
Subcommittee that I chair and was requested by the Chair of the
committee, the PSC program's cost will be almost 60 percent
higher than the Coast Guard's current estimate. These
shortcomings ultimately hinder the Coast Guard's ability to
maintain a sufficient presence in critical mission areas.
Regarding personnel, the Coast Guard has severely damaged
its standing with its handling of Operation Fouled Anchor and
the wider issue of sexual assault, sexual harassment, and
retaliation within the Service's ranks.
While I appreciate the on-going efforts to address the
issues, the Coast Guard must earn back the trust of its service
members and the American public. It is long past time for more
accountability and an overhaul the Coast Guard's service
culture.
In closing, the Coast Guard ensures that the United States
can meet any maritime threat from criminal activity to nation-
state aggression with appropriate and decisive force. To
reiterate Sir Walter's words, ``Control of the high seas
enables our nation's prosperity and security.'' We must
prioritize the mission of the Coast Guard. Our homeland
security depends on it.
I thank our witness, the commandant of the Coast Guard
Admiral Linda Fagan, for appearing before the committee today,
and I look forward to her testimony.
[The statement of Chairman Green follows:]
Statement of Chairman Mark E. Green, M.D.
July 24, 2024
Maritime trade is the engine of global commerce.
A robust military presence on the high seas is essential to deter
piracy and adversarial states, ensuring this engine runs smoothly.
The 17th Century English explorer Sir Walter Raleigh once wrote,
``Whoever commands the sea commands the trade; whoever commands the
trade of the world commands the riches of the world, and consequently
the world itself.''
Control of the high seas has empowered nations throughout history,
from Phoenicia and Athens to the Dutch Republic and the British Empire.
This is true today just as much as it was thousands of years ago.
Yet the threat landscape facing our country grows increasingly
complex with every passing year.
Cartels and smugglers exploit blind spots along our massive
maritime border to traffic people and narcotics into our country.
The People's Republic of China, the Russian Federation, and other
geopolitical adversaries contest our laws and international norms
through gray zone actions at sea.
Nation-states and non-state actors increasingly utilize cyber space
to attack, disrupt, and degrade our port infrastructure and the
maritime transportation system that our economy depends on.
That is why the United States must prioritize its ability to
enforce laws, hold bad actors accountable, and protect life at sea.
During my time at West Point, I learned the importance of tailoring
strategy to appropriately address the specific characteristics of each
situation.
Therefore, I understand the United States Coast Guard's unique role
in protecting our homeland and upholding our national sovereignty.
With its 11 statutory missions, the Coast Guard is a multifaceted
actor that can conduct law enforcement missions, support the
intelligence community, and build and maintain international
partnerships.
From the Gulf of Mexico to the Straits of Florida, from the Persian
Gulf to the Bering Strait, and from the Western Pacific to the Eastern
Seaboard, Coast Guard personnel operate surface, air, and unmanned
assets performing critical national security missions.
The Coast Guard performs exceptionally well in the most challenging
environments on earth, and the demand for Coast Guard services at home
and abroad is only increasing.
Unfortunately, the Coast Guard has critical manpower and asset
needs in order to meet this growing demand.
In the Caribbean, the Coast Guard is under severe pressure to
interdict the massive waves of illegal immigrants, leaving scant
resources for counter-narcotics missions.
This allows cartel activity to go unchecked.
In its partnership-building work with Pacific nations, the Coast
Guard does not have enough people to maintain a consistent presence in
areas where the PRC is poised to seize the initiative and impose its
will upon smaller states that lack the means and governance structures
to push back.
Like most of the military, the Coast Guard is struggling to recruit
enough personnel to fulfill its complex missions.
Last year, the Coast Guard told Congress that they had missed their
recruiting goals for the previous 4 years, and earlier this year Coast
Guard officials stated that they were short nearly 2,500 people.
Ensuring that more high-quality individuals enlist and commission
in the Coast Guard will provide the service with the personnel
necessary to carry out its broad mission at home and across the globe.
The Coast Guard is also in the process of replacing some of its
aging surface and air assets, some of which have been in service since
World War II.
Of particular importance is the Polar Security Cutter, or PSC,
program, which will deliver 3 new heavy polar icebreakers to replace
the Coast Guard's lone operational heavy icebreaker, which was
commissioned nearly 50 years ago.
With Russia and the PRC challenging U.S. sovereignty in the Arctic
and Antarctic, the United States must maintain a credible, persistent
presence in the polar regions.
During the past year-and-a-half, our committee has heard from
several Coast Guard officials about the multitude of threats, the
unique capabilities the Coast Guard has to respond to these threats,
and the pressing needs of the service to ensure they have the capacity
to do so.
In thinking about the service's current situation, I am especially
concerned about the systemic issues that threaten to undermine the
Coast Guard's ability to fulfill its statutory mission requirements and
protect the homeland.
The Coast Guard has experienced major problems in administering its
acquisition programs.
For instance, the PSC program was initially supposed to have
delivered the first cutter by this year, yet construction on the first
ship has not even begun.
Additionally, according to a Congressional Budget Office cost
estimate that Transportation and Maritime Security Subcommittee
Chairman Carlos Gimenez and I requested last year, the PSC program's
cost will be almost 60 percent higher than the Coast Guard's current
estimate.
These shortcomings ultimately hinder the Coast Guard's ability to
maintain a sufficient presence in critical mission areas.
Regarding personnel, the Coast Guard has severely damaged its
standing with its handling of Operation Fouled Anchor and the wider
issue of sexual assault, sexual harassment, and retaliation within the
service's ranks.
While I appreciate the on-going efforts to address the issues, the
Coast Guard must earn back the trust of its service members and the
American public.
It is long past time for more accountability and an overhaul of the
Coast Guard's service culture.
In closing, the Coast Guard ensures the United States can meet any
maritime threat, from criminal activity to nation-state aggression,
with appropriate and decisive force.
To reiterate Sir Walter's words--control of the high seas enables
our Nation's prosperity and security.
We must prioritize the mission of the Coast Guard--our homeland
security depends on it.
I thank our witness, the Commandant of the Coast Guard Admiral
Linda Fagan, for appearing before the committee today, and I look
forward to your testimony.
Mr. Gimenez. I now recognize the Ranking Member, the
gentleman from Mississippi, Mr. Thompson, for his opening
statement.
Mr. Thompson. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
Welcome to our witness, Admiral Fagan.
Let me say that the flowers here represent a tragic loss
for this committee, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee of
Houston, Texas. As people have said yesterday and continue to
say, she is a fierce advocate, or was a fierce advocate, for
her community and she will be missed, not just by constituents,
but also by this committee.
Again, welcome, Admiral Fagan. We are glad to have you. We
are here today at a critical time for the Coast Guard. To
ensure the safety, security, and stewardship of our Nation's
waters, the Coast Guard is charged with carrying out a wide
range of important missions. Its activities include everything
from disrupting transnational crime in the Caribbean to search-
and-rescue efforts off our shores to addressing the impact of
human activity in the polar regions as ice caps recede.
Successfully achieving all that the Coast Guard is called
upon to do has never been so complex. The threat of global
adversaries, the impact of climate change, and an increase in
illegal fishing pose significant challenges to the Coast
Guard's mission. The Coast Guard must have a work force and
fleet of unparalleled strength and readiness to meet this
moment.
Yet we have learned that in the past the Coast Guard has
not always treated its work force with respect, fairness, and
transparency that it deserves. In fact, the Service has
actively covered up assaults and discrimination. Through the
Operation Fouled Anchor investigation we learned that the Coast
Guard improperly handled dozens of allegations of sexual
assault at the Coast Guard Academy over the course of 2
decades.
The Coast Guard allowed individuals accused of rape and
other sexual assaults to avoid criminal investigation.
Administrative punishments, if they happened at all, were as
minor as extra work or lower class standing. As a result, some
of the accused ascended to top roles within the Coast Guard and
other branches of the military.
The Coast Guard inaction led to many victims leaving the
academy after reporting their assaults, ending their hopes of a
career in the Service. The Coast Guard failed to protect its
own people and the damage caused is truly incalculable.
My heart goes out to every survivor who the Coast Guard
failed to protect and my gratitude goes to those who have
bravely shared those stories with investigators, reporters,
Members of Congress, and the public.
The Coast Guard compounded the deep betrayal of its service
members' trust by failing to fully and transparently disclose
the results of its investigation to Congress, the public, or
even the victims involved. I am particularly disturbed that the
Coast Guard withheld information on Operation Fouled Anchor
from this committee, given our concurrent investigation under
my chairmanship into harassment, bullying, retaliation, and
mismanaged investigation at the Coast Guard Academy. That
investigation, which I led with my late colleague Oversight
Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings, included voluminous
document requests, transcribed interviews with multiple Coast
Guard senior leaders, and a joint committee hearing.
In addition, former Commandant Karl Schultz testified
before this committee at a hearing in 2021 on the Coast Guard's
culture and a need for accountability for misconduct.
Throughout this period, the committee specifically asked the
Coast Guard about sexual assaults at the academy, investigative
processes, and whether Coast Guard leaders had actively covered
up failures within the Service. Yet at no point did the Coast
Guard provide us information about Operation Fouled Anchor
until CNN began reporting on it last year.
Documents provided by the Coast Guard to the committee show
that the Coast Guard leaders considered our investigation into
the issues at the academy in deciding whether to disclose the
Operation Fouled Anchor to Congress and still chose to hide the
information. Admiral Schultz did not discuss it in our June
2021 hearing focused on the culture of the Coast Guard, nor did
he raise it with me when we met privately on relevant topics.
The Coast Guard's failure to disclose Operation Fouled Anchor
in the face of the committee's oversight can only be described
as deliberate and deceitful.
I recognize that the Department of Homeland Security's
inspector general's investigation into the Coast Guard action
is on-going, but I want to be clear. I expect those responsible
for orchestrating this cover-up to be held accountable. It is
imperative that the Coast Guard restore trust with its work
force, Congress, and the public by changing the culture that
allowed these events to occur and ensuring that they never
happen again.
The Coast Guard rebuilding trust with its work force is all
the more important because as with all our military branches
the Coast Guard is facing a work force shortage. The Government
Accountability Office reported last spring that Coast Guard was
more than 4,000 members short and had missed recruiting targets
over a number of years.
Though the Coast Guard has taken actions to address this
work force shortage, including providing hiring bonuses to new
recruits, more needs to be done. Today, I hope to learn how
Congress can support Coast Guard recruitment and retention.
Finally, the Coast Guard's physical assets, its fleet and
shore infrastructure, are aging and in need of replacement and
repair. Despite the strategic importance of the Arctic region,
the Coast Guard has only one heavy polar icebreaker and one
medium icebreaker. Both are decades old yet the rollout of new
icebreakers is delayed.
The Coast Guard also faces an enormous backlog of shore
infrastructure improvements. In 2019, the Government
Accountability Office reported it would take the Coast Guard
395 years to address its backlog of maintenance and
construction projects absent increased funding. The bipartisan
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed by President
Biden in 2021 provided the Coast Guard with $429 million to
address the backlog, but more is needed.
While I applaud Coast Guard's practice of making do with
its available resources, I also know that Congress can help.
One of the issues I have discussed today, rebuilding trust,
increasing the work force, and updating an aging work fleet and
infrastructure portfolio, will be quickly or easily addressed.
Solutions will require the full attention and commitment of
leadership, buy-in from the Coast Guard work force, and
resources from Congress. I hope to hear from you today how the
Coast Guard can meet the moment, address its challenges, and
remain always ready.
With that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
[The statement of Ranking Member Thompson follows:]
Statement of Ranking Member Bennie G. Thompson
July 24, 2024
We are here today at a critical time for the Coast Guard. To ensure
the safety, security, and stewardship of our Nation's waters, the Coast
Guard is charged with carrying out a wide range of important missions.
Its activities include everything from disrupting transnational crime
in the Caribbean to search-and-rescue efforts off our shores, to
addressing the impact of human activity in the polar regions as ice
caps recede.
Successfully achieving all that the Coast Guard is called upon to
do has never been so complex. The threat of global adversaries, the
impact of climate change, and an increase in illegal fishing pose
significant challenges to Coast Guard's mission.
The Coast Guard must have a workforce and fleet of unparalleled
strength and readiness to meet this moment. Yet, we have learned that
in the past, the Coast Guard has not always treated its workforce with
the respect, fairness, or transparency it deserves. In fact, the
service has actively covered up assaults and discrimination.
Through the Operation Fouled Anchor investigation, we learned that
the Coast Guard improperly handled dozens of allegations of sexual
assault at the Coast Guard Academy over the course of 2 decades. The
Coast Guard allowed individuals accused of rape and other sexual
assaults to avoid criminal investigation. Administrative punishments,
if they happened at all, were as minor as extra homework or lowered
class standings.
As a result, some of the accused ascended to top roles within the
Coast Guard and other branches of the military. The Coast Guard's
inaction led to many victims leaving the Academy after reporting their
assaults, ending their hopes of a career in the service. The Coast
Guard failed to protect its own people, and the damage caused is truly
incalculable.
My heart goes out to every survivor who the Coast Guard failed to
protect, and my gratitude goes to those who have bravely shared their
stories with investigators, reporters, Congress, and the public.
The Coast Guard compounded the deep betrayal of its Service
members' trust by failing to fully and transparently disclose the
results of its investigation to Congress, the public, or even the
victims involved. I am particularly disturbed that the Coast Guard
withheld information on Operation Fouled Anchor from this committee
given our concurrent investigation under my chairmanship into
harassment, bullying, retaliation, and mismanaged investigations at the
Coast Guard Academy.
That investigation--which I led with my late colleague, Oversight
Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings--included voluminous document
requests, transcribed interviews with multiple Coast Guard senior
leaders, and a joint committee hearing.
In addition, former Commandant Karl Schultz testified before this
committee at a hearing in 2021 on the Coast Guard's culture and the
need for accountability for misconduct. Throughout this period, this
committee specifically asked the Coast Guard about sexual assaults at
the Academy, investigative processes, and whether Coast Guard leaders
had actively covered up failures within the service. Yet at no point
did the Coast Guard provide us information about Operation Fouled
Anchor until CNN began reporting on it last year.
Documents provided by the Coast Guard to the committee show that
Coast Guard leaders considered our investigation into issues at the
Academy in deciding whether to disclose Operation Fouled Anchor to
Congress--and still chose to hide the information. Admiral Schultz did
not discuss it at our June 2021 hearing focused on the culture of the
Coast Guard, nor did he raise it with me when we met privately on
relevant topics.
The Coast Guard's failure to disclose Operation Fouled Anchor in
the face of this committee's oversight can only be described as
deliberate and deceitful.
I recognize that the Department of Homeland Security Inspector
General's investigation into the Coast Guard's actions is on-going, but
I want to be clear: I expect those responsible for orchestrating this
cover-up to be held accountable. It is imperative that the Coast Guard
restore trust with its workforce, Congress, and the public by changing
the culture that allowed these events to occur and ensuring they never
occur again.
The Coast Guard rebuilding trust with its workforce is all the more
important because--as with all military branches--the Coast Guard is
facing a workforce shortage. The Government Accountability Office
reported last spring that Coast Guard was more than 4,000 members short
and had missed recruiting targets over a number of years. Though the
Coast Guard has taken actions to address this workforce shortage,
including providing hiring bonuses to new recruits, more needs to be
done.
Today I hope to learn how Congress can support Coast Guard
recruitment and retention.
Finally, the Coast Guard's physical assets--its fleet and shore
infrastructure--are aging and in need of replacement and repair.
Despite the strategic importance of the Arctic region, the Coast
Guard has only 1 heavy polar icebreaker and 1 medium icebreaker. Both
are decades old, yet the rollout of new icebreakers is delayed.
The Coast Guard also faces an enormous backlog of shore
infrastructure improvements. In 2019, the Government Accountability
Office reported it would take the Coast Guard 395 years to address its
backlog of maintenance and construction projects, absent increased
funding. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed
by President Biden in 2021 provided the Coast Guard $429 million to
address the backlog. But more is needed. While I applaud Coast Guard's
practice of ``making do'' with its available resources, I also know
that Congress can help.
None of the issues I have discussed today--rebuilding trust,
increasing the workforce, and updating an aging fleet and
infrastructure portfolio--will be quickly or easily addressed.
Solutions will require the full attention and commitment of leadership,
buy-in from the Coast Guard workforce, and resources from Congress. I
hope to hear from you today how the Coast Guard can meet the moment,
address its challenges, and remain always ready.
Mr. Gimenez. Thank you to the Ranking Member.
Other Members of the committee are reminded that opening
statements may be submitted for the record.
I am pleased to have Admiral Fagan, the Commandant of the
United States Coast Guard, testify before us today. I ask that
our witness please rise and raise your right hand.
[Witness sworn.]
Mr. Gimenez. Let the record reflect that the witness has
answered in the affirmative. Thank you and please be seated.
I would now like to formally introduce our witness. Admiral
Linda Fagan assumed the duties as the 27th commandant of the
United States Coast Guard on June 1, 2022. As Commandant she
oversees all global Coast Guard operations and 42,000 Active-
Duty, 7,000 Reserve, and 8,700 civilian personnel, as well as
the support of 21,000 Coast Guard auxiliary volunteers.
Admiral Fagan previously served as the 32nd vice commandant
and in several other critical roles within the Service as a
flag officer. In addition, Admiral Fagan has served on all 7
continents, from Antarctica to Africa and in many ports along
the way.
Admiral Fagan, I thank you for being here today. You are
now recognized for 5 minutes to summarize your opening
statement.
STATEMENT OF ADMIRAL LINDA L. FAGAN, COMMANDANT, U.S. COAST
GUARD
Admiral Fagan. Thank you and good morning to the many
distinguished Members of the committee. Thank you for the
opportunity to testify today, and I ask that my written
testimony be entered into the record.
Before I begin, I would like to express our sincere
condolences on the passing of Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee,
a former Member of this committee, a strong supporter of the
Coast Guard. Our thoughts are with all those who loved and knew
her.
On behalf of the Service, thank you for your enduring
support for the Coast Guard, our work force, and our families.
We are especially grateful for the $12.9 billion in
discretionary funding included in the House Appropriation
Committee's June mark-up. I am incredibly proud of our work
force who are on the front lines every day saving lives,
protecting our ports and waterways, defending our Nation,
ensuring our economic prosperity.
You need look no further than the recent response to the
Baltimore bridge collapse and the Lahaina wildfires to see our
value and service to the American people. Around the globe,
from the Middle East, where we are boarding ships and seizing
Iranian-made weapons destined for Houthi rebels, from the Indo-
Pacific, Arctic, and throughout the Western Hemisphere we
protect U.S. national security, promote responsible maritime
governance, dismantle transnational criminal organizations, and
uphold the rules-based international order.
At home and abroad our crews, the heart and soul of the
Coast Guard, put their lives on the line every day to protect,
defend, and save. We do this with courage, character, and
humility.
We are doing more than we have ever done and more is being
asked of us. Now our work force is stretched thin and we are
doing less with less. Our needs across the Service are at risk
of outpacing our ability to operate in the exceptional ways
that we do.
The Coast Guard needs more, and I know we need your support
and it will starts with my highest priority, modernizing our
talent management system to recruit and retain the best and
brightest. We have made difficult decisions to tailor some of
our front-line operations due to the on-going personnel
shortfall.
We are working hard to close the gap and early indications
are that our efforts are paying off and recruitment is trending
up. I ask for your support to continue to build on this
momentum.
We need to provide our work force with the tools they need
to be successful, modern ships, boats, and aircraft, and the
infrastructure and systems to support them. We must address
their basic personal needs, housing, child care, health care,
so our crews can stand the watch with total focus knowing that
their families are taken care of.
We also need maintenance budgets that actually cover our
maintenance needs. Our projected ship maintenance budget will
cover half of the planned projects next year, with similar
shortfalls in our infrastructure and aircraft accounts. This
causes us to defer maintenance, which drives up unplanned cost
and disrupts work and training schedules, sidelines our cutters
and aircraft, taking our crews away from operational missions
where our Nation needs us most.
As you know, we have been hard at work strengthening the
Service's culture to assure we are intolerant of any harmful
behaviors. This is critical work. As I said earlier, our people
are the heart and soul of the Coast Guard and our core values
of honor, respect, and devotion to duty define and guide all
that we do.
Every member of our work force deserves a Coast Guard
culture where each person feels safe, valued, and empowered and
where they belong. A culture that is intolerant of the crime of
sexual assault and any other harmful behaviors that undermine
our mission and everything that we stand for. This is my
expectation. It is the standard that we will hold ourselves to.
This is about having courage to hold ourselves to the
highest standards through our core values every day, ensuring
discipline and excellence in our actions and operation in all
that we do. We are committed to that work.
Together I am confident we will build on our successes to
meet the threats and challenges of the 21st Century as we
remain the world's best Coast Guard. Thank you. Semper Paratus.
[The prepared statement of Admiral Fagan follows:]
Prepared Statement of Admiral Linda L. Fagan
July 24, 2024
introduction
Chairman Green, Ranking Member Thompson, and distinguished Members
of the committee, thank you for inviting me to testify. I am grateful
for your continuing support of the United States Coast Guard. Today, I
look forward to discussing how the administration's fiscal year 2025
budget request positions the Service to sustain recent strides in
growing and supporting a resilient workforce, increases meaningful
presence in the Indo-Pacific, enhances support for the maritime
community, and delivers capable assets to the fleet, while building the
Coast Guard of the future.
The Coast Guard remains the world's premier, multi-mission,
maritime service responsible for the safety, security, and stewardship
of the Nation's waters: we offer a unique and enduring value to the
American public. At all times a military service and branch of the U.S.
Armed Forces, a Federal law enforcement agency, a first responder, a
regulatory body, and a member of the U.S. intelligence community, the
Coast Guard serves on the front lines for a Nation whose economic
prosperity and national security are inextricably linked to the sea.
This pivotal connection was highlighted on March 26, when the M/V DALI
allided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, resulting in
the devasting loss of 6 lives and continuing impacts to the Nation's
most significant port for light vehicles and other critical cargoes. We
are working closely with Federal, State, and local partners to restore
the flow of commerce in this vital waterway and enable efficient
operation of nearby ports and the Marine Transportation System.
Last year, your Coast Guard navigated unique challenges presented
by our increasingly connected and rapidly-changing world. In fiscal
year 2023, the Service saved over 5,500 lives, assisted over 40,000
people, and removed over 212,000 pounds of cocaine and 54,000 pounds of
marijuana with an approximate wholesale value of $2.9 billion. It
responded to 28 weather or climate disaster events, protected 3.5
million square miles of Exclusive Economic Zone, and boarded over 50
foreign vessels to suppress illegal, unreported, and unregulated
fishing. In the same year, the Coast Guard maintained nearly 45,000
buoys and beacons across the Marine Transportation System and conducted
over 10,000 waterborne patrols to protect critical infrastructure and
key resources. It also provided support to U.S. Central Command to
advance security cooperation, maritime security, and counter-piracy
objectives in the Arabian Gulf, and deployed the Nation's only 2
icebreakers--the cutters Polar Star and Healy--to further U.S.
geopolitical, security, and economic interests in the High Latitudes.
The Coast Guard continued to serve as a highly effective partner,
uniquely qualified to lead the interagency in multiple capacities,
including incident response and search and rescue. In June 2023, the
Coast Guard led search-and-recovery efforts for the missing submersible
Titan in the Northern Atlantic. In August, crews from Coast Guard
Station Maui rescued 17 people fleeing the fires that devastated the
community of Lahaina. Coast Guard personnel also deployed in response
to Hurricane Lee and Tropical Storm Idalia, saving or assisting 16
lives and rapidly restoring trade across the Marine Transportation
System.
The Service safeguards our Marine Transportation System, a vital
part of U.S. economic prosperity and national security. In February
2024, the President signed an Executive Order to bolster the Coast
Guard's authority to directly address cyber threats and strengthen port
security. To complement this action, the Service issued a Maritime
Security Directive on cyber risk management actions for ship-to-shore
cranes manufactured by People's Republic of China state-owned companies
and published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on cybersecurity
in the Marine Transportation System.
In addition to protecting our ports and maritime partners from
evolving threats, we also began to expand our presence in the Indo-
Pacific, a region vital to U.S. security, by homeporting the Harriet
Lane, the Service's first dedicated Indo-Pacific Cutter, in Hawaii.
This multi-mission cutter's presence in the region is already promoting
maritime governance through meaningful engagements with regional allies
and partners. During its first ``Operation Blue Pacific'' patrol, the
Harriet Lane worked closely with Vanuatu, Fiji, Samoa, and other
partners to complete numerous bilateral shiprider operations, advancing
capacity building with island nations and upholding international
rules-based order.
While I am incredibly proud of our Coast Guard Active Duty,
Reserve, Civilian, and Auxiliary workforce and remain optimistic about
our future, we must adapt to the growing demand for the Coast Guard in
the face of evolving global threats. In order to transform our Service
and continue to provide our unique capabilities to the American people,
we need Congressional support.
The ability for the Coast Guard to generate sustained workforce and
mission readiness is paramount to our ability to protect the Nation's
maritime safety, security, and prosperity. The fiscal year 2025
President's budget provides needed investment in these areas and helps
position the Coast Guard for the future.
generate sustained workforce and mission readiness
Workforce Readiness
My highest priority remains modernizing our talent management
system, which has not significantly changed in 75 years, to best
recruit and retain our workforce in the 21st Century. I am committed to
fostering a Service culture that attracts the best talent and empowers
a resilient force of Coast Guard women and men ready to take on
tomorrow's challenges.
The fiscal year 2025 budget requests $160 million to bolster
military and civilian pay and benefits; funding to enhance our culture
through efforts related to integrated primary prevention (IPP), victim
advocacy, anti-hate and anti-harassment prevention and response, and
modernizing our officer evaluations system. Investments to expand our
IPP program will promote prevention efforts across all harmful
behaviors, to include sexual harassment and sexual assault, by
facilitating the swift implementation of policies and procedures to
ensure everyone experiences a workplace with enhanced protective
factors and increased outreach. To further those efforts, support for
our recently-created Enterprise Victim Advocate role--the first of its
kind across the armed forces--will further advance the connection
between victims of harmful behavior, stakeholder groups, and Coast
Guard leadership. In addition to these strides for our workforce, the
request provides $7 million to bolster our workforce's support of the
U.S. maritime community by fielding personnel to improve the Coast
Guard's ability to combat sexual misconduct in the maritime industry
and to support the transformation of the Mariner Credentialing Program.
Mission Readiness
The Coast Guard must continue to adapt to a constantly-evolving
environment and remain resilient to change. The demand for the Coast
Guard has never been higher; we continue to demonstrate our value
across the globe but increasingly so in the Indo-Pacific, where our
unique capabilities position us to effectively and meaningfully advance
U.S. strategy. Through foreign partner interactions and work with
regional organizations, the Coast Guard is a relevant, non-escalatory
resource which strengthens maritime governance, the rule of law, and
democratic institutions.
The fiscal year 2025 budget requests $263 million to expand Coast
Guard operations in the Indo-Pacific along 3 primary lines of effort:
Increased Presence, Maritime Governance, and Meaningful Engagements.
This investment includes the acquisition of 2 Fast Response Cutters
(FRC) and the addition of a Marine Transportation System Assessment
Team, a Maritime Engagement Team, and various regional liaisons and
attaches, and will continues the Service's transition from episodic to
persistent presence in the region.
The Coast Guard operates in dynamic conditions, and changes in the
strategic environment impact our missions every day. Given evolving
national security threats, we must prepare now for the challenges of
tomorrow.
We will employ our assets and resources to the highest-priority
missions that we are uniquely capable to perform, build on our ability
to lead in crisis, strengthen existing and forge new partnerships to
improve global maritime governance, and safeguard a rapidly-changing
Marine Transportation System.
The fiscal year 2025 budget requests funding for the operations,
maintenance, crew, and mission support elements for 6 FRCs; shoreside
maintenance and support personnel for Offshore Patrol Cutters (OPC) No.
3 and No. 4; crew for Waterways Commerce Cutter No. 1; funds to support
4 hyperbaric recompression chambers; and crew, operations, and
maintenance for 4 MH-60T helicopters and 8 Maritime Security Response
Team boats. Additionally, the budget includes $10 million for the
operations and maintenance of newly-acquired or recapitalized shore
facilities.
build the coast guard of the future
I remain steadfast in our commitment to ensure the Coast Guard has
the capable, modern assets necessary to meet evolving mission demands.
Surface
The OPC is one of the Service's highest acquisition priorities and
is absolutely vital to recapitalizing the capability provided by our
legacy fleet of 210-foot and 270-foot Medium Endurance Cutters (MEC).
In October 2023, the Service christened and launched the first hull in
the class, the Argus--we look forward to continued progress on this
critical class of vessels. The fiscal year 2025 request provides $530
million for construction of the seventh OPC and long lead time
materials for the eighth cutter. The legacy assets the OPCs will
replace have been workhorses for decades and continue to serve the
Nation with distinction. Thirteen of these venerable cutters have been
in operation for more than 50 years. The MEC fleet will only become
more difficult and expensive to maintain, and we will continue to see
decreasing readiness and operational availability.
The Service's other acquisition priority remains the Polar Security
Cutter. In fiscal year 2025 we expect to rely on prior appropriations
to continue construction of the first hull. In future years it will be
important that the Nation continue to invest in the heavy polar
icebreakers that the United States needs to protect America's sovereign
interests in the polar regions. These cutters are national assets, and
revitalizing the defense industrial base to produce this first-in-class
ship is a necessary investment that will pay dividends for decades.
Some of our inland tenders have been in service since the 1940's,
maintaining both fixed and floating aids to navigation for the Marine
Transportation System--the 25,000 miles of rivers and navigable
channels that support $5.4 trillion in annual commerce and 30 million
jobs. The fiscal year 2025 request for $135 million supports program
management, long lead time material for future hulls, and construction
of 3 Waterways Commerce Cutters. These cutters--which will replace our
legacy inland tender fleet--will feature modern designs for propulsion
and crew habitability to enable men and women to serve in the
heartland, where they help ensure that some of America's most critical
waterways remain navigable despite constantly changing conditions and
water levels.
As we consider aging assets, one of the most critical elements of
the Service's surface budget request is the In-Service Vessel
Sustainment program. That request for $148 million is vital to
extending the service life of cutters and boats, including our 47'
motor life boats, Coast Guard Cutter Healy--1 of the Nation's 2 polar
icebreakers--the 270' MECs, our 175' coastal buoy tenders, and even our
418" National Security Cutters. These upgrades provide legacy assets
with modern capabilities, repair wear and tear on major systems, and
overall deliver incredible return on investment.
The FRC is an incredibly capable asset, with a proven track record
of successful mission execution around the globe. Our FRCs demonstrate
endurance and agility in their near-shore operations but have also
displayed an inimitable ability to patrol the Indo-Pacific and engage
with our partners, increasing presence and promoting governance
throughout the region. The fiscal year 2025 request provides $216
million to support the construction of 2 FRCs that will expand Coast
Guard presence to support the Indo-Pacific Strategy of the United
States. FRCs are uniquely equipped to conduct the types of engagements
that support our partners, deter our adversaries, and promote good
maritime governance in this vital region.
Aviation Assets
Coast Guard aviation is integral to accomplishing our wide spectrum
of missions. Aviation assets and support infrastructure are, and will
continue to be, a major target of future investments. The fiscal year
2025 request includes $206 million to recapitalize and sustain fixed
and rotary-wing aircraft, including support for growth of the MH-60T
helicopter fleet through the acquisition of 4 aircraft that will
continue our transition away from the MH-65E as that aircraft reaches
its end of service life in the late 2030's.
Shore Infrastructure
Shore facility recapitalization is critical to mission success. As
the Service deploys new, more capable assets, infrastructure projects
like pier construction, maintenance and industrial support buildings,
and facilities that support our workforce cannot be viewed as optional.
The fiscal year 2025 request includes targeted investments to continue
the build-out of Base Charleston, South Carolina; funds the
construction of a FRC homeport in Astoria, Oregon; delivers new
facilities for Sector Lower Mississippi in Memphis, Tennessee; and
supports the build-out of Forward Operating Locations for FRCs in the
Indo-Pacific. Given the Coast Guard's broad infrastructure needs, these
investments are necessary to ensure the Service has the resilient
infrastructure required to meet the operational demands of today and
tomorrow.
conclusion
The Coast Guard is the only military Service outside the Department
of Defense and the only Armed Force that is primarily funded via non-
defense appropriations. Funding the Coast Guard at the levels below
those requested in this budget could jeopardize the long-term readiness
of the Service, putting American lives, national security, and the
Marine Transportation System at risk. I ask for your support to ensure
the Coast Guard--like every U.S. Armed Force--has the resources
necessary to safeguard the Nation.
Now is the time to move the U.S. Coast Guard forward. Our
commitments at home to protect, defend, and save, grow every day, while
demand for the Service around the globe has never been higher. To meet
the rising challenges, we must invest to secure the homeland and
counter strategic competitors.
With the support of the administration and Congress, your Coast
Guard will continue to live up to our motto--Semper Paratus--Always
Ready. Thank you for your enduring support.
Mr. Gimenez. Thank you, Admiral Fagan.
Our Members will be recognized by order of seniority for
their 5 minutes of questioning. Given the time constraints that
we have I would ask the Members to keep their questioning to 5
minutes only.
I now recognize myself for 5 minutes of questions. Admiral
Fagan, the polar security cutter, the heavy ice breakers, can
you give us an update on what is going on with that? We should
have had our first cutter already in the water and we haven't
even started building it yet. What is going on?
Admiral Fagan. Polar security cutter is a critical national
security asset for the Nation as we create the ability to
operate and generate presence in our own exclusive economic
zone, in our own waters. Polar security cutter contract has
been delayed. We are working with the shipyard.
There was--the shipyard was sold and purchased by
Bollinger. It is now Bollinger Mississippi. We are working with
that shipbuilder to finalize the detailed design, begin
building the cutter in earnest.
We began some module work. I owe the committee an update on
what the time line will be for actual construction of the
cutter. I----
Mr. Gimenez. Admiral, could I cut you? You say you are
working on the final design? You are supposed to have a ship in
the water and you are still working on a design?
Admiral Fagan. We have a design. The design maturity is
critical to reducing risk in on-ward schedule slippage and
cost. So that work is----
Mr. Gimenez. How many years have you have been designing
this icebreaker?
Admiral Fagan. We have been working with the yard owners
for the past several years. The original----
Mr. Gimenez. What is several years? How many years you have
been--it is supposed to be in the water now. You are 5 years
behind, right?
Admiral Fagan. We are absolutely behind schedule.
Mr. Gimenez. Well, how many years you have been designing
this cutter?
Admiral Fagan. I will have my staff come back to when we
actually started that design work. We are very close to having
the design maturity needed to begin to build and create
certainty around cost and schedule.
Mr. Gimenez. With all due respect, Commandant, I have been
on this committee 3 years. We have been hearing the same thing,
that we are really close to design and finishing the design.
What is the problem? Why haven't you finished the design? You
can't start building it until you have your design. What is the
problem?
Admiral Fagan. The original company that the bid was
awarded to lost time and schedule. They did not have all of the
engineers on that they needed to begin to move that forward.
COVID complicated that time line. I am confident in the
shipbuilder that we have. I am confident in where we are with
regard to design maturity, and I am confident we will begin
building that ship before the end of the year and look forward
to providing more details to the committee.
Mr. Gimenez. So we can look forward to laying the keel
before the end of December?
Admiral Fagan. I don't have the exact keeling date. I will
come back to you with that, sir.
Mr. Gimenez. Well, this is an issue of national security.
To be honest with you, to not even have the design done yet
when you are supposed to have the ship in the water by now,
that doesn't give us much confidence. OK?
Admiral Fagan. I understand.
Mr. Gimenez. So I will move on. On your recruitment, we are
2,500, you know, sailors short. Where are you on recruitment?
You said you had made gains there. All right. What is the cause
of the problem and what are you going to do to make sure that
we have enough personnel to run the Coast Guard?
Admiral Fagan. Yes, we appreciate the on-going support of
the committee to help us meet our recruitment challenges and
over the past several years that support has allowed us to
bring on more recruiters, establish a talent acquisition
profession. All of those investments are paying dividends.
This year, at this point, we have met our reservation
numbers so we are for the first time in nearly 9 years on a
trajectory to at least stop losing people at a greater rate
than we are on-boarding them. The talent that is coming to the
Service is exceptional. I meet the young people at Cape May.
They are driven and know why they have joined the Coast Guard.
We continue to make investments going to young people where
they are to ensure they are aware of the opportunities that the
Coast Guard presents and that they under--understand what our
value proposition is.
Mr. Gimenez. Well, so you stopped the bleeding, right? Or
you think you stopped the bleeding? By that I mean you were
losing more people than you are getting into the Coast Guard.
So you are stopping the bleeding but you bled out a lot. So how
many more national personnel are you going to need? How many
are you short right now?
Admiral Fagan. We are short with approximately 2,300 right
now. As I said, while we have stopped that we need to continue
to keep our foot on the accelerator and we are doing that.
Some of the additional investments that the Service will
benefit from is engagement and work around infrastructure at
Cape May, which is our single source for training enlisted
personnel to ensure that they have a first-class experience.
We continue to work with the oversight committees to ensure
that we have----
Mr. Gimenez. Thank you, ma'am. My time is up.
I now recognize the Ranking Member for 5 minutes.
Mr. Thompson. Thank you very much.
Madam Commandant, one of the things that I think in the
recruitment you could look at is if we did recruitment like we
do the rest of our service academies, that Members of Congress
can make appointments to the Coast Guard, that might be a way
of closing that gap since the other service academies they are
doing a pretty good job of fulfilling that.
For some of the new Members on the committee, as you know,
the Coast Guard is the only service academy where we can't make
nominations to. When you look at where most of the people in
the Coast Guard come from, they come from either the East Coast
or the West Coast. So if you are in Texas or Oklahoma or
Mississippi, or all these other places, we don't have as many
people. So I am just throwing that out as an option.
So the other thing I would like to talk a little bit about
is the process that we included that the ship had to be built
by an American-owned company. Am I correct?
Admiral Fagan. Yes.
Mr. Thompson. So can you tell me how many shipbuilders that
could be on that ship that is American-owned?
Admiral Fagan. Polar security cutter is a complex ship to
build. We have a number of shipyards, particularly along the
Gulf Coast of the United States. As the contract was bid, any
yard that won that bid was going to need to make significant
capital investments in their structure and that yard, which is
now Bollinger Mississippi, has made those capital investments
and are in a position to build the ship.
Admiral Fagan. So did that slow the process down, saying it
had to be built by an American company?
Admiral Fagan. Sir, I will have my staff come back to look
at as we were making those, the bid and the contract, award
decisions and give you clarity there. There is a limit to the
national defense industrial base. We compete with the Navy for
shipyard building capacity and ship repair.
The Nation needs all of the capacity we have and more to
ensure a ready force and it applies to us as one of the
branches of the Armed Services.
Mr. Thompson. So when was the last time the Coast Guard
took receipt of an icebreaker?
Admiral Fagan. The icebreakers that we are currently
operating, the Coast Guard cutter Polar Star was commissioned
in 1976 and the medium icebreaker Coast Guard cutter Healy was
commissioned about 10 years after that. So it has been a number
of years since we have commissioned a new icebreaker, heavy
icebreaker, for operation in either the Antarctica or the
Arctic.
Mr. Thompson. So do you have any knowledge of how often a
request was made to Congress to fund an icebreaker?
Admiral Fagan. I don't have the specifics of the funding
ask and then the appropriation journey that we have been on,
but happy to work with your staff and because that we have
that----
Mr. Thompson. Yes. I think it is important that if the
Coast Guard made the request that we need money to even build
or expand the fleet and Congress didn't award the money, I
mean, I think that would be significant for it.
So we both have talked about Operation Fouled Anchor. Are
you comfortable with where that process is right now within the
Coast Guard?
Admiral Fagan. With regard to Operation Fouled Anchor, the
legacy mishandling of sexual assaults at the Coast Guard
Academy in the 1980's and 1990's, we continue to work with the
Congressionally-directed IG investigation and will remain
responsive. I respect the world of oversight.
As we wait for the investigation to complete, we have begun
action as a service. I initiated a 90-day accountability and
transparency review. There were 33 directed actions, 18 of them
have been completed.
But more importantly, this is a journey that will continue.
This is not a checklist that when it is done we are done. This
is how we will create culture intolerant of any kind of harmful
behavior as a service, and I am excited about the progress we
have made and welcome an opportunity to share more details.
Mr. Thompson. Thank you.
I yield back.
Mr. Gimenez. Thank you to the Ranking Member.
I now recognize the gentleman from Mississippi, Mr. Ezell.
Mr. Ezell. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you, Admiral, for being here today. My home State of
Mississippi is a hub for shipbuilding in the United States. For
decades Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula has delivered
vessels for the United States Coast Guard and the Navy. This
includes 10 of the 11 planned national security cutters to the
Coast Guard, and they are on track to deliver the final vessels
in the next few years.
Additionally, Bollinger, also in my district, is contracted
by the Coast Guard to build the polar security cutter, the
first heavy icebreaker to be built in the United States in
nearly 50 years.
Despite these accomplishments, shipyards in my State are
struggling to find an adequate work force. While the shipyards
are working on solutions, more needs to be done to ensure the
long-term success of these shipyards and the local economy in
southeast Mississippi.
Companies like Bollinger continue to hire and train workers
at a rate that previous owners of the facility hadn't seen in
over a decade.
Admiral Fagan, how is the Coast Guard navigating these work
force challenges and supporting the shipyards?
Admiral Fagan. We have talked to just now about my own work
force challenges and work force is a challenge for all
employers. We continue to work with the yards on the Gulf Coast
who we have contracts with, whether it is polar security
cutter, fast response cutters, the offshore patrol cutter, and
recognize that work force and steady, reliable, predictable
work for those yards becomes a critical way for them to create
certainty for their work force. And continue to look to create
that certainty and predictability so that work force can be
hired, trained, and employed. It is critical to our national
security.
Mr. Ezell. Thank you. I am also encouraged by the recent
trilateral agreement between the United States, Canada, and
Finland to place South Mississippi as the icebreaker capital of
the world for our allies.
The Navy has funding to invest in shipyards that help make
capital improvements. These investments enhance shipyard
operations and support improving the work force, resulting in
better products for the Federal Government, service members,
and ultimately all Americans.
We know smaller shipyards often contract with the Coast
Guard. Do you think that the Coast Guard would benefit from a
similar investment fund?
Admiral Fagan. Access to shipbuilding and ship repair
capacity is critical to the Coast Guard's readiness and
critical to our national security. Any opportunity to increase
the resiliency of the national defense industrial base as it
pertains to shipbuilding is overall a good strategy and would
benefit not just the Coast Guard but the Nation.
Mr. Ezell. Very good, thank you. I would like to move to
something else here just for a minute about the shrimping and
fishing industry in my district, these hardworking mariners and
fishermen that help feed the United States and contribute
significantly to southeast Mississippi economy.
I continue to hear about the impact of illegal,
unregulated, and unreported fishing on these families. We must
continue to fight the illegal dumping and enforce the UFLPA. We
have seen these foreign countries, mainly the CCP, have no
regard for our laws or our communities.
With the growing threat to the IUU around the world,
especially with China's more aggressive fishing fleet, do you
agree more investments should be made to increase the FRC
acquisitions?
Admiral Fagan. Yes. Illegal fishing is a crime and it is a
crime that is committed around the globe. The best counter for
illegal fishing is creating on-scene and on-water presence, so
any investments that create extra capacity to counter that
crime of illegal fishing is a benefit.
The fast response cutters have been exceptional assets for
us, not just in illegal fishing but in many of the other
missions and operations we conduct as a Coast Guard.
Mr. Ezell. Very good. What legal authority does the Coast
Guard have to bring these perpetrators of IUU fishing to
justice?
Admiral Fagan. We engage in countering illegal fishing
literally around the world and in some cases we partner with
ally and partner nations to allow them to exercise their own
sovereignty and their own authorities in their own waters.
With regard to IUU fishing in the Gulf of Mexico, we
continue to engage to counter that activity and create
opportunities for enforcement and consequences to breaking the
law.
Mr. Ezell. Thank you.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to invite you down to Bollinger
Marine you can see the progress that is being made down there.
I would like to invite any Member on this committee to come see
what we are doing down there for the Coast Guard.
So with that, I yield back.
Mr. Gimenez. Thank you to the gentleman from Mississippi. I
may take you up on that.
The votes have been called and so the committee will stand
in recess until after the end of this vote series.
[Recess.]
Mr. Luttrell [presiding]. Again, thank you, Admiral, for
your graciousness on the development of the day.
Are you ready, Mr. Magaziner? Mr. Magaziner, you are
recognized for 5 minutes, sir.
Mr. Magaziner. Well, thank you, Mr. Chair. Congressman
Luttrell and I have been waiting for this day for a long time
so----
Mr. Luttrell. You get to witness it. Tell all your friends
that this is the future of Homeland right here.
Mr. Magaziner. Yes. I am going to get us in trouble.
Well, thank you again.
Thank you, Admiral. Rhode Island, of course, has a long,
rich history with the Coast Guard which maintains an active
presence in our State conducting search-and-rescue missions,
protecting our waters from environmental contamination and
illegal fishing, among other important missions.
I am very proud that as of 2022, 2 additional Coast Guard
cutters, the Tahoma and the Campbell, now call Newport home and
we are very proud and grateful for that.
One issue that we are having in Rhode Island as relates to
the Coast Guard has to do with the availability of housing. I
have heard from constituents, from Coast Guard Service members
who are having a hard time finding housing in the region, and
particularly in the Newport area where they have to compete
with, like, the vacation rental market and other factors. I
know that this is not an isolated experience. Forty-one percent
of U.S. Coast Guard units are located either in remote areas
without a lot of housing stock or in the high vacation rental
areas like in Newport.
So can you talk about how the Coast Guard is managing the
housing program and what we as Members of Congress can do to
help you in those efforts?
Admiral Fagan. Thank you. Housing is obviously a challenge
for the work force as we transfer them every several years and
the Newport is no exception to the challenge in finding
housing. We work to exercise all of our authorities with regard
to housing and so approach it from a diversified standpoint.
Where Congress can help is ensuring we have got adequate
housing allowance reimbursement for the work force so they can
actually access the housing. We are working to exercise long-
term leases to provide better predictability for people and,
obviously, rely on military bases and some of the public-
private venture housing there.
I know are all of those are leverages that we use both in
Newport and across the country to support our personnel.
Mr. Magaziner. Thank you. We heard a little bit already
about the staffing shortages, the personnel shortages that the
Coast Guard is facing. One of the impacts of that has been the
reduced service at the Castle Hill Station in Newport and so I
am wondering if you could give us a sense of what the time line
might be to returning to a full level of operation there and
what needs to happen in order to get that done?
Admiral Fagan. Yes. Station Castle Hill was one of the
stations that we moved to scheduled mission only. It reflects
the shortfall in nonrated and junior personnel that we are
managing as a Service.
That shortfall is currently about 2,300 people. I shared
earlier that we have gained ground on our recruiting and
recruiting challenges and we, at this point in the year, have
the number of reservations that we need to sort-of stop the
growth in losses.
It is going to take us time to build back. We will continue
to keep our foot on the gas to ensure that we are recruiting
any and all who want to serve this incredible organization and
look forward to working with you in this committee to ensure
that we have got all of the right investments for recruiting so
we can continue to grow.
Mr. Magaziner. Thank you. Of course, I think part of how we
address recruitment is by making sure that the Coast Guard is
seen as a place that is welcoming to everyone. You referenced
the issues with sexual assault at the academy in the 1980's and
1990's. Can you just talk a little bit about what protocols,
what programs have been put in place to ensure that that
culture remains in the past and is no longer present going
forward?
Admiral Fagan. We have made an incredible number of
investments in the organization and today are not the same
organization that we were in the 1980's and 1990's. Sexual
assault is a crime. It is investigated as a crime. I am
committed to ensuring that there is full accountability when a
crime occurs.
What we are doing around Service culture today that we have
moved out on aggressively is to ensure that the culture is
intolerant of any harm, whether it is the crime of sexual
assault, hazing, bullying, retaliation.
We have stepped into that work. I am proud of the progress
we are making and would welcome an opportunity to share with
you in detail some of the investments we have made and
additional investments we will need to ensure that we complete
this journey.
Mr. Magaziner. All right. Thank you, Admiral.
I yield back.
Mr. Luttrell. Thank you, sir.
Admiral, can you give me kind-of a--and we don't have to
get too, too far into the weeds on this, but your cyber
infrastructure, your cyber effort and how you are sharing that
across the force, and what that looks like globally and how the
footprint and the expansiveness of the footprint when it comes
to the cyber space?
Admiral Fagan. We have been making investments in cyber, in
our cyber work force, both to--it started with protecting our
own cyber infrastructure and increasingly includes investments
and expertise as it relates to the marine transportation system
and ensuring that the system we rely on in our Nation for $5.4
trillion in economic benefit is hardened and safe in the cyber
world.
There was an Executive Order in February that clarified our
role in response to a cyber incident, and we are in the process
of writing a rule making to clarify standards for the industry
that we regulate to ensure that they as well are cyber-
hardened. We sit in a great area of expertise between
understanding the maritime sector and having cyber expertise.
Mr. Luttrell. Well, you are definitely the subject-matter
expert. I would think creating cross-functional teams is a must
engaging with other services in their cyber force.
Is there information sharing going because this is the
tricky part and this is something that is kind-of frustrating
to the committee, that when we talk about cyber infrastructure
is it is very siloed.
You know, I am a Navy guy, so, obviously, Army hates me for
some reason, you know, but we don't--information sharing seems
to be kind-of restricted and we are trying to thread the seams.
Have you engaged with your counterparts in this, in cyber?
Admiral Fagan. We absolutely engage with our DOD
counterparts. I have Coast Guard personnel at U.S. Cyber
Command. I have a Coast Guard Cyber Command. We lean on that
training and infrastructure.
Our CPTs and mission teams work right alongside our DOD
counterparts. We are a member of the intelligence community and
working to share information and break down those silos is an
important part of the work that is on-going.
Mr. Luttrell. Looking forward, and I mean, I would ask
leadership to look, you need to be looking 10 to 20 years ahead
of where we are today. Is there advancements that you are--
let's see, I think the best way to say this is, is there a
stall point that you are seeing in the Coast Guard when it
comes to cyber buildout, to ask the one? Because the committee
itself understands the importance in the development of
cybersecurity and what that does for our operational and
strategic and tactical advantages. Is there something that is
kind-of pinging hard on your radar?
Admiral Fagan. We have been making these investments in
cyber and cyber expertise. We have stood up a cyber rating, a
cyber specialty within the organization.
Mr. Luttrell. OK. How does that--OK. Since--well, yes. I am
glad you said that because I know recruiting across the board,
minus the Marine Corps, you know, if there are any Marines in
here good job, recruiting seems to be difficult when it comes
to our cyber specialists.
When we talk about enhancing our recruiting capabilities
that seems to be one of those niches that we can't fill. Are
you finding any success from last year to this year?
Admiral Fagan. Cyber is definitely an area that people,
young people, are interested in. They want to join and serve
in. So it has been a benefit to have cyber specialty, cyber
rating.
I would welcome an opportunity to work with the committee
as we look at how do we continue to not just recruit but then
retain that work force as we provide incredible expertise and
training that we then need to retain either as a Coast Guard
or, frankly, in the military to ensure our national security.
There is still room to grow there and would welcome
further----
Mr. Luttrell. Right. I do think that is a narrative we need
to adjust. Actually, we need to recreate the narrative to
recruitment in the military and how it is one of the most
successful pathways you can possibly have as a young, aspiring
American.
As far as our waterway footprint and the amount of
immigration we see coming across the waters, and forgive me for
lack of a better term, but Coast Guard is responsible for the
policing of the global waterways. Is that overwhelming the
system?
Admiral Fagan. Is the question specifically related to
maritime----
Mr. Luttrell. Is the draw to when we have the Cuban
immigrants coming across the waterways; the Haitians, they are
coming across. It seems like we have to migrate a lot of effort
into that particular spot. Are we losing effort elsewhere
because we are having to focus in on that?
Admiral Fagan. The Coast Guard views our maritime migration
work, it is life-saving work as people make desperate attempts
to illegally migrate to the country. We 2 years ago were seeing
large numbers of migrant flows across all of the maritime
vectors, moved assets, created increased presence.
More recently, this year, those flows have been down
significantly, which frees assets. We still have them up
postured in those vectors. We use unmanned systems as well as
actual Coast Guard ships to create that presence, but we remain
ever-vigilant to preventing mass migration at sea but balance
that with the other demands on our work to include
counternarcotics.
Mr. Luttrell. OK. Thank you, ma'am.
Mr. Brecheen, you are recognized for 5 minutes, sir.
Mr. Brecheen. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Admiral, thank you so much for being here. I really want to
ducktail on my colleague from Texas when he was asking about
the amount of personnel and equipment and supplies, attention
to the Caribbean area.
I took a CODEL with a group. We had an incident with an
Oklahoman and several people from the United States in one of
the Caribbean islands recently, and it was astounding to find
out as far out into the Caribbean area as Turks and Caicos that
there was a patrol element and that we were spending so many
resources in that area.
What is the footprint, you know, just, I guess, Turks and
Caicos and the Puerto Rico area? What does that footprint look
like in that Turks and Caicos region? The reason why I am
asking this question, I am concerned that maybe we are
providing services, and I can tell you from meeting with the
leaders of that country, that I think probably is taken for
granted.
I can absolutely tell you that by meeting with their
leadership, the Governor, the AG. I don't think that they
understand in terms of just how they benefit from the American
taxpayer.
Are we spending too much time and resources there where
some of those assignments could be moved closer to the Florida
area?
Admiral Fagan. We have Coast Guard assets deployed into the
maritime vectors where we historically see maritime migration
to ensure that we prevent those illegal migrant attempts into
the United States. You asked specifically about Puerto Rico. We
have Coast Guard assets based in Puerto Rico, both fast
response cutters and people at stations, as well as an air
station to create that presence that is critical to deterring
those illegal effects.
Much of the work we do it is not just the Coast Guard. It
is interagency work and we do work with allies and partner
nations as we look to mitigate and prevent illegal migration
attempts.
Mr. Brecheen. But in regards to the amount of assignment
that is that far away from the mainland, but my question is are
we being as efficient as we could be? If I had a reason to play
defense, there is a reason why you have post in the game of
basketball because you kind-of concentrate manpower closer to
where the goal is. You know, for the goal for illegal
immigration is get access to mainland.
My question is are we sending so much personnel, equipment,
time spent so far, thousands of miles off the mainland coast,
that we are--your recruitment numbers are down, that maybe
would be better spent focusing closer to our mainland?
Admiral Fagan. Yes. I am happy to have staff come over and
walk through the complexity of how we place, you know, how we
create that deterrent effect and going, you know, providing a
defense further from the shore than being in your own end zone
is an effective strategy. We have a multiple layered approach
to doing that.
The Coast Guard men and women that do this work they
understand the work. They enjoy the work. They take meaning and
value from the work. Again, it is critical to our national
security as we work to create homeland security.
Mr. Brecheen. Now, I want to switch topics. With regards to
the cutter and in terms of the contract, you have every
expectation that what will happen is with the design still
being tweaked this late and you have already awarded a
contract, they turned in the, you know, they turned in a bid.
It was awarded by the Government.
They have already been establishing an increase in their
spend to be able to have the capacity. I don't know what that
would look like, if it is cranes, if it is footprint, if it is
size, to be able to do something which, you know, is a very
limited scope specialty.
But if your design is not complete they are going to issue
a massive change order and then what wiggle room in negotiation
does the Federal Government have, to make sure that that
awarded contract--that they just don't name the price and we
have the ability to say wait a minute? That is way outside of
bounds.
I don't understand why the design where you have 2 in
operation right now and we are just wanting to add another one
that is updated, why is it taking so long to get the design
that we know is going to be eaten financially up by change
orders?
Admiral Fagan. We have not built a polar security cutter or
a heavy icebreaker as a Nation for nearly 50 years. It will be
a big, complex ship. I am confident in the design and that when
we field that ship it will meet the needs of the Nation.
We have been working with the shipbuilder to get to the
level of design you need when you begin to cut steel that the
ship is going to be, you know, delivered with a predictable
schedule and predictable budget. I owe the committee an update
on schedule and budget.
We have been building modules that the shipyard has been
learning from with regard to the complexity of welding and
assembly. Those modules will eventually come forward into the
ship that we are building.
I am confident in the builder that we have the contract in.
Mr. Brecheen. I yield.
Mr. Luttrell. Thank you, sir.
Mr. Crane, you are recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. Crane. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Admiral Fagan, thank you so much for coming today. I want
to start by asking you to tell me about recruitment deficits
that you have seen.
Admiral Fagan. We began to have a deficit in recruiting
several years ago and it was exasperated by COVID. We have seen
the rebound from the COVID effect.
I appreciate the support of the committee and our overseers
who have allowed us to make investments back into recruiters.
We have professionalized our talent acquisition specialists.
All of that has paid dividends.
We have, as of 2 weeks ago, the number of reservations, so
that means people who are planning to go through Cape May that
we need to consider a full, successful year and meet our
recruiting.
The work force we are recruiting is second to none. They
know why they are joining and they understand the value
proposition to the American public.
Mr. Crane. Why do you think you guys are failing to hit
your numbers right now?
Admiral Fagan. It was a combination of capacity and we have
reinvested in that capacity. We are not always understood by
the totality of the American people. So, you know, beginning to
increase awareness and understanding of who we are as a Coast
Guard.
Just as the shipyards are looking for work force, you know,
we are competing with employers and other militaries of, you
know, across the country for work force and, you know, young
people have had some feelings with regard to work and all of
that has come together to make it a challenge.
Mr. Crane. Yes. Thank you, Admiral. What additional
workload has been put on the Coast Guard and our sailors
because we have a Commander-in-Chief who signaled to the rest
of the entire world that we were about to throw our Southern
Border wide open?
I know that you have to be careful in how you answer that.
I will make that claim because I know I am able to watch cause
and effect and I am not in your position. I don't wear your
uniform and that is not my chain of command.
But with the policy changes of this Federal Government over
the last couple years, what additional workload has that put on
your work force, Admiral?
Admiral Fagan. We view our role in preventing and
interdicting migrants at sea as critical life-saving work, and
we continue to ensure that we have got presence that is needed
to prevent----
Mr. Crane. Real quick, that is not what I asked you. I know
that that is a part of what you guys have to do and it does
absorb resources. I am asking you to give us an understanding
of how much of an additional workload that has put on your
resources, your infrastructure, your personnel because of the
policy? Can you even give me a percentage?
Admiral Fagan. Certainly happy to come over and we can walk
you through all of the flows of migrants over the last several
years. This year and today----
Mr. Crane. Has there been any study to calculate the
additional man-hours that is----
Admiral Fagan. I can share with you the ebb and flow of
man-hours and resources that we have put into the migrant----
Mr. Crane. But you don't know if off of the top of your
head, Admiral?
Admiral Fagan. No, I don't.
Mr. Crane. OK.
Admiral Fagan. I don't because those resources also do
other missions as we have them at sea. But happy to work with
your staff and give you more specifics.
Mr. Crane. Thank you, Admiral. Admiral Fagan, how do you
assess the current state of readiness and preparedness of the
U.S. Coast Guard to operate and respond effectively in the
Arctic region, especially coordinating with your naval
counterparts?
Admiral Fagan. We operate the Nation's surface assets in
the Arctic and the Coast Guard cutter Healy, in fact, is
operating in the high latitudes today conducting science
operations, creating presence for us as a Nation.
We work and interoperate up there with other military
services, other Arctic nations' military services, and we
create that on-scene presence in our own exclusive economic
zone in the Arctic.
Mr. Crane. Admiral Fagan, what DEI program implementations
have been made in the Coast Guard within the last couple of
years?
Admiral Fagan. We are hiring talent as a service, the best
talent that----
Mr. Crane. I don't need the bullet point, ma'am. We all
know that every institution within this Federal Government has
now been plagued by this cancer of DEI instead of hiring people
based on their merit alone. I am asking you what programs have
been implemented within the last couple of years that focus
solely on diversity, equity, and inclusion?
Admiral Fagan. I will have the staff give you--we value
diversity, but the talent that we----
Mr. Crane. Ma'am, we have always valued diversity in this
country, but we all know that we used to have a system that was
more based on merit. I am asking you specific questions about
what specific programs have been implemented under your watch
within the last couple of years that focus on DEI?
Admiral Fagan. I will have the staff work with your staff.
I can't immediately say this program initiated in the last 2
years. Again, the programs all focus on ensuring work force
that meets the standards, is able to serve honorably in the
Service, and that we hire a work force that meets our
standards.
Mr. Crane. Thank you, Admiral.
Mr. Gimenez [presiding]. The gentleman's time has expired.
Mr. Crane. I yield back.
Mr. Gimenez. Thank you.
The Chair now recognizes the gentleman from Alabama, Mr.
Strong.
Mr. Strong. Thank you, Chairman Gimenez.
Thank you for coming before the committee today, Admiral. I
recognize and appreciate the growing deployment of the Coast
Guard cutters to meet the threats around the world and note our
Coast Guard is spending additional time deployed away from the
United States.
This is especially true as the Coast Guard plays a key role
in responding to China's actions in the South Sea throughout
the Indo-Pacific. I do have some concerns, however, about the
impact these deployments could have on our fleet.
Admiral, what impact has the increased deployment tempo in
the Indo-Pacific had on the cutter fleet?
Admiral Fagan. We are globally deployed as a Coast Guard
and we conduct Coast Guard operations consistent with our
authority. The work that we are doing in the Indo-Pacific is
critical to countering China and to increasing other partners'
capacity to enforce their own sovereignty and improve their own
capacity and capability.
The Pacific support tender Harriet Lane is a perfect
example of how a Coast Guard ship with Coast Guard authorities
can create capacity and opportunity for a partner nation.
Mr. Strong. What is the concept for conducting maintenance
on forward-operating cutters moving forward?
Admiral Fagan. So we continue to look at how we support
cutters forward. When the large cutters are over in theater
they are under the operational control of our DOD counterparts
and we rely on them for logistic supports.
The fast response cutters have been fielded into the
region. We have got several in Guam and we continue to look at
innovative ways to ensure we have got the right maintenance and
support for cutters as they are forward-deployed.
Mr. Strong. Thank you. What resources are currently
available in the Indo-Pacific to the Coast Guard to conduct
high-level scheduled and emergency maintenance to the fleet?
Admiral Fagan. So, as I said, we rely heavily on the DOD
services and investments that are over there, primarily the
large cutters. We run them through their standard maintenance
cycles focused on shipyard availability and continue to work to
ensure that we are appropriately supporting the fast response
cutters as they conduct operations in the theater. A lot of
that is in conversation with my DOD counterparts.
Mr. Strong. Thank you. Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
Mr. Gimenez. The gentleman yields.
The Chair now recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey, Mr.
Menendez.
Mr. Menendez. Mr. Chair, Mr. Ranking Member, thank you for
convening today's hearing.
I thank you for coming here today.
The U.S. maritime ports were largely unaffected by last
week's CrowdStrike outage. That event showed the swift and
severe consequences of IT disruptions. Given the reliance of
global supply on the efficient transportation of cargo through
maritime ports, IT disruptions at ports, such as the Port of
New York and New Jersey, would have a significant impact on the
U.S. and world economy.
It is imperative that we advance policies that will make
our ports more resilient. In February 2024, the Coast Guard
issued a notice proposing an update to its maritime security
regulation by adding regulations specifically focused on
establishing minimum cybersecurity requirements for U.S.-
flagged vessels and ports.
Admiral, please explain why the Coast Guard believes such a
rule change is necessary?
Admiral Fagan. Cyber and cybersecurity is as critical to
our infrastructure, resiliency, and readiness as hardware and
infrastructure. We have invested our own cyber force expertise
and now the intent of the rule making is to ensure that we have
got the right clarity around standards for vessels and
facilities.
We issued a notice of proposed rule making, opened a
comment period. That comment period is now closed. We have had
over 400 comments. We are listening to what was said and are
working to work that rule forward so that it creates increased
resiliency around cyber in our critical maritime port
infrastructure.
Mr. Menendez. Can you summarize sort-of what, generally,
what the feedback has been from those roughly 400 or so
comments?
Admiral Fagan. Yes. I have not seen the comments but they
focus on, you know, just ensuring that it sets the right
standard and fair playing field for mitigating risk in cyber
across realm. I am happy to work with the staff on, you know,
details, but, obviously, 400 comments is going to take us some
time to work through them.
Mr. Menendez. Yes. I am sure this is also harmonizing,
right, because there are so many different operators from so
many different regions under so many different regulatory
regimes and ensuring that they understand sort-of what this
rule would mean for them as they operate in sort-of multiple
jurisdictions.
I would love to work with you. I was actually just in a
cybersecurity meeting with our Cybersecurity Subcommittee
chair, Andrew Garbarino. This is something that we would love
to partner with you, given our port infrastructure in the
district and our work on the Cybersecurity Subcommittee.
I want to turn to work force. You mentioned that
modernizing the talent management system, which has remained
unchanged for 75 years, is a top priority. Like many of my
colleagues, I am concerned that the work force shortage will
prevent the Coast Guard from effectively responding to a major
event like a natural disaster.
Before I get to my question, I do want to mention that you
have a terrific First District military aide, Melanie Arroyo,
who is a proud product of Bayonne, New Jersey. She is an all-
star and I am proud that she is a member of the Coast Guard. So
I just wanted to give her a shout-out. The mayor of Bayonne is
extremely proud of her. We all are.
But if the Coast Guard is required to respond to a large-
scale emergency today would it have the staffing and resources
it needs to do so while maintaining its various mission
capabilities? Or would it have to scale back missions or make
other changes?
Admiral Fagan. So our role in crisis leadership and
disaster response is one of the core strengths of the Coast
Guard, and we remain always ready to respond in time of need,
whether it is a hurricane, or look no further than the response
to the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which showcases the
flexibility and nimbleness that we bring as a maritime
organization, a military, a law enforcement agency.
We continue to view that as critical work that we provide
to the American public and ensure that we stay nimble and
responsive should that need arise again. Or I should say when
that need arises again.
Mr. Menendez. Of course. I appreciate that. On May 14,
2024, the House passed my bill, H.R. 7702, as part of the Coast
Guard Reauthorization Act of 2024. This legislation was
introduced in response to the tragic vessel fire in Newark last
July, which claimed the lives of 2 brave firefighters, Augusto
``Auggie'' Acabou and Wayne ``Bear'' Brooks, Jr., both Newark
firefighters.
To address the significant risk posed by vessel fires, what
are the Coast Guard's current capabilities for coordinating
with local firefighting units and other stakeholders to ensure
effective response prevention measure for vessel fires?
Admiral Fagan. So our role in the ports and communities is
to bring all of the entities together, response entities and
port facilities, to ensure that lines of authority and
capabilities are well-understood. That is done in New York
through the Area Maritime Security Committee.
You know, we continue to serve in a coordinating and a
convening role to ensure that all entities with capacity and
authority are able to talk to each other and understand before
the response happens.
Mr. Menendez. I appreciate that, and I appreciate your work
on all fronts. Thank you again for being here today.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
Mr. Gimenez. Thank you to the gentleman from New Jersey.
The Chair now recognizes the gentlewoman from Georgia, Ms.
Greene.
Ms. Greene. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Since the start of the 118th Congress, our committee has
been laser-focused on securing our border and stopping the flow
of illegal migration and illegal narcotics. The Coast Guard
plays a significant role in DHS's posture on the maritime
border.
Most of us have seen videos on social media of Coast Guard
boarding teams seizing drug boats and stopping boats overladen
with migrants attempting to illegally enter the United States.
We are thankful to the Coast Guard and the hard work that they
do on behalf of the United States.
Admiral Fagan, on average, how many illegal aliens does the
Coast Guard interdict in a year?
Admiral Fagan. The number of interdictions that we
encounter at sea has varied significantly year to year. This
year to date the numbers have been quite low in comparison to
previous years. Happy to have the staff come over and walk you
through 3 to 5 years' worth of maritime migration interdiction
numbers.
Creating on-water presence helps prevent that flow, and
also policy clarity with regard to consequences for illegal
attempts to migrate also have a significant impact on whether
the numbers are up or down. Weather gets a vote, too.
Ms. Greene. Right, certainly understood. Thank you. We
would probably take you up on that offer. I would appreciate
it.
What countries are the most frequent countries where people
are illegally trying to enter the United States?
Admiral Fagan. I will speak to the maritime migration
flows. The typical nationalities encountered at sea are Haiti
and Cuba. There are some onesie, twosies, and again, can walk
through all that, but primarily at sea it is Haiti and Haitians
and Cubans.
Ms. Greene. On average, how many drug boats does the Coast
Guard intercept every year? I know you may not have the number
in front of you.
Admiral Fagan. Our counternarcotics mission work in the
Eastern Pacific and in the Caribbean is critical. It, too, is
life-saving work preventing narcotics from reaching the streets
of the United States and resulting in overdoses.
This is a line of effort that we work in conjunction with
other allies and our DOD partners, and we continue to interdict
primarily cocaine but some marijuana as well at sea. That is
work that Coast Guard members are doing right now as we sit in
this hearing room. Again, can walk you through those annual
reports and numbers, but it is critical life-saving and
national security work we do on behalf of the Nation.
Ms. Greene. Well, we thank the Coast Guard for that. On
average, how many pounds of narcotics does the Coast Guard
seize every year? That is pretty much what you just alluded to,
cocaine and mostly cocaine you said? Some marijuana?
Admiral Fagan. The majority that we see at sea in the
maritime flow is cocaine, but we are also seeing marijuana and
occasionally we will find some fentanyl or methanol. Again,
happy to walk you through all that. It varies year to year,
month to month.
Ms. Greene. Of the total migrant and drug boats that sail
from Central and South America or Cuba or Haiti, what
percentage does the Coast Guard interdict with and what
percentage evades detection?
Admiral Fagan. So when we detect a migrant venture, you
know, we work then to follow it and interdict at sea. The
ability to detect, particularly vessels that are not on the
high seas, can be a challenge.
When we detect the vessel we move to interdict. I don't
have off-hand what the estimate on the number of interdictions
versus number of getaways but it is life-saving work to ensure
people don't lose their lives as they make these incredibly
hazardous journeys to at sea.
Ms. Greene. How many migrants do lose their lives? I would
imagine there are some that don't make it.
Admiral Fagan. Yes. Our goal is to prevent that loss of
life but there have been loss of life in the maritime flows.
Would be happy to share what the estimates are. That as well
varies year to year.
Ms. Greene. Dangerous job for the Coast Guard as well. Has
there been loss of life for members of the Coast Guard?
Admiral Fagan. We have been very fortunate that our members
have not been killed, but it is dangerous work. We continue to
ensure we have got the right training and policy and procedures
to mitigate that risk, but it is work that we happily do on
behalf of the Nation and will continue to lean into.
I am committed to ensuring my work force has all the tools
and training they need to do it safely.
Ms. Greene. Thank you, Admiral Fagan.
I yield back.
Mr. Crane [presiding.] Thank you.
The Chair now recognizes the gentleman from Louisiana, Mr.
Carter.
Mr. Carter. Well, thank you for your service. We know your
job is not an easy one, and we have the utmost respect for
anyone who wears the uniform and protects our flank. So God
bless you, ma'am.
As the climate changes, the frequency and intensity of
extreme weather events are increasing. This summer a prolonged
and intense heat wave has impacted millions across our country.
Hurricane Beryl, which recently hit the Caribbean and Texas,
was the earliest-ever category 5 Atlantic hurricane.
This was fueled by the ocean being as warm in June as it is
typically would be in September after months of summer fun or
summer sun, rather. We still have many weeks left of summer and
months left of hurricane season. How has extreme weather fueled
by climate change impacted the Coast Guard's operation?
Admiral Fagan. We are, obviously, deployed or employed
along the coast line and so as weather events and flooding
events intensify it impacts our infrastructure. As we have
rebuilt the post-hurricanes in previous years we moved to
rebuild that infrastructure so it is resilient to those kinds
of impacts from climate change.
Our role as a first responder, disaster responder, leader
in disaster, we continue to hone those skills and, you know, I
am certain, whether it was the Francis Scott Key Bridge or
Beryl or the next disaster, that the Coast Guard people will be
there and ready to lead and support the Nation.
Mr. Carter. Can you speak to the precautions the Coast
Guard has taken to protect its people and its physical assets
in light of the increasingly hot summer and intense storms
anticipated?
Admiral Fagan. Yes. We continue as opportunity presents
itself to make investments in our infrastructure to make them
more ready and more resilient to the impacts of both
temperature and water events and will continue to look for
those opportunities to make those investments in the future.
Mr. Carter. How does the Coast Guard support Hurricane
Beryl response efforts and how well-prepared, in your
estimations, is the Coast Guard to respond to future events?
Admiral Fagan. Yes. The Coast Guard takes our role in
responding to hurricanes quite seriously. We do a lot of work
as the hurricane is approaching a coastal area to ensure that
our ports and our harbors are resilient, that our own equipment
and people are out of harm's way.
We posture and we assure that as the storm passes and we
are able to begin moving primarily, you know, aviation assets
and boats that we are in a position to do critical life-saving
work and then move to bring the alignment of Federal, State,
and local responders together to ensure that those communities'
needs are being met and met in a way that is responsive to
whatever the impacts of the storm was.
Mr. Carter. Has it been effective, ma'am, working with
local and State GOHSEPs and the like to make sure that the
deployment of resources are timely dispatched and the
assistance is met with the coordination that is required?
Admiral Fagan. Yes. In our ports and communities our
captain of the ports, who are, you know, 06 captain level in
each of the major ports in the country, they convene the other
Federal, State, and local responders.
This happens in the good times so that when an actual
disaster or response has occurred those people in the port they
know each other. They understand authorities and capabilities
and are able to come together much more quickly for alignment
on response.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge is a perfect example of how
all that comes together for great benefit for both the local
community and the Nation.
Mr. Carter. As I often say, we know when these storms are
coming, we know their names. They tend to come faster, stay
longer, and come with greater intensity. God forbid that we
don't learn from each storm to make sure that we are not doing
the same thing over and over again and expecting a different
result.
Including the local communities is paramount in making sure
in the pre-, during, and post-effects that the people are well-
informed of access and opportunities to stay safe.
Real quickly, through U.S. maritime ports, though the U.S.
maritime ports were largely unaffected by last week's
CrowdStrike outage, the event showed the swift and severe
consequences of IT disruptions.
Given the resilience of the global supply on the efficient
transportation of cargo, how are we addressing those concerns?
Admiral Fagan. We take our role in cyber as it pertains to
the marine transportation system seriously. We have been
investing in our own cyber expertise in cyber capacity.
We are in the process of a notice of proposed rule making
to clarify standards with regard to cyber, cyber readiness,
cyber resiliency as it pertains to ships and facilities and
continue to work on ensuring we have got the most resilient
marine transportation system that the Nation needs.
Mr. Carter. Thank you, ma'am. My time has expired.
As I opened I will close the same way. Ma'am, thank you for
your service and all the men and women of the Coast Guard for
the incredible work that you do.
Admiral Fagan. Thank you.
Mr. Carter. Mr. Chairman, I yield.
Mr. Crane. The Chairman now recognizes the gentleman from
Texas, Mr. Gonzales.
Mr. Gonzales. Thank you, Chairman.
Thank you, Commandant, for being here. I want to follow up
to my colleague from Arizona his questions on DEI because I am
also concerned with that.
I think back to my time in the military where we had
mandatory training and some of that mandatory training I
thought was appropriate as a master chief. Sometimes I thought
it was busy work. Parts of it was busy work. Then some of it I
thought took us away from doing our job.
So the question for you is how many hours of mandatory DEI
training do Coast Guardsmen have?
Admiral Fagan. We have a number of mandated general
military training requirements. I don't know of a stand-alone
course. We would have to look into each of those to understand
is there a DEI component.
My focus on the Service is hiring talent that meets the
standards and then ensuring when a member has taken their oath
and decided to serve that they encounter an environment that is
free from harm and that is intolerant of harm and where
everyone is valued and able to achieve their fullest potential.
Mr. Gonzales. I would appreciate it if we can get back with
maybe a number of hours on that as you dig through it. Once
again, I am concerned that we take away from our job and your
job is very important. It is very critical.
I would also say DEI does not equal diversity in many
cases, but I will leave it there. I would love to follow up
with you on that part.
Now, to talk a little bit of tactical, JIATF South. I am a
proponent of JIATF South. I think it is the gold standard in
many cases of bringing interagencies together and success.
Outside of being on Homeland Security, I am also on the
Homeland Security Committee--I am also on Appropriations.
So my question is very clear to you. JIATF South plays a
critical component to counternarcotics and maritime security.
What additional resources, money, right, how much money do you
need in order to have Coast Guard successes increase
specifically when talking about JIATF South?
Admiral Fagan. I agree JIATF South is absolutely the gold
standard in not just interagency alignment but also
international partner alignment as they do all of the detection
and monitoring for the counternarcotics effort.
Specific to the U.S. Coast Guard needs, it comes back to
our major ship acquisition programs, ensuring that we have got
reliable budget authority and appropriation for our
acquisitions, particularly the offshore patrol cutter which the
first one was launched in the fall.
But creating ship capacity that creates the force package
that gives you end game in JIATF is really where the sweet spot
is for the Coast Guard.
Mr. Gonzales. Excellent, and I look forward to continuing
to work together. I think one of the issues has always been the
lack of platforms that JIATF South has in order to operate. The
mission always grew. There was always plenty of work. There was
just not enough assets to go above because you were oftentimes
competing with other areas.
Once again, as I put my appropriator hat on, if there is
any way I can help in that, would love to work with your team,
maybe more specifics outside of the overall umbrella, but more
specifics in order to build that out. I am very interested in
that.
My next question is on CrowdStrike. The CrowdStrike IT
outage impacted the world. On that day, the U.S. Coast Guard
Southeast posted via X, ``The nationwide connectivity outage
are impacting the U.S. Coast Guard Rescue 21 systems and #D7.
For urgent distress, please use VHF radio 16 to reach out to
the Coast Guard or dial the Seventh District command center.''
Was this an isolated incident or was this Coast Guard-wide?
Admiral Fagan. So the CrowdStrike incident that we all
tracked as a Nation early on that day and Friday was not the
cause of the Rescue 21 outage. Instead, it was a hardware
failure on a Verizon system that we rely on for some of our
network.
We continue to work to troubleshoot that. Understand it was
a Coast Guard-wide impact to the Rescue 21. Speaks to the need
to ensure our own resiliency in our own IT infrastructure and
welcome further discussion to see where we might be able to
make more investments.
Mr. Gonzales. To that point, I would like to continue to
work together on future situations where we can make this--you
know, we can prevent this from happening.
My last question is on an article from DefenseScoop of last
year that highlighted ``Coast Guard petitions for formal
recognition to the U.S. Cyber Command Force.'' Given the Coast
Guard's unique cyber positions and its dual role under the
Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defense, how
will this formal recognition within U.S. Cyber Mission Force
enhance Coast Guard's cyber capabilities?
Admiral Fagan. We have been investing in our cyber
capabilities both internal to the organization and the work we
do in support of USCYBERCOM and with USCYBERCOM. Happy to have
staff come over. There are a number of Classified elements to
it but walk you through all that is going on and how we
contribute to the broader cyber fight in defense of the Nation.
Mr. Gonzales. We covered a lot of ground in 5 minutes but,
once again, these cyber issues aren't going away. The Coast
Guard is the tip of the spear in many cases and I want to make
sure that you have a partner not only in me, but also in this
committee.
Admiral Fagan. Thank you.
Mr. Gonzales. Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
Mr. Crane. Thank you.
The Chair now recognizes the gentleman from Michigan, Mr.
Thanedar.
Mr. Thanedar. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Admiral Fagan, for being here and I thank the
men and women of Coast Guard for their hard work.
Operation Fouled Anchor revealed a culture at the Coast
Guard Academy that allowed abuse to persist and go unchecked.
Senior cadets were given power over junior cadets that they
misused and cadets were rarely held to account. Allegations
were downgraded and dismissed.
The academy insulated itself from the rest of the Service
by handling allegations internally and sealed records.
According to the final report of investigation, victims did not
receive respect consistent with Coast Guard's core values on
several levels. These are facts, Admiral Fagan.
I would like to better understand the standards of
character for cadets at the Coast Guard Academy as they are
now. If a cadet was found severely liable for sexually abusing
and defaming a woman, would that violate the Coast Guard's code
of conduct?
Admiral Fagan. The Fouled Anchor investigation revealed to
us inadequate handling and investigation of sexual assaults
reported by cadets in the 1980's and 1990's at the Coast Guard
Academy. One assault is one assault too many, and we are not
the same organization today that we were then when we failed to
create the appropriate environment for reports of sexual
assault.
The standard at the Coast Guard Academy is the same
standard that we have in the Service and that is that we will
not tolerate sexual assault, harassment, retaliation,
retribution, hazing, bullying. Growing a culture that is fully
intolerant of that change where people have the courage to act,
to report, and that there is trust in the system is the work
that we are doing.
Mr. Thanedar. Well, let me ask you, if 18 women accused a
cadet of having a history of disgusting and at times criminal
behavior toward women, including sexual harassment and sexual
assault, would that cadet be allowed to serve?
Admiral Fagan. Those reports today result in a full
investigation. When substantiated and misconduct is found those
cadets are not allowed to graduate.
Mr. Thanedar. All right. If a cadet had a history of making
public vulgar and profanity-laced remarks about women, so
vulgar that I cannot read them here today, would that cadet be
considered fit for service?
Admiral Fagan. We would fully investigate. With that report
we would fully investigate it and determine whether the
behavior--and it does not sound like it is consistent with our
core values, and hold that cadet accountable, the same as we
would with any member of the Service who is found to have
conducted themselves inconsistently with our core values.
Mr. Thanedar. Would that cadet be considered fit for
service?
Admiral Fagan. No, but again, consistent with policy,
program, and our core values. I won't tolerate misconduct. I
don't tolerate criminal behavior when it is reported and it
comes to light and we investigate it. We will move to ensure
accountability and that means in some cases removal from
service, other cases reduction in grade.
We have a number of tools and we will fully leverage those
tools when somebody is found to have, No. 1, crimes and the
criminal system has been well-invested in, but other misconduct
as well must be addressed.
Mr. Thanedar. Thank you, Admiral Fagan. Obviously, these
behaviors are unacceptable for all Coast Guard service members
from candidates to senior leaders and, in fact, for any leaders
in this country. Do you agree?
Admiral Fagan. I hold myself and the work force to the
highest standards of ethics and integrity. Our core values of
honor, respect, and devotion to duty guide us in all that we
do, both on and off duty. We must hold ourselves to the highest
standards.
Mr. Thanedar. Thank you, Admiral.
I yield back.
Mr. Crane. I want to thank the witness for her valuable
testimony and the Members for their questions. The Members of
the committee may have some additional questions for you,
Admiral, and we would ask that you respond to these in writing.
Pursuant to committee rule VII(D), the hearing record will
be open for 10 days.
OK. Ranking Member Thompson would like to make a closing
statement.
Mr. Thompson. Well, one of things I didn't get a chance to
say, Admiral, is let me thank the gold standard of the Coast
Guard for being johnny-on-the-spot as first responders.
I went through Katrina and a lot of other stuff and I know
Congressman Carter and others who--Congressman Ezell, who
represents the Gulf of Mexico area, really appreciate it. I
have seen the work.
The men and women do a stellar job as first responders. I
mean, it is sort-of like when they show up you know the real
help is there. So I want to just compliment you for doing that.
Your mission is critical. Everybody here, it talks about
putting resources where they need to be. I would encourage you
to go back and ask for more, whether it is in a supplemental
that we expect in the not-too-distant future or something, and
let's see if we can't get you where you need to be from a
resource standpoint so it is good.
But also I need your commitment that once the inspector
general finishes his work that you will take whatever action
necessary to do it. It is a black eye on the Coast Guard that
women who serve are being harassed and others and we just can't
have it.
So it has been documented and I encourage you to once the
work is complete that your commitment is that we will get it
done, and I know you will do that.
But also, Mr. Chairman, last summer this committee passed
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee's cyber work force bill, but
it has not yet been considered on the floor. In the
Congresswoman's honor, I urged the Chairman to ensure that her
bill is considered and passed this Congress. I think it would
be a fitting tribute to her legacy on this committee.
I look forward to working with you to get it done. We
didn't have any opposition to it, so it should go forward
without any delay. I look forward to working with whoever to
make that happen.
With that, I yield back.
Mr. Crane. Without objection, this committee stands
adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 12:27 p.m., the committee was adjourned.]
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