[Senate Hearing 118-695]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
S. Hrg. 118-695
IMPORTANCE OF GREAT LAKES ICEBREAKING
TO THE REGIONAL ECONOMY
=======================================================================
FIELD HEARING
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON OCEANS, FISHERIES, CLIMATE
CHANGE, AND MANUFACTURING
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE,
SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
UNITED STATES SENATE
ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
__________
MARCH 1, 2024
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation
[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Available online: http://www.govinfo.gov
__________
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
61-204 PDF WASHINGTON : 2025
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SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
MARIA CANTWELL, Washington, Chair
AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota TED CRUZ, Texas, Ranking
BRIAN SCHATZ, Hawaii JOHN THUNE, South Dakota
EDWARD MARKEY, Massachusetts ROGER WICKER, Mississippi
GARY PETERS, Michigan DEB FISCHER, Nebraska
TAMMY BALDWIN, Wisconsin JERRY MORAN, Kansas
TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Illinois DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska
JON TESTER, Montana MARSHA BLACKBURN, Tennessee
KYRSTEN SINEMA, Arizona TODD YOUNG, Indiana
JACKY ROSEN, Nevada TED BUDD, North Carolina
BEN RAY LUJAN, New Mexico ERIC SCHMITT, Missouri
JOHN HICKENLOOPER, Colorado J. D. VANCE, Ohio
RAPHAEL WARNOCK, Georgia SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West
PETER WELCH, Vermont Virginia
CYNTHIA LUMMIS, Wyoming
Lila Harper Helms, Staff Director
Melissa Porter, Deputy Staff Director
Jonathan Hale, General Counsel
Brad Grantz, Republican Staff Director
Nicole Christus, Republican Deputy Staff Director
Liam McKenna, General Counsel
------
SUBCOMMITTEE ON OCEANS, FISHERIES, CLIMATE CHANGE,
AND MANUFACTURING
TAMMY BALDWIN, Wisconsin, Chair DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska, Ranking
BRIAN SCHATZ, Hawaii ROGER WICKER, Mississippi
EDWARD MARKEY, Massachusetts JERRY MORAN, Kansas
BEN RAY LUJAN, New Mexico MARSHA BLACKBURN, Tennessee
RAPHAEL WARNOCK, Georgia J. D. VANCE, Ohio
PETER WELCH, Vermont
C O N T E N T S
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Page
Hearing held on March 1, 2024.................................... 1
Statement of Senator Baldwin..................................... 1
Witnesses
Admiral Linda L. Fagan, Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard............. 2
Prepared statement........................................... 4
Master Chief Heath B. Jones, Master Petty Chief, U.S. Coast Guard 7
Prepared statement........................................... 8
Rear Admiral Jonathan P. Hickey, Commander, Ninth District, U.S.
Coast Guard.................................................... 10
Prepared statement........................................... 12
Master Chief Matthew D. Buckman, Command Master Chief, Ninth
District, U.S. Coast Guard..................................... 14
Prepared statement........................................... 15
Dean B. Haen, Director, Brown County Port and Resource Recovery
Department..................................................... 26
Prepared statement........................................... 27
Ken Przybyla, Vice President of Operations, GLC Minerals......... 29
Prepared statement........................................... 30
James H. I. Weakley, President, Lake Carriers' Association....... 31
Prepared statement........................................... 33
IMPORTANCE OF GREAT LAKES ICEBREAKING TO THE REGIONAL ECONOMY
----------
FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2024
U.S. Senate,
Subcommittee on Oceans, Fisheries, Climate Change
and Manufacturing,
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation,
Green Bay, WI.
The Subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 11 a.m. CST,
in Green Bay, Wisconsin 54303, Hon. Tammy Baldwin, Chairman of
the Subcommittee, presiding.
Present: Senator Baldwin [presiding].
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. TAMMY BALDWIN,
U.S. SENATOR FROM WISCONSIN
Senator Baldwin. [Technical problems]--icebreaking to
Wisconsin and the regional economy. The importance of Great
Lakes navigation cannot be overstated. Commerce on the Great
Lakes supports more than $20 billion in regional economic
activity, including 147,000 jobs and $10.5 billion in wages
that go directly to hardworking individuals right here in this
region.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports that the Great
Lakes save the economy $3.9 billion per year by providing a
less costly way to transport goods. We are in Green Bay to hold
this hearing not by accident or happenstance.
Just down the street is the port of Green Bay, which is a
vital hub in this navigation system that generates jobs and
supports economic activity, so--which is so vital to Wisconsin
and to the region.
And I am grateful that today we will be able to hear
directly from the people who have firsthand experience moving
commodities through our port and keeping this critical part of
the regional economy active and healthy.
Our second panel today, we will hear from Dean Haen, the
Port Director for the Port of Green Bay; Ken Przybyla, Vice
President of Operations for GLC Minerals, a company that has
over 150 years of experience moving commodities through the
Great Lakes; and Jim Weakley, President of the Lake Carriers
Association. Icebreaking during the winter months is crucial to
sustaining the movement of good that powers our regional
economy.
I recognize that we are having a warmer winter than usual
this year, and it is presenting its own challenges for small
businesses across the state. Still, three of the worst Great
Lakes ice seasons of the past several decades occurred during
the past 10 years.
During these 3 years combined, inadequate icebreaking cost
our region's economy approximately $2 billion and 10,000 jobs
due to reductions in maritime commerce, resulting in impacts on
manufacturing industries. Climate change is contributing to
more extreme weather events, larger quantities of
precipitation, and higher lake levels.
During the winter, these changes result in greater risk of
flooding because ice collects in rivers and forms ice dams. Our
communities rely on Coast Guard icebreakers to break up those
ice dams and prevent flooding in our communities.
The Coast Guard is the only Federal entity required and
equipped to perform icebreaking on U.S. waterways. There are
currently nine Great Lakes icebreakers, including just one
heavy icebreaker, the Coast Guard Cutter MACKINAW, which has
been in service for 17 years.
This vessel is currently the only heavy icebreaking
resource assigned to the Great Lakes, conducting 14 percent of
the Coast Guard's average annual domestic icebreaking hours.
From reliable supply chains to saving lives and property from
flooding, we need more icebreakers. And that is why I have
consistently advocated for the acquisition of a new, heavy
Great Lakes icebreaker.
I was proud to work with my colleagues to introduce the
bipartisan Great Lakes Winter Commerce Act, which was signed
into law as part of the National Defense Authorization Act in
December 2022. This bill authorized full funding for a new
heavy Great Lakes icebreaker at $35 million.
As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee also, I
am continuing to work to ensure that we secure funding. In the
Senate, we have bipartisan Government funding legislation that
includes $55 million for this new heavy icebreaker.
And I have been, and I will continue to press my colleagues
to pass this important funding bill, and I will continue to
fight for full funding of the icebreaker and an on-time
appropriations bill next year.
Admiral Fagan, and Admiral Hickey, Master Chief Jones, and
Master Chief Buckman, thank you all for being here today. I
look forward to discussing this region's icebreaking needs with
you today, as well as listen--as well as items that are
important to our Coast Guard and our Coast Guard families
stationed here in the Great Lakes region, such as access to
adequate, affordable childcare, housing, and health care.
I am confident that we can work together to better serve
those who serve our Nation. And I will now turn over to our
witnesses for their opportunity to make opening testimony,
starting with Admiral Fagan. We will include your full written
testimony in the record.
So, if we could try to keep around 5 minutes, that would be
great, and thanks again.
STATEMENT OF ADMIRAL LINDA L. FAGAN, COMMANDANT, U.S. COAST
GUARD
Admiral Fagan. All right. Thank you, Senator. Hopefully,
everyone can hear me. And good morning, Chair Baldwin. Thank
you for the opportunity to testify today, the great State of
Wisconsin, and I love being in this state.
Thank you as well for your enduring support of the United
States Coast Guard and thank you for accepting my written
testimony into the record. The Great Lakes are the heart of a
regional economy that generates $6 trillion in gross domestic
product every year.
Unimpeded flow of resources on the Great Lakes is essential
to preserve the region's prosperity and the Nation's strength.
Safeguarding this economy and overcoming the seasonal and
environmental challenges of the Great Lakes demands a ready
Coast Guard workforce and fleet.
Today, I look forward to sharing how our icebreakers,
icebreaking operations, and partnerships are vital for the
Coast Guard to sustain readiness, resilience, and capability in
the region.
Our workforce is at the forefront of these efforts, and I
look forward to discussing the quality of life in Coast Guard
service members and their families across the region, including
here in Wisconsin.
I am incredibly proud of our Coast Guard active duty,
reserve, and civilian, and auxiliary workforce who execute
missions across the Great Lakes. And my highest priority as
Commandant is to ensure and build our talent management system
and strengthen our service culture. Need to ensure that every
member is able to serve in a safe environment and is able to
serve to their greatest potential.
Every member of our workforce is entitled to serve in an
environment free from sexual assault, sexual harassment,
hazing, bullying, retaliation, and retribution, and I am
committed to the work necessary to ensure our core values of
honor and respect are experienced and realized every day by
every member of the workforce.
Our Coast Guard families deserve support services that meet
their needs. And thank you to Congress, we have made meaningful
investments to improve the experience our workforce and
families have serving in the Great Lakes region.
Many of our units are in close knit communities where
available housing, health care, and childcare differs from
densely populated locations. Improved access to health care
must include expanding the use of telehealth services, easing
access to medical specialties including dental care, physical
therapy, and behavioral health services.
We are prioritizing family support, seeking increased
access to childcare, and expanding professional development
opportunities for Coast Guard spouses. This support helps our
workforce meet the challenge of balancing military service and
family life. That balance enables our crews to focus on their
critical missions to safeguard Great Lakes waterways.
Our goal is to keep the highest priority waterways open for
vessels passage during the winter, and we understand that as
economic demands and climate conditions change in this region,
we must evolve the icebreaking mission accordingly.
Therefore, we are evaluating our current data sources to
develop a wider slate of performance measures to assess the
health of the waterways, the impacts of commercial icebreaking
patterns, and the performance of our own icebreaking fleet. And
we support our Great Lakes shipping partners, and we intend to
leverage this information to better articulate our resource
needs and tradeoffs within the region.
Along the vast shorelines and shared maritime boundaries of
the Great Lakes, our partnerships are vital to the success of
the icebreaking mission, and since 1980, the United States
Coast Guard has partnered closely with the Canadian Coast Guard
to optimize work across the fleet of icebreaking assets.
The partnership, known as One Fleet, facilitates about
1,000 vessel transits carrying 20 million tons of bulk cargo,
and supports $1 billion of industrial production during an
average ice season. The United States Coast Guard provides
icebreaking capabilities throughout the Great Lakes, with one
heavy domestic icebreaker, six 140 foot icebreakers, and two
225 ice capable buoy tenders.
And combined with our Canadian Coast Guard partners, our
fleet support a unified approach to icebreaking to provide
economies of scale and flexibility. Our continued success in
this mission requires the sustainment and modernization of the
Coast Guard domestic icebreakers, and I am committed to
developing the next system of icebreaking assets.
The recently completed fleet mix analysis result showed we
need another heavy domestic icebreaker to meet future mission
demands across the Great Lakes. And in consistent with
Congressional direction and the President's 2024 budget
request, we are focused on acquiring a second heavy domestic
icebreaker, and I look forward to continuing to work with
Congress to support this acquisition.
The Great Lakes is instrumental to the United States'
national security and economic prosperity, and we proudly serve
in this region and its communities and are committed to
sharpening the services we provide to keep the Great Lakes
economy moving forward.
Senator, thank you for the opportunity to be here today,
and I look forward to taking your questions. Thank you,
Senator.
[The prepared statement of Admiral Fagan follows:]
Prepared Statement of Admiral Linda L. Fagan, Commandant,
U.S. Coast Guard
Introduction
Chair Baldwin, Ranking Member Sullivan, and distinguished Members
of the Subcommittee, thank you for inviting me to testify and for your
continuing support of the United States Coast Guard. As a premier,
multi-mission, maritime service responsible for the safety, security
and stewardship of the Nation's waters, the Coast Guard offers 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, and a regulatory body, the Coast Guard
serves on the front lines for a Nation whose economic prosperity and
national security are inextricably linked to our waterways, including
the Great Lakes.
The Great Lakes region is vital to North American industry, which
generates an estimated $6 trillion in gross domestic product annually.
The waterways which support this industry are environmentally dynamic
and seasonal in nature, demanding a ready workforce and fleet. Today,
Coast Guard icebreaking operations, international partnerships, and
efforts to recapitalize our domestic icebreaking fleet are vital for
the Service to sustain readiness, resilience, and capability for
missions throughout this region.
There are 40 million people, including members of our Coast Guard
workforce, who call the Great Lakes basin home. For over 88 years, the
Coast Guard has safeguarded the waters of the Great Lakes marine
transportation system (MTS). We proudly serve and protect this region
and these communities. In the winter, your Coast Guard breaks the path
for prosperity.
At the forefront of Coast Guard Great Lakes icebreaking operations
is our workforce. I am incredibly proud of our Coast Guard Active Duty,
Reserve, Civilian, and Auxiliary members who perform operations across
the Great Lakes and my top priority is to transform the Service to best
support them. I look forward to discussing the quality-of-life of Coast
Guard Service members and their families serving in locations across
the region, including here in Wisconsin.
Mission Critical: Supporting the Workforce
Since I last appeared before Members of this Committee and
responded to questions about the handling of investigations of prior
sexual misconduct at the Coast Guard Academy, the Service has focused
on prevention of sexual harassment and sexual assault; holding members
accountable who do not live up to our standards; listening to and
supporting victims and survivors; and, strengthening the Service's
culture and commitment to our core values of Honor, Respect, and
Devotion to Duty. From Senior Leaders to the most junior recruit,
everyone in our Service must be committed to fostering a culture where
each member of our workforce is valued, empowered, trusted, and
supported. To my Service, to Congress, to the American public--we
continue our important work on this issue. We are unconditionally
committed.
My highest priority is the Coast Guard workforce. Without these
Sentinels, we cannot operate or maintain our icebreakers, cutters,
boats, and aircraft. Thanks to the tremendous support of Congress, we
have made meaningful investments to improve the work and life of
individuals and families serving across the country. I remain committed
in providing the innovative tools, inclusive policies, and quality-of-
life support to meet the demands of today and tomorrow. We will
continue to use all resources necessary to revolutionize talent
management policies and deliver point-of-need healthcare and family
services.
We must press forward and continue to develop new strategies for
the quality-of-life issues that challenge our workforce and their
families. These challenges can be exacerbated in some locations,
including idyllic, close-knit communities across this region where the
Coast Guard serves. In these locations we are dependent on private
sector resources to provide health care services for our workforce.
Improved access across the health system must include expanding the use
of telehealth services, online appointment scheduling, electronic
health records, and bolstering health services such as dental care,
physical therapy, and behavioral health services.
We are prioritizing family support, focused on increasing access to
childcare, expanding professional development opportunities, and
assisting spouses desiring to participate in fellowships with civilian
employers. We offer expanded Work-Life services to families through our
global network of ombudsmen--who serve as the critical communications
link between commands and families. This support allows the Coast
Guard's active duty workforce to overcome the challenge of balancing
military service and their family life. I want to emphasize my
commitment to the entirety of `Team Coast Guard.' Our families are
essential to mission success--success which is critical to safeguarding
the waterways of the Great Lakes.
Advancing the Mission, Sharpening Our Standards
The foundation of commerce in the Great Lakes is the movement of
quantities of commodities and agricultural goods such as iron, coal,
petroleum products, and salt. Since the most cost-effective mode of
transportation for these raw materials is by vessel, the continuous and
unimpeded flow of these resources upon the navigable waters of the MTS
is essential to preserve the region's--and Nation's--economic and
national prosperity. The seasonality of the Great Lakes, including its
propensity to experience ice-choked conditions, can challenge this
nationally significant supply chain.
The Service conducts domestic icebreaking operations throughout the
Great Lakes to facilitate this critical maritime commerce. Our domestic
icebreaking operations generally fall into one of four priorities:
search and rescue, urgent response to vessels, exigent community
services, and facilitation of navigation.
Conducting search and rescue and urgent response to vessels is at
the core of the Service, and our icebreaker fleet ensures we continue
to help those in peril through the winter ice season. We provide
icebreaking services to open channels for ferry routes and ice-bound
Michigan communities such as Mackinac Island, Beaver Island, Sugar
Island, Harsens Island, and Washington Island to ensure these
communities can receive food, heating oil, fuel, and medical
assistance. We also work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to aid
in the prevention of floods and hazardous water levels near shoreline
communities that may be caused by ice obstructions, such as flooding
events in recent years near the St. Clair River.
As originally established by President Roosevelt's Executive Order
7521 in 1936, and further codified by the Don Young Coast Guard
Authorization Act of 2022 (CGAA), the Coast Guard facilitates
navigation by breaking ice to meet the needs of commerce. Icebreaking
operations include the establishment and maintenance of tracks in the
connecting waterways of the MTS, as well as providing escorts and
direct assistance to vessels beset in ice or requiring aid.
The Coast Guard monitors the amount of time the highest priority
waterways are available for vessel passage during the winter. Our goal
is to keep these waterways open 95 percent of the season and we
generally achieve this in all but the harshest conditions. As both
economic demands and climate conditions change, we look to evolve this
mission.
The Coast Guard is evaluating current data sources to develop a
broader slate of performance measures. Proposed measures will expand
beyond the current target (i.e., keeping the highest priority waterways
open 95 percent of the ice season) to encompass the health of the
waterway, impacts of commercial icebreaking partners, and performance
of the icebreaking fleet.
In addition, a public-facing database will be established to share
data about this mission. While the most recent and current ice seasons
have not afforded many opportunities to collect mission data, we are
working with Great Lakes shipping partners to continue these efforts.
We have already established preliminary weekly reporting on commercial
vessel delays caused by inadequate icebreaking on our public-facing
Homeport website.
The Power of Partnerships
Establishing and sustaining partnerships is key to success for the
Coast Guard's domestic icebreaking mission. The Great Lakes and St.
Lawrence Seaway form a continuous navigable waterway bordering the
United States and Canada, spanning more than 2,300 miles from the
western end of Lake Superior to the Atlantic Ocean. Recognizing the
Great Lakes is a shared waterway, the Coast Guard partners closely with
the Canadian Coast Guard to optimize efficiencies across the fleet of
icebreaking assets in the Great Lakes. Since 1980, the two Coast Guards
have maintained an agreement--known as One Fleet--which allows both
United States and Canadian Coast Guard icebreakers to operate
interchangeably on both sides of the international border.
This shared system of waterways is vital to the prosperity of both
nations. During an average 145-day ice season, the icebreakers of the
United States and Canada facilitate about 1,000 vessel transits,
carrying 20 million tons of bulk cargo annually and supporting $1
billion in industrial production. The Coast Guard also relies upon the
Great Lakes' numerous commercial icebreaking companies to conduct
icebreaking within internal waterways and alongside private docks and
harbors. These services free our more-capable icebreakers to focus on
major waterways.
Workhorses of Great Lakes Icebreaking--Investing in the Fleet
The Coast Guard provides icebreaking capabilities throughout the
Great Lakes with one heavy domestic icebreaker, six 140-foot
icebreakers, and two 225-foot ice-capable buoy tenders. 140-foot
icebreakers stationed on the Great Lakes are the workhorses of the
icebreaking fleet. They can reliably break flat ice up to 36-inches
thick and back-and-ram through 9-foot ridges, while still being nimble
enough to maneuver within the restricted confines of smaller waterways
such as the St. Mary's River and St. Clair River.
The Coast Guard's newest domestic icebreaker, Coast Guard Cutter
(CGC) Mackinaw is the only heavy domestic icebreaker in the fleet. CGC
Mackinaw is used to break ice in the most challenging conditions, with
plate ice often exceeding 42-inches, and ridges greater than 9-feet
thick. CGC Mackinaw's unique azimuth pod propulsion system provides a
combination of power and maneuverability that allows for vital
evolutions, such as freeing a beset 1,000-foot long ``laker'' in the
St. Mary's River.
This integrated system of icebreaking capabilities also includes
two ice-capable 225-foot buoy tenders. While not designed to serve as
dedicated icebreakers, these cutters can provide limited icebreaking
services in ice up to 14-inches thick and have proven to be well-suited
to escort commercial vessels in unrestricted areas such as the Straits
of Mackinac. Combined with the assets of our Canadian Coast Guard and
commercial icebreaking partners, this fleet delivers a unified approach
to icebreaking that provides economies of scale and the flexibility to
address evolving mission needs in dynamic environmental conditions.
The Coast Guard recently completed a Fleet Mix Analysis which
recommended a future fleet of in-kind capacity to replace this current
fleet. The results showed a need for another heavy domestic icebreaker
to meet future service needs across the Great Lakes. The ability to
achieve continued success in this mission and reliably facilitate
navigation within the MTS year-round requires sustainment and
modernization of the Coast Guard's domestic icebreaking fleet, and I am
committed to developing the next system of icebreaking assets.
Consistent with Congressional direction, we are focused on
acquiring a second heavy domestic icebreaker, at least as capable as
CGC Mackinaw. We established a Great Lakes Icebreaking Program
Management Office to analyze requirements for the next generation of
domestic icebreaking capability and have completed pre-acquisition
activities, readying the Service to advance upon receipt of an
appropriation. The FY 2024 President's Budget requests $55 million to
fund initial acquisition activities and prepare for the purchase of
long lead time materials for a second heavy domestic icebreaker. I look
forward to continuing to work with Congress to support this
acquisition.
Conclusion
The Great Lakes MTS is instrumental to economic and national
security. Iced-in conditions increase the possibility of supply-chain
disruptions and delays, which can result in impacts to the economy and
increased costs to consumers. The Coast Guard's Great Lakes icebreaking
fleet is essential to provide access and mobility as industry works
efficiently and effectively to move pivotal cargoes of iron ore,
limestone, coal, and cement during shortened shipping seasons. We are
steadfastly committed to sharpening the services we provide.
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. Not funding the Coast Guard at the levels
requested in our budget jeopardizes the long-term readiness of the
Service, putting American lives, national security, and the U.S. MTS 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.
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.
Senator Baldwin. Thank you. And next, Master Chief Jones.
STATEMENT OF MASTER CHIEF HEATH B. JONES,
MASTER PETTY CHIEF, U.S. COAST GUARD
Mr. Jones. Good morning, Chair Baldwin. Thank you for
accepting my written testimony into the record.
I want to express, alongside Admiral Fagan, our
appreciation for your unwavering support for our Coast Guard
members, not only here in the Ninth District, with everywhere
your Coast Guard serves our country. Every day, our citizens
put themselves at risk to protect, to defend, and to save.
I want to echo the Commandant and clearly state to this
committee and to our workforce that we are committed to
building our talent management system and strengthening our
service culture.
As we discuss the future of the Coast Guard, my primary
focus is our Sentinels and their families, specifically
increasing access to physical and behavioral health care,
childcare, and to affordable housing.
Access to quality health care is one of the critical issues
affecting Coast Guard families, who often struggle to find
local doctors in the Tricare system. To mitigate this
challenge, the service is working to expand telehealth
capabilities and to provide medical care to members in remote
locations.
In 2023, the service released the Coast Guard's Behavioral
Health Playbook, and this is going to help our members respond
sensitively, professionally, and respectfully to behavioral
health concerns.
The Coast Guard is committing to adding clinical resources
and increasing the number of full time, permanently staff
positions to meet these readiness demands. Our workforce and
their families are integral to every community in which they
live and serve. Taking care of our Coast Guard families is
vital to retaining the best talent our Nation has to offer.
Here in the Ninth District and other areas with limited
access to child development centers, childcare subsidies help
reduce financial burdens, significantly lower stress, and
improve the quality of life for our Coast Guard families.
Thank you for your continued support of childcare subsidies
to ensure that our workforce and their families are supported
and able to serve their communities. They are making a
difference every single day. Over 40 percent of Coast Guard
units are in small coastal communities or areas with the high
percentage of vacation rentals, many located here in the Ninth
District.
With these--while these idyllic, close knit but often high
cost communities support the Coast Guard and their families
very well, many members do struggle to find affordable housing.
In places like Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, the service provides
Coast Guard owned housing for members with dependents, while
continuing to participate in processes that determine how basic
allowance for housing is calculated.
I am inspired every single day by the service's focus on
improving the quality of life for our Coast Guard families here
in the Ninth District and across our Nation. Admiral Fagan and
I are committed to fostering a culture where our members feel
trusted, valued, empowered, and included.
The Coast Guard will need Congressional assistance to
ensure we continue to improve. I am humbled to have the
privilege to serve with and represent our Sentinels here today,
and I am grateful for your support. Thank you and I look
forward to your questions.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Jones follows:]
Prepared Statement of Master Chief Heath B. Jones,
Master Chief Petty Officer, U.S. Coast Guard
Introduction
Chair Baldwin, Ranking Member Sullivan, and distinguished members
of the subcommittee, I appreciate the opportunity to testify today and
echo the Commandant's appreciation for your enduring support of the
United States Coast Guard. I would like to personally thank each of you
for your unwavering support of our workforce here in the Great Lakes
and everywhere your Coast Guard serves. Throughout my career, I have
been fortunate to serve alongside members of the most capable and
dedicated workforce in the U.S. Government, and I am thankful for the
privilege to discuss their needs with you today.
As America's maritime first responder, the Coast Guard is woven
into communities across the Great Lakes, along the Pacific, Atlantic,
Arctic, and Gulf Coasts, and throughout our inland rivers. I am proud
of the ways we contribute to national security and prosperity: we
rescue mariners in distress, protect vital marine natural resources,
break ice to facilitate commerce, inspect ships to verify safety and
pollution controls, deliver aid after disasters, mark navigable
waterways to keep mariners safe from hazards, secure our ports and
harbors, and interdict illegal drugs far from our shores. Across these
Lakes, in the ports, on the seas, throughout cyberspace, and around the
globe, we are the world's premier maritime Service, positioned to
protect, defend, and save. I am extremely proud of our Coast Guard
Active Duty, Reserve, Civilian, and Auxiliary workforce and humbled to
serve as their Senior Enlisted Leader. The Coast Guard workforce
delivers when called upon.
Workforce
The Coast Guard workforce is the heart and soul of our
organization, and their dedication and sacrifices keep our Nation safe
and secure. These Sentinels have the right to a safe workplace, free
from harassment, bullying, retaliation, and assault. They deserve
nothing less, and the Coast Guard leadership team is committed to
strengthening our Service culture to achieve this end.
Every day, the Coast Guard workforce in the Ninth District puts
themselves at risk to protect our natural resources, defend our
maritime transportation system, and save lives. For those who serve
here and everywhere I am committed to modernizing our talent management
system so that we can best recruit and retain Sentinels in the 21st
century. The Coast Guard workforce must reflect the American public we
serve and requires the tools, policy, training, and support to succeed
across all our mission areas. As we expand our reach and capabilities,
we are committed to enhancing support structures to ensure the well-
being and effectiveness of our workforce.
Those joining our Service today have new expectations, and we are
taking this to heart as we adjust how we recruit, train, and retain
them and their families. We must expand access to high-quality physical
and mental healthcare, childcare, and affordable housing especially for
units in idyllic, close-knit, but often high cost, communities. We
continue to revisit policies that prevent otherwise qualified
applicants from beginning their careers, and we are implementing policy
changes designed to retain the best our Nation has to offer. Similarly,
we are pursuing new training designs focused on meaningful learning,
both in classrooms and in the field. I am committed to pursuing this
necessary, transformational work.
Infrastructure
Investing in the workforce means providing modern working, living
and training facilities. Coast Guard facilities must be functional and
resilient enough to meet both daily and emergent mission demands. The
Nation's reliance on the Coast Guard as a first responder after natural
disasters underscores the importance of resilient facilities to all our
operations. Based on the nature of our missions, Coast Guard facilities
are in areas prone to hurricanes, flooding, earthquakes, deadly
wildfires, and other natural disasters. Your support for a stable,
predictable budget and continued investments in modernizing facilities
and infrastructure are crucial for our mission readiness,
effectiveness, and success.
Housing is a concern for our Sentinels and their families. All
servicemembers and their dependents deserve access to safe, quality,
and affordable housing within a reasonable commute of their workplace.
Unlike the other Armed Services whose workforce is often centralized
around large military bases, many Coast Guard personnel are stationed
in small communities across the country. Forty percent of Coast Guard
units are in small coastal communities or areas with a high percentage
of vacation rentals. Many of those units are located right here in the
Ninth District. While these amazing communities are supportive of their
Coast Guard, many members struggle to find affordable and available
housing in the areas where they serve. We monitor locations that are
often impacted by short-term rental markets and are working to provide
additional housing options and resources to members here in the Ninth
District and across the Service. In locations such as Sault St. Marie,
Michigan; Neah Bay, Washington; and Jonesport, Maine, the Service
provides Coast Guard-owned family-type housing for members with
dependents to supplement rentals in the communities.
We are currently exploring ten Department of Defense (DoD) housing
authorities that could potentially benefit the Service and our families
and we continue to participate in processes that contribute to how
Basic Allowance for Housing is calculated. I look forward to the
results of the 14th Quadrennial Review of Military Compensation and the
recommended changes to Basic Pay and housing allowances to better
support our Sentinels and their families in these areas.
A modernized approach to project planning, prioritizing, and
execution coupled with additional investments is necessary to ensure
the Service has the facilities we need to meet the operational demands
of a recapitalized fleet. We must proceed with diligence, as this work
will provide the future facilities to meet the needs of Sentinels for
generations to come.
Healthcare
Healthcare is a pillar of the Armed Services quality-of-life
benefit system. When I visit cutter and shore commands, I hear the same
concerns from our Sentinels and families about timely access to
healthcare in close proximity to where they live and work. Acceptable,
consistent, available, and timely healthcare for our service members is
the minimum standard. Access to quality healthcare, mental and
physical, is one of the most important issues affecting Coast Guard
families today. The Coast Guard is unique among the Armed Services in
that our mission set often dictates that a very high percentage of our
workforce is geographically dispersed, sometimes at very small commands
like our units along Great Lakes coastlines.
Coast Guard families often find themselves spending days to
identify and access healthcare providers within Tricare's network to
obtain specialty care when there is a shortage of local doctors and
practitioners participating in the system. To mitigate this challenge,
the Service is leveraging and expanding telehealth capabilities to
provide medical care to members in remote locations. However,
additional support is critical to meet the needs of our Coast Guard
families. The Coast Guard needs the support of local health
institutions and practitioners, and community leaders, to address these
critical support services in remote locations.
In FY 2023, the Service released the Coast Guard Behavioral Health
Playbook, which provides supervisors and command leadership with tools,
guidance, and tips to respond sensitively, professionally, and
respectfully to behavioral health concerns. The Service is committed to
supporting clinical resources and full-time, permanently staffed
positions to meet deployment and readiness demands. We must ensure
members have timely access to high quality health care.
Childcare
Access to childcare is a significant concern of our workforce and
impacts our ability to recruit and retain. This is not just a Coast
Guard or military issue, and shortages have a direct impact on the
readiness of our units. High childcare costs impact our workforce
across the Nation, particularly here in the Ninth District and other
areas without the large bases that allow access to DoD or Coast Guard
Child Development Centers. We have found that in some areas, childcare
subsidies can minimize financial burdens, increase accessible options,
reduce significant stressors, and improve the quality of life for our
Coast Guard families. Your continuing support of these subsidies is
vital to ensuring our workforce and their families are supported and
able to continue to meet the Coast Guard's mission.
Conclusion
I am inspired by the Service's focus on improving the quality of
life for our Coast Guard families here in the Ninth District and across
the Service. Change in Coast Guard policy can only move the needle so
far for our workforce. The Service appreciates the continued support of
Congressional assistance to ensure we can continue to make
improvements. I am humbled to have the privilege to serve with and
represent our Sentinels and am grateful for your support.
Senator Baldwin. Thank you. Next we have Admiral Hickey.
STATEMENT OF REAR ADMIRAL JONATHAN P. HICKEY, COMMANDER, NINTH
DISTRICT, U.S. COAST GUARD
Admiral Hickey. Good morning, Chair Baldwin. I am honored
to be here today to represent our workforce of your Coast
Guard's Ninth District and discuss Coast Guard operations on
the Great Lakes and their importance to our economic prosperity
and our national security.
Thank you for accepting my testimony and my written
testimony into the record. The Ninth District is responsible
for a vast area of operations, covering 94,000 mi\2\ with
coastline spanning the distance equivalent to the Atlantic
coastline from Maine to Florida.
Nearly 2,500 active duty, civilian, and reserve personnel,
alongside 2,000 Coast Guard auxiliaries, operate from 73 Coast
Guard units, including 10 Coast Guard cutters across the Great
Lakes to facilitate this region's safe, secure, and robust
marine transportation system. The Ninth District's fleet of
cutters is central to our mission success.
Annually, nine cutters participate in icebreaking to keep
commerce moving through the winter months. Although these
cutters focus on icebreaking in the winter, they are employed
year round.
On an annual basis, they provide nearly 18,000 hours of
service to the Great Lakes across all mission sets, including
aids to navigation, search and rescue, participating in
interagency drills and exercises, supporting major marine
events, and providing law enforcement support to significant
events such as the national conventions being held this summer
in Michigan--I am sorry, in Milwaukee and Chicago.
The cutters can be stressed in winter months, particularly
when a casualty occurs because timeliness matters when you are
breaking ice. Delays in freeing a commercial ship beset by ice
or providing flood control to coastal communities can have
catastrophic consequences.
We absolutely must provide the proper level of service at
the right time. Any unscheduled maintenance or long lead times
for parts puts strain on our crews to find ways to perform
their assigned missions. Sustaining this fleet is critical to
meeting mission demands today and into the future.
As the operational commander for the Great Lakes, I
strongly support the service's pursuit of another heavy
domestic icebreaker to meet our mission needs across the Great
Lakes. Our crews who operate and sustain this fleet and the
total workforce here in the Ninth District are essential to
mission success.
The uniqueness of the Great Lakes and where our units are
located creates challenges to obtain timely medical care,
including dental, mental, and behavioral health, often
requiring long appointment wait times and significant travel
times.
Additionally, since many of our stations and cutters are
located along the Great Lakes shoreline and highly popular
recreational destinations, access to adequate and affordable
housing within a reasonable commute to work is a stressor for
many of our members. These challenges can impact individual and
operational readiness, family well-being, and retention.
In January 2024, the Ninth District released the first ever
Great Lakes Maritime Strategy Action Plan, which will focus our
efforts on our highest priorities over the next 12 to 24
months. A key part of this plan is to bolster the readiness and
resiliency of our workforce, including actions to strengthen
our service culture and to improve access to health care,
childcare, and affordable housing for our members and their
families.
Like the Commandant and MCPOCG said, I am also so proud of
our Coast Guard workforce in the Ninth District. They are
devoted every single day to ensuring and safeguarding the Great
Lakes Marine transportation system, ensuring the safety of
those who rely on the lakes for their livelihoods and
recreation, and delivering Coast Guard services and new ways to
meet future challenges.
I would like to close by thanking the Committee for your
continued support. It is absolutely essential to our continued
success. Thank you, Senator, and I look forward to your
questions.
[The prepared statement of Admiral Hickey follows:]
Prepared Statement of Rear Admiral Jonathan P. Hickey, Commander,
Ninth District, U.S. Coast Guard
Introduction
Chair Baldwin, Ranking Member Sullivan, and distinguished Members
of the Subcommittee, thank you for inviting me to testify and for your
continuing support of the United States Coast Guard. As the Ninth
District Commander, I am excited to discuss Great Lakes operations
including domestic icebreaking, and to highlight examples of our recent
successes and our ongoing efforts to advance mission excellence. The
Sentinels of the Ninth District are committed to overcoming challenges
so that we can continue to assure mission execution across the
economic, strategic, and culturally significant maritime environment
throughout the Great Lakes.
The Ninth District is responsible for a vast area of operations,
covering 94,000 square miles with coastlines spanning a distance
equivalent to the Atlantic coastline from Maine to Florida. This
immense footprint requires a talented and dispersed workforce to
provide the services needed to facilitate this region's safe, secure,
and robust Marine Transportation System (MTS). Nearly 2,500 Active
Duty, Civilian, and Reserve personnel and 2,000 Coast Guard
Auxiliarists operate from four Sectors, two Air Stations, 44 Small Boat
Stations, four Marine Safety Units, two Marine Safety Detachments,
seven Aids to Navigation Teams, and nine Coast Guard Cutters to carry
out critical Coast Guard missions across the Great Lakes.
Ninth District Operations
The seasonality of the Great Lakes impacts the operations and
services provided to this region's mariners, industry, and waterways
users. The environmental shift between ``soft and hard water'' seasons
can be severe and is somewhat unique to this Coast Guard District,
requiring tailored operations and specialized expertise for those who
serve here. In Fiscal Year 2023, the Ninth District responded to 2,004
Search and Rescue (SAR) cases, the second largest number of SAR cases
among all Coast Guard Districts, assisting 2,457 persons, and saving
805 lives.
It is worth noting that while most of these rescues occurred in the
100 days between Memorial Day and Labor Day, these figures also include
search and rescue on ice covered waterways in the winter months. The
Ninth District is purposefully trained for ice rescue and while overall
SAR responses are fewer in the winter, each response is urgent and
oftentimes more dangerous.
The Aids to Navigation mission is also affected by seasonality, as
the Ninth District removes and replaces 1,210 summer aids with more
resilient ice aids in the fall to withstand Great Lakes ice coverage.
In the spring, this process is reversed, restoring the Aids to
Navigation constellation to best mark waterways for both commercial and
recreational mariners. Last year, Ninth District units also conducted
more than 7,000 vessel inspections and investigations and responded to
401 Marine Environmental Response (pollution response) cases to protect
the Great Lakes' sensitive environment and support the region's MTS.
The importance of the Ninth District's fleet of cutters is
paramount to achieving success across this unique maritime domain.
Annually, nine cutters participate in the largest domestic icebreaking
mission, keeping commerce moving throughout the winter months. Although
these cutters are focused on ice breaking in the winter, they are
employed year-around. In fact, on an annual basis, they provide nearly
18,000 hours of service to the Great Lakes across all mission sets,
including Icebreaking, Aids to Navigation, Search and Rescue,
participating in interagency drills and exercises, supporting major
marine events (e.g., substantial marine regattas), and providing law
enforcement support to significant events (e.g., this year's National
Football League Draft in Detroit and the Republican and Democratic
National Conventions being held in Milwaukee and Chicago this coming
summer).
Cutter Readiness
Cutters and crews do an exceptional job covering this expanse of
operations while facing challenges to meet the mission. Our system of
approach provides icebreaking capabilities throughout the Great Lakes
with one heavy domestic icebreaker, six 140-foot icebreakers and two
225-foot ice-capable buoy tenders. The cutters are workhorses and
essential to icebreaking operations; however, this system can be
stressed in winter months when a casualty to our cutters places an
increased strain on the others and impacts capacity to meet mission
demands. Timeliness matters when breaking ice, as freeing a commercial
ship beset by ice or providing flood control to coastal communities can
have catastrophic consequences if we cannot provide the level of
service and response time required.
Coast Guard Cutter (CGC) Mackinaw, our sole domestic heavy
icebreaker is a key capability, essential to our icebreaking mission,
providing the strength needed to operate in the most challenging ice
conditions and vital to supporting the Great Lakes commercial fleet.
That said, unscheduled maintenance can sideline this capability. A
second Great Lakes icebreaker, as proposed in the President's 2024
budget, will provide much needed redundancy and capacity.
Any unscheduled maintenance due to system failures or long-lead
times to replace failed parts puts a strain on our crews to find ways
to provide for waterway availability, support SAR operations, and
perform other missions. Sustaining this fleet is critical to meeting
mission demands and providing adequate capability and capacity for the
future.
Great Lakes Maritime Strategy Action Plan
As highlighted in past hearings on the Coast Guard's workforce, the
Service faces personnel readiness challenges as a result of personnel
shortages. Here in the Great Lakes, this is requiring more than 600
days of temporary duty surge staffing support to safely and effectively
operate our fleet of icebreakers. We continue to be resilient and meet
the needs of commerce and the public due to our dedicated workforce
which is committed to getting the mission done. This team is clearly
our greatest asset. We recognize this, which is why we are also
prioritizing support for our workforce.
The uniqueness of the Great Lakes and areas where our units are
located create challenges to obtaining timely medical care, including
dental, mental, and behavioral health, often requiring long waits and
significant travel to access needed services. Additionally, access to
affordable housing within a reasonable commute to work is a stressor
for many of our members who may struggle to find a home where their
families can thrive in the dynamic markets of these idyllic, close-knit
communities. These challenges can impact individual and operational
readiness, family well-being, and retention. In January 2024, the Ninth
District released the first-ever Great Lakes Maritime Strategy Action
Plan, which is meant to focus our efforts on our highest priorities
over the next 12 to 24 months. A key part of this Plan aims to bolster
the readiness and resilience of our workforce, including actions to
strengthen our Service culture and improve access to health care and
affordable housing for our members and their families.
The Action Plan will guide the Ninth District to deliver the Coast
Guard's vital services in new ways by focusing our efforts to ensure
preparedness for emerging threats; further strengthen partner
cooperation and stakeholder relationships; maintain the safe, secure,
and efficient use of the Great Lakes MTS; protect the cyberspace of the
Great Lakes MTS; optimize mission readiness and execution; and improve
Coast Guard facilities.
Ninth District Success
Through the amazing work of those who serve in the Ninth District,
operational success has been achieved and mission requirements have
been met while remaining always ready to serve across the Great Lakes,
including right here in Wisconsin. For example, recently our team
executed two ice rescue cases on the same day, February 8, 2024. First,
Coast Guard Station Sturgeon Bay and Air Station Traverse City
supported the rescue of three people from an ice floe off Benderville,
WI, with the New Franken Fire Department. Shortly after the rescue of
those three lives, Station Sturgeon Bay and Air Station Traverse City
responded to four individuals stranded on another ice floe off Bay
Shore Park, WI. Station Sturgeon Bay successfully saved the stranded
individuals with the support of first responders from Brown County.
Additionally, in January 2024, Coast Guard Cutter Mobile Bay,
homeported in Sturgeon Bay, broke a critical path through ice choked
waters off Green Bay, ensuring three critical home heating oil
deliveries totaling 10.5 million gallons made it to households in need.
Recognizing the inherent risk that accompanies the intense winter
maintenance required to sustain the domestic commercial vessel fleet
which operates in this region, the Ninth District Coast Guard
operational commanders established a workgroup with key agencies to
develop procedures to mitigate hazards that may arise in this
compressed maintenance period.
This workgroup--the Great Lakes Marine Firefighting Task Force--
combines federal, state, local, and industry expertise to prevent and
effectively respond to major marine fires in ports like Sturgeon Bay,
where much of this work is done. Looking ahead, Coast Guard Sector Lake
Michigan has a significant role in the planning for the protection of
the 2024 Republican National Convention being held in Milwaukee this
July and the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this August.
Sector personnel and assets will support the interagency team across
the convention events and will lead security for events with proximity
to the waterfront.
Conclusion
The Coast Guard's Ninth District workforce is devoted every day to
safeguarding the Great Lakes MTS. They are also devoted to the safety
of those who rely on these waters for their livelihoods and recreation,
and to delivering Coast Guard services in new ways to meet future
challenges.
This team is getting the job done with the current operational
fleet and existing facilities. The continued support of Congress to
sustain our capabilities and provide healthcare, housing, and childcare
services for our members and their families is critical to the long-
term success of the Coast Guard's Ninth District.
Senator Baldwin. Thank you. Next we have Master Chief
Buckman.
STATEMENT OF MASTER CHIEF MATTHEW D. BUCKMAN,
COMMAND MASTER CHIEF, NINTH DISTRICT,
U.S. COAST GUARD
Mr. Buckman. Senator, good morning. Thank you for the
opportunity to testify today representing the men and women of
the Ninth Coast Guard District and thank you for accepting my
written comment into the record.
The Coast Guard is committed to optimizing support for our
Sentinels and their families across the Ninth District. Our
workforce is concerned about securing quality housing, physical
and behavioral health care, and childcare, and we are focused
on addressing these concerns. The seasonality of many areas
where we operate significantly impact housing availability and
affordability for our members.
Many of our members rely on basic allowance for housing or
BAH, which may not cover the full cost of housing. We have
worked with local partners to lease and manage housing units
where possible, but in communities where leases are
unavailable, the difference between VA rates and market prices
can leave families in a difficult position.
We have initiated a Housing Action Plan as part of our
Great Lakes Maritime Strategy Action Plan, and our goal is to
ensure that every Coast Guard family has adequate and
affordable housing, supporting their well-being and ability to
serve. Investments in infrastructure are vital for enhancing
the Coast Guard's operational performance, member satisfaction,
unit pride, and retention.
We are recapitalizing our Milwaukee facility and are nearly
complete with the modernization of the Green Bay small boat
station, which will provide a robust location for targeted
operations. We are grateful for these investments and look
forward to an additional $65 million, which is planned over the
next 5 years.
I echo Master Chief Jones's comments on access to quality
behavioral and physical health care for our members. Timely
health care near where our members live, and work is a concern
expressed during unit visits. Many locations have limited
health care options and require long commutes.
This affects medical readiness for our Sentinels and their
families. Childcare challenges can have a direct impact on the
readiness of our Sentinels. Typically, members must secure
care, utilize, and establish subsidy programs to help offset
the cost. Without these subsidy programs, childcare can be
prohibitively expensive for families.
Your continuing support of these subsidies is essential to
safeguarding the readiness of our workforce and their families.
The district senior leadership is dedicated itself to providing
our workforce and families the personal and professional
resources to thrive.
Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you and for
all you do for the Coast Guard, included in the Ninth
District's workforce. Their commitment to the mission is why
the U.S. Coast Guard is world's best. I look forward to your
questions.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Buckman follows:]
Prepared Statement of Master Chief Matthew D. Buckman,
Command Master Chief, Ninth District, U.S. Coast Guard
Introduction
Chair Baldwin, Ranking Member Sullivan, and distinguished
subcommittee members. I appreciate the opportunity to testify today
representing the Ninth District workforce to express our appreciation
of your support for the United States Coast Guard.
The Coast Guard's commitment in the Ninth District is to provide
and optimize support to our members and their families. We recognize
that work is necessary to achieve the quality of life they deserve.
Personnel support challenges in the region are similar to those
impacting members throughout the Service. Sufficient Basic Allowance
for Housing (BAH) to secure a home where our families can thrive,
timely access to physical and behavioral healthcare, and access to
childcare are the primary concerns of the Ninth District's workforce.
Our recently published Great Lakes Maritime Strategy and Action Plan
will focus our efforts on providing the best individual services and
workplaces for our members.
Housing
Securing adequate housing is a significant concern for Coast Guard
members, particularly in the Ninth District. Many of our units are in
seasonal tourist destinations and areas with limited housing. Both
factors significantly impact housing availability and affordability for
our members. Given the limitations of Coast Guard-owned housing, our
members often rely on BAH entitlements, which may not fully cover the
cost of housing in these high-demand and remote areas. We have worked
with local partners to lease and manage housing units where possible.
In areas where leases are unavailable, the difference between BAH rates
and market prices leave some members in a difficult position, as seen
in places like Sturgeon Bay and Bayfield, WI.
Recognizing these challenges, we have initiated a comprehensive
Housing Action Plan as part of our Great Lakes Maritime Strategy. This
plan, under the direction of Rear Admiral Hickey, aims to provide the
best possible input to the BAH calculation process and expand the
availability of leased housing. Our goal in the Ninth District is to
ensure that every member has access to adequate and affordable housing,
supporting their well-being and ability to serve. This initiative
represents a critical step forward in addressing the unique housing
needs of our service members, reinforcing our commitment to their
quality of life and operational readiness.
Infrastructure
Investments in infrastructure are vital for enhancing the Coast
Guard's operational performance, member satisfaction, pride, and
retention rates. Over Fiscal Years 2022 and 2023, the Coast Guard
invested $17 million in projects that addressed emergent repairs and
quality of life necessities here in the Ninth District. With an
additional planned investment of $65 million over the next five years,
the Ninth District will still carry a substantial backlog.
Significant infrastructure challenges exist at the 18 boat stations
constructed before 1970, with five boat stations over 100 years old.
One of those units, Station Sturgeon Bay, was built in 1896 for the
U.S. Lifesaving Service. Despite updates to the building over the last
128 years, its size restricts the comfort and operational capacity for
personnel.
Our Strategic Action Plan in the Ninth District focuses on
infrastructure investments to enhance our members' mission readiness
and the quality of life. Following feedback from our station Officers
in Charge, the Ninth District has allocated funding to install boat
maintenance sheds at 10 stations, addressing winter protection needs
for our response boats--a measure expected to improve mission readiness
and crew comfort significantly. In Wisconsin, our focus is on
recapitalizing Sector Lake Michigan's facility in Milwaukee to address
space and utility shortcomings. Additionally, modernization of the
Green Bay Station is nearly complete. The modernization will provide a
robust location for targeted operations, signaling a step forward in
operational capacity and resilience for the upcoming boating season.
Healthcare and Childcare
Timely healthcare near where our members live and work is a concern
commonly expressed during unit visits. Many locations in the region
have limited healthcare options and require long commutes to obtain
care. This challenge affects medical readiness for our members as well
as their families. To address medical readiness, we have leveraged a
contract with Quality Timeliness Customer Service Medical Services to
organize focused geographic readiness events to complete annual health
assessments and provide limited dental care. While this allows us to
better assess the health readiness of our members, more work is needed
to address long-term care and care for dependents. Mental health
providers are also in high demand everywhere, including many
communities where our members are assigned. Undertreated mental
wellness can have crippling effects on members that may, in turn,
impact operational readiness and families. Mental telehealth services
such as Telemynd and CGSUPRT service have increased access, and I thank
you for the support provided to care for Coast Guard families. I echo
Master Chief Jones' request for community and provider support to
achieve the quality physical and mental care our Coast Guard families
deserve.
Childcare challenges have a direct impact on the readiness of Ninth
District units. Typically, members must secure individual care
utilizing the established subsidy program to help offset the cost. Were
it not for this subsidy program, quality childcare can be prohibitively
expensive and unattainable for our members. Your continuing support of
these subsidies is essential to safeguarding the readiness of our
workforce and their families.
Conclusion
The Ninth District's senior leadership dedicates itself to
providing our members the personal and professional resources to thrive
and provide the best service to the Great Lakes and Nation.
Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you and for all you
do for the Coast Guard, including the Ninth District's workforce. Our
Sentinels are committed to the mission, are impressively talented, and
are why the U.S. Coast Guard is the world's best.
Senator Baldwin. Thank you. Thank you all for your opening
statements. As we all know, the primary purpose of this hearing
is to discuss the economic importance of icebreaking on the
Great Lakes.
But before I turn to that topic, I must acknowledge that we
still have much work to be done to achieve accountability for
survivors of sexual assault and sexual harassment in the Coast
Guard. The Commandant proactively raised this urgent issue in
her opening statement.
Since July, I have been pursuing accountability within the
Coast Guard and the Department of Homeland Security regarding
the disturbing revelations that Coast Guard leaders withheld
important information from Congress, both during and after the
conclusion of an investigation known as Operation Fouled
Anchor, which concerned the Coast Guard Academy.
Disturbingly, we continue to hear accounts of Coast Guard
leaders failing to take appropriate action to support survivors
and hold perpetrators of sexual violence and misconduct
accountable.
Two weeks ago, as documents are coming out, we learned
another alarming revelation, and that was that senior Coast
Guard leaders made an intentional decision to withhold
important information from Congress.
In fact, there was even a drafted list of the pros and cons
of briefing Congress on the Coast Guard's internal
investigation of sexual assault cases at the Academy. Leaders
at the highest levels of the Coast Guard made the deliberate
decision to withhold the existence of Operation Fouled Anchor
from the Committee, from the public, and from survivors.
This is unacceptable and I am appalled by this damaging,
unethical, and potentially criminal behavior. Admiral Fagan,
can you confirm that you do not tolerate this type of behavior
within your command, and that you and members of your staff do
not select items of information to deliberately withhold from
Congress?
Admiral Fagan. Thank you, Senator. I can 100 percent affirm
that I am fully committed to transparency and understand the
criticality of the oversight role of the Senate and Congress.
We have been responsive to the request for information. I am
committed to supporting and being responsive to the IG
investigation that is ongoing.
And as we continue to provide information and ensure,
again, that the appropriate oversight role is being fulfilled,
I am 100 percent focused on moving the organization forward so
that we are a better organization on the other side of this,
and that we are in a position to not fail victims and ensure
that we continue to improve and live to the values that we
ascribe to and value, and that every day everyone experiences a
service culture that is consistent with honor and respect.
And I am committed to the oversight process and the IG
report. Thank you, Senator.
Senator Baldwin. Thank you. And at our hearing in July, you
stated your commitment to transparency and achieving that full
accountability. Will you reaffirm that commitment?
Admiral Fagan. Yes, I affirm that commitment to
transparency and accountability.
Senator Baldwin. All right. Thank you. Master Chief Jones,
I am similarly concerned that what we have learned about the
pervasive pattern of the Coast Guard failing to hold
perpetrators of sexual misconduct accountable also affects our
enlisted service members and at the Cape May Coast Guard
Training Center, as distinct from the Academy, and throughout
the service.
So, will you also commit to working with this committee to
achieve full accountability and a lasting, positive cultural
change?
Mr. Jones. Thank you for the question, Senator. Absolutely,
100 percent committed to every--not only at every session
point, every training center in our Coast Guard, but every unit
in our Coast Guard.
100 percent committed to the work that is necessary to
ensure that every member of our organization has that work
environment where they are trusted, valued, empowered, and safe
to do the great work of our Nation.
Senator Baldwin. Thank you. I would like to now move
forward with our discussion on the status and composition of
the domestic icebreaking fleet.
Admiral Fagan, over the past 6 years, Congress has
appropriated $20 million for the acquisition of a new Great
Lakes heavy icebreaker. How much of those funds have been
expended to date and on what activities?
And if any funding remains, what is the current timeline
and spend plan?
Admiral Fagan. Thank you. Thanks, Senator. And so, I don't
have the exact figure of what funds may remain. We will be
happy to provide that to you.
But I can talk about, of the funding we have received
starting in Fiscal Year 2019, up and through our current Fiscal
Year 2024 President budget request for $55 million to continue
to advance procurement and can talk to what we have done with
the money that has so far been provided.
From 2019 to 2021, we had $9 million that were appropriated
in survey and design work. We have been conducting ice model
testing, indicative design development, a home port feasibility
study, and other pre-acquisition activities. Additionally, in
2022, there was $5.5 million appropriated.
We have staffed a program management office to continue to
conduct pre-acquisition activities. And we are ready, should we
receive the $55 million appropriation, to continue to execute
on the work necessary to move toward the next step in
acquisition development.
And, you know, once we begin that acquisition development
in earnest, it moves you toward a request for proposals,
lifecycle cost estimates or, you know, the multiple steps that
go with a complicated acquisition such as a heavy icebreaker
for the Great Lakes. I look forward to an appropriation.
We are committed to that work. We are committed to fielding
a second heavy icebreaker. And, again, we are postured and
poised, as appropriations come forward, to take those next
steps, Senator.
Senator Baldwin. Great. As mentioned, I worked to secure
the Coast Guard's request for $55 million in the Fiscal Year
2024 Appropriations bill for the acquisition of the Great Lakes
icebreaker.
Once a final budget is passed, which I hope will be very,
very soon, to what extent will the $55 million advance
acquisition of the icebreaker?
Admiral Fagan. And as you are aware and the audience I am
sure is aware, the acquisition of a major asset such as the
heavy icebreaker, needs to be done in accordance with Federal
acquisitions.
So, there are multiple steps. And as money is appropriated,
we will continue to step through the process. And the $55
million in the Fiscal Year 2024 budget request, along with the
$20 million in the unfunded priority list, would fund program
activities associated with the analyze and select phase, allow
us to move toward release of a request for proposal, and
continue to prepare the program toward award long lead time
materials.
You know, each of those are discrete decisions. They do
take time to develop, but the money will enable us to continue
down the timeline and process that results in a heavy
icebreaker on the other side of it.
Senator Baldwin. And you just mentioned the unfunded
priorities. What funding or legislative actions from Congress
would help speed up the Coast Guard's acquisition timeline of
10 years after appropriation?
Admiral Fagan. Yes. So, we are bound by the Federal
acquisition rules and requirements, and each one of those, you
know, requires time, due diligence to ensure that we have done
the appropriate development, requirements development, and
understanding the capabilities and technology that, that is
there and available.
And as we continue to move through the phases and
acquisition and design, we will continue to work with the
Committee and Congress to see if we can speed that time.
Building ships is a complicated process and we want to make
sure that we have got the best, most capable ship that is
fielded, and, you know, we will continue to work deliberately
through the process with the Committee. Thank you.
Senator Baldwin. And when we have our second panel, I think
we will hear time is of the essence.
Admiral Hickey, a recent report conducted by the Government
Accountability Office cited the Coast Guard's 2022 mission need
statement for domestic icebreaking, that indicated that in
addition to heavy icebreakers, the Coast Guard had a
requirement for 11 medium icebreakers and 7 light icebreakers
to replace the current aging fleet.
I am encouraged that the Coast Guard is looking to replace
these icebreakers that are over 40 years old. Can you please
tell me how many of each of the new medium and light
icebreaker--icebreaking vessels under this plan would be indeed
assigned to the Great Lakes?
Admiral Hickey. Thank you, Senator. Yes, ma'am. So, as you
noted, we did recently complete the fleet mix analysis and
those numbers are accurate. From the Great Lakes perspective,
as the Commandant mentioned, we are looking at two heavy
icebreakers, right.
Looking forward to that acquisition of our second here. And
then six medium icebreakers, right. We have the current fleet
of six medium icebreakers, the 140 tugs, 140 foot tugs, that we
recently went through the slot program.
But those would ultimately be part of the fleet mix
analysis going forward as well, right, as replacement of those
eventually. And then, two buoy tending--ice capable buoy
tenders, the two 225s.
That is part of the system, our U.S. Coast Guard system, of
icebreaking. So again, two heavies, six mediums, and then the
two 225s.
Senator Baldwin. Well, at minimum, we need to replace the
aging 140 fleet, medium icebreakers that are here on the Great
Lakes. Admiral Fagan, can you commit to maintaining the current
number of assets on the Great Lakes?
Admiral Fagan. Yes, thank you, Senator. As I said, we are
committed to building toward that second heavy icebreaker, and
that really is the priority and focus as we step into this
acquisition.
The six medium, 140 foot ship, you know, icebreakers, we
have finished the service life extension there and are
committed to continuing to maintain those and operating, and I
understand how critical they are to the system of icebreakers
here on the Great Lakes. Admiral Hickey mentioned the two 225
ice capable, you know, buoy tending vessels.
And that second 225, which has been going through service
life extension, will be back into the lakes later this summer,
and so it will be great to see that capability come back up
into the region and be available to contribute to the system of
icebreakers.
And I remain committed to the system we have got here, and
again, understand the criticality of it to the economic
prosperity of the region and continuing to keep commerce
flowing.
Senator Baldwin. OK. Admiral Hickey, can you explain a
little bit about the geography that that plan I referenced, the
2022 mission need statement for domestic icebreaking, can you
explain about the geography that that plan is based on?
Is the plan's fleet mix based on the icebreaking needs of
only the four Great Lakes Tier 1 waterways? Or does it also
include the needs of significant Tier 2 waterways, such as the
Port of Green Bay?
Admiral Hickey. Yes, Senator. It accounts for the entire
Great Lakes system. So, Tier 1 through Tier 3, Tier 4
waterways, of course, are the privately owned. But, you know,
that prioritization of assets is critically important, right,
and that is something that we work on in earnest every single
day.
We have our ice planning conference at the start of the
season or before the start of the season. That is with the
Canadian Coast Guard. That is with industry. And we talk about
that tiering system and validate that that still is the case,
right. Those priorities hold. There are no changes.
And then during the icebreaking season--we will hold daily
calls sometimes, twice daily calls to ensure we target our
assets at the most critical needs, through--you know, with and
through our industry stakeholders to make sure we are
accounting for what they are seeing on the waterways.
That tiering system is critically important. It was
developed in conjunction with industry in 2010. And really,
that shifted the framework from a response driven framework
where we were responding to needs that arose, to a prevention
minded framework where we target our assets in advance toward
those highest priority waterways.
And those highest priorities are set by the flow of
commerce and the susceptibility of impacts to icing. And so, we
will continue to do that. We will continue to collaborate with
industry on that.
In fact, that is not a status quo, right. Status quo is the
risk position, as the Commandant reminds us. We look at that
every single year. In fact, we have two requests that we are
considering right now. One from the port of Duluth. Deb DeLuca
has submitted a request, and I had a good conversation----
Senator Baldwin. We like to call it the Port of Superior.
Admiral Hickey. Sorry, my bad, my bad.
Senator Baldwin. Duluth.
[Laughter.]
Admiral Hickey. Know where you are, right, yes. And part of
Duluth's--and then another one from Green Bay that just came
in. I haven't had a chance to talk to the director yet, but we
are going to do that and will assess that on an ongoing basis.
Thanks, Senator.
Senator Baldwin. I am going to focus a little bit more
about this, Admiral Hickey.
The Coast Guard designates waterways that connect the Great
Lakes as Tier 1, meaning they get priority when it comes to
allocation of Coast Guard icebreaking assets. And both the Port
of Green Bay and the Port of Superior, Duluth, ship commodities
that are critical to the economy and to the livability of the
region, including fuel and agricultural projects--products.
Nevertheless, these ports receive a Tier 2 designation,
meaning that they have to wait, and often as I have heard
feedback, a lengthy amount of time to receive Coast Guard
icebreaking services.
The Coast Guard's own icebreaking plan acknowledges that
some of the major Tier 1 waterways depend upon Tier 2 waterways
that connect them for commerce. What will it take to meet both
Tier 1 and Tier 2 icebreaking needs?
Admiral Hickey. Yes, Senator. So, I think the team, as I
described how they prioritize the resources and the activities,
does generally a great job of accomplishing that and meeting
the requirements and our performance standards in a typical ice
year, right.
Where we have challenges is in those severe years. You
mentioned 2014, 2015, and 2018 most recently. So, we have been
challenged to meet those performance standards, and quite
honestly, we have fallen short in those years.
The acquisition of that second heavy icebreaker is going to
be a game changer in meeting those performance requirements in
those severe ice years.
Senator Baldwin. Thank you. I want to pivot to what I think
we all acknowledge is the most important asset that the Coast
Guard has. And that is, the Coast Guard people, right. And so,
sticking with you, Admiral Hickey, the Coast Guard has faced a
recruiting shortfall for years. How is this shortfall affecting
operations on the Great Lakes?
Admiral Hickey. Yes, Senator. So, you are aware, we are in
one of our most challenging personnel shortages situation,
certainly in my 34 year affiliation with the service, and that
has manifested itself right here in D-9.
There is--we are 10 percent short across the enlisted
workforce, but it is more acute than that in our critical
ratings at our boat forces units, like our boatswain's mates,
our electrician mates, our machinist mates.
And so, what that has forced us to do collectively across
the service is reassess our force alignment. And we have a
force alignment initiative across the service to prioritize our
assets to meet our most important mission requirements.
And certainly, top on that list is safety of life at sea,
search and rescue. And so, what we have done across the service
and here in Dunedin, and if we bring it home to Wisconsin in a
second here, we have consolidated our resources at certain
operational centers so that we can best effect readiness and
response across the entire AOR, area of responsibility.
And so, what that means here in Wisconsin is there are
three seasonal small boat stations that you are aware of,
ma'am, Green Bay, Station Washington Island, and two rivers
that we will operate as forward operating locations so we will
not have a B zero asset, or, you know, immediate response
manned 24/7 there, but we will be able to cover those AORs from
their parent stations by focusing the resources there.
Similarly, but differently, we have Station Kenosha, which
is not a seasonal station, that we are reducing manning on so
that we can focus resources in adjacent stations, in Milwaukee
and Chicago.
And because there is redundancies built into the system,
right, and those response capabilities at those locations and
with our air stations have complete overlap of that station's
AOR, we are able to meet mission requirements at Station
Kenosha, again, without a P0 24/7.
We will do a 40 hour a week response posture there where we
schedule those based on risk, right, and operational demand.
Senator Baldwin. Master Chief Jones, the top issue that I
hear from Coast Guard families are about access to housing,
access to quality medical care, and access to childcare. We
have worked together to expand access to childcare, as was
referenced.
Signed into law as part of the National Defense
Authorization Act, I secured a provision that would allow for
discounts at child development centers for service members with
more than one child enrolled, as well as a childcare subsidy
program.
I understand that challenges still exist, due to a lack of
availability in many local communities. Can you please provide
me with a status update on the childcare subsidy program and
any additional suggestions that you have to improve access for
families?
Mr. Jones. Thank you, Senator. And you are absolutely 100
percent correct. That is the top things that are on the minds
of our workforce, which is a--my major focus is on that
retention piece and that is a part of retention. If our
families love serving the Coast Guard, they are going to stay.
So, we have got to get these things right. And with the
efforts of Congress, we truly appreciate the ability now to
make those childcare subsidies directly payable to families, to
the members, so that--and we are going to have that complete by
mid-summer this year where we are going to be to execute that.
That is going to give a lot of flexibility to the families
to determine what childcare works best for them on their
schedule. And we, both the feedback that we get both through my
office, through our ombudsman at large and the ombudsman
network, is that this is just a home run in that area, so we
are really looking forward to that flexibility and continued
growth into the subsidy program.
Senator Baldwin. Yes. And I would note on both housing and
childcare, these are issues beyond the scope of the Coast
Guard.
We have significant challenges in the State of Wisconsin
about the availability and affordability of childcare and
housing. But moving to housing, I am concerned that the Coast
Guard hasn't made the same progress on housing that we have
seen incrementally in the childcare arena.
Admiral Fagan, I don't know if you recall, when we were
visiting together at the Sturgeon Bay Station and had an
opportunity to informally interact with the folks there, there
was one single mom who talked about being assigned to Sturgeon
Bay fortunately in good weather and started at a campground
with her children as she was looking for affordable housing.
She whispered that her kids actually loved it and thought
it would be great to always stay there, but they hadn't seen
winter yet. So, but that really stuck with me. I have never
really forgotten that story.
So, I am concerned again that the Coast Guard hasn't made
the same progress on housing. What can we do to improve access
to housing for Coast Guard families? First of all, sort of,
give me the national picture, and then we will drill down a
little bit.
Admiral Fagan. No, thank you, Senator. I do recall. I do
recall that conversation quite vividly. And as you have,
pointed out, there is a housing challenge in Wisconsin, but it
is--there is a housing challenge across the Nation.
And so, let me--I will answer the question from a macro
view, and then perhaps if you would indulge, Admiral Hickey,
talk specifically about some of the--some of what we are doing
here. So, as the Master Chief alluded to, housing and access to
affordable housing is a stressor for our workforce writ large.
Availability of adequate housing at a price that can be
afforded at the housing rates are really paramount challenges.
And so, one thing is ensuring that the adjustable housing
rates that members are entitled to and paid, that they keep
pace with the changing, cost dynamics and drivers across the
country.
The larger challenge and the more difficult one is actual
housing availability. In some locations, and I will use
Newport, Rhode Island, as an example, it is a tourist seasonal
community, and people had been listing homes on Airbnb, which
made them not available for members.
The political leadership there passed legislation to limit
how many days it could be listed on Airbnb and eased, you know,
eased the housing dilemma there. In other words, more housing
was available. We are not a garrison force. We are not--we
don't retreat on a big bases.
And so, where there are big bases, access to military
housing is helpful. I happen to live in a military housing
community, but diversified access, so adequate money, housing
availability, leasing and availability, opportunities to lease
housing, you know, Government, Coast Guard option leases to
provide access availability and reliability for our workforce
really become all part of the equation that helps ease the
stressors of housing availability.
Senator Baldwin. Thank you. So, Master Chief Jones, the
Coast Guard has broad leasing authority. In fact, in some
places, the Coast Guard is leasing housing for junior members
and their families instead of asking those members to find
housing on their own. Is the Coast Guard considering expanding
the use of these lease programs to help fill the critical
housing gaps that we are seeing?
Mr. Jones. Yes. Thank you, Senator. And yes, ma'am, as the
Commandant said, I will speak from a macro level, and then if
Master Chief Buckman and Admiral Hickey want to talk about----
Senator Baldwin. Oh, he is next.
Mr. Jones.--specifically the Ninth District. So, in the
housing program, as they will speak to, over half of the
Government leases that the Coast Guard runs are here in the
Ninth District. We have done a lot of work over the last couple
years to really expand the authorities that we have in the
Government lease program to push that out.
Yet to be determined if we think that there may be some
authorities that we would need, that we would have to seek help
from Congress on. If we do discover we need that, we will
absolutely let you know immediately.
But we are really pushing out there big time into the
Government lease program. I have several points through my
career, my wife and children and I had--took the Government
lease option, and it really is a burden relief because a
Government lease also covers the electricity, the bills like
that, and really takes those things that you don't always think
of into account.
Senator Baldwin. Great. Master Chief Buckman, I have heard
a lot about access to housing challenges facing Wisconsin Coast
Guard families. So, what is the Coast Guard in this region
doing to address these concerns? And I will have some more
specific follow-ups.
Mr. Buckman. Yes, ma'am, thank you. We are doing quite a
bit, as I mentioned in my opening comments. We started the
Housing Action Plan, which is being run out of Base Cleveland.
We have our area housing officer there who is just a real
whiz at the lease program, and he claims 100 percent success in
establishing leases, so we have accepted that challenge and we
are really leaning in to get more leases. We also hired
recently a local housing officer based out of Milwaukee who is
responsible for this whole area. We have quite a few leased
houses in the area.
So, every time I and Admiral Hickey go out and visit units,
we are really promoting that idea because there is a lack of
awareness of how the program works, so we are really trying to
advertise it. We are also leveraging our Coast Guard
Auxiliarists, who we found have real estate skills and
backgrounds, to be a force multiplier for us to find those
leases that we have been able to find on our own.
Senator Baldwin. Pivoting--thank you, Master Chief.
Pivoting to access to medical care and especially specialty
care such as pediatrics, obstetrics, and behavioral health
care, tell me a little bit about how the district identifies,
tracks, and works to improve access to medical care here in
Wisconsin and across the Great Lakes region?
Mr. Buckman. Yes, ma'am. We--so specialty care is not
something I have heard a bit concerned about. Primary care is
generally the biggest burden. Once our members are able to get
into a primary care provider, the referrals for specialty care
seem to be a little bit easier for them. So, we are working
with Tricare, and I know MCPOCG is pushing a lot of initiatives
to increase capacity and access to either in-network providers
or waivers go out of network.
Senator Baldwin. All right. And can you also share any
additional quality of life concerns that you have and any
recommendations that you have for better supporting our Coast
Guard members stationed in the Great Lakes?
Mr. Buckman. I think we are doing a lot, actually. We are
excited where Commandant and MCPOCG are taking in the
organization, making it easier to Coast Guard, as Commandant
likes to say, is a good phrase for us.
Some of the traditional military talent management rules
were really turning around. For example, typically, if a member
advanced in pay grade, that would mean they would have to pick
up and move even if they just got to their new unit. So, we
have allowed them to decline advancement with no penalty.
So, no harm, no foul. They can stay where they are at, let
their families be established. Billet banding is another
initiative that we brought online where even if you do advance,
you can stay in the same position and not necessarily have to
move right away. So, we are really doing some creative stuff,
and it has really--we are seeing some impact across the
district.
Senator Baldwin. Great. Thank you, Mr. Chief. Admiral
Fagan, this committee is waiting eagerly to receive several
submissions from the Coast Guard, including a housing plan, as
well as a strategy for supporting service members at remote
duty stations.
So, will you ensure that those are provided as soon as
possible, and will you include an assessment of any statutes or
policies in place under the Department of Defense that may also
be beneficial to the members of our Coast Guard?
Admiral Fagan. Thank you, Senator. I am committed to
delivering that housing plan and remote duty station
assessment. As I said, in general, housing is a challenge
nationwide. It takes a slightly different flavor or perspective
depending on the specific community you are living in.
But ensuring that we have got the right authorities and
right resourcing for our Coast Guard members and their families
to access adequate housing is a key priority. We can't do the
work that we do if we don't have that reliable access to
housing, and I appreciate your support and committed to
delivering the report. Thank you, Senator.
Senator Baldwin. Thank you. So that concludes the round of
questions for our first panel. I am going to suggest we take a
five-minute break before bringing the next panel up. But again,
I thank you for your presence and your testimony, and the work
we will continue to do together.
So, with that, we will take a 5-minute pause.
[The Committee is in a short recess.]
Senator Baldwin. The second panel of our hearing on ``The
Importance of Great Lakes Icebreaking to the Regional
Economy,'' and I want to again thank our second panel of
witnesses for being here today. I will briefly introduce the
witnesses and then we will offer each of them the opportunity
to give 5 minute oral testimony.
You are welcomed to submit a longer written statement,
should you wish. Dean Haen is the Director of the Brown County
Port and Resource Recovery Department. He has held this
position since 2011 and has a wealth of professional experience
in this area, serving on a number of boards and associations,
including the Great Lakes Commission, American Great Lakes
Ports Association Board, the Green Bay Area Chamber of
Commerce, and the Wisconsin Transportation Association.
Ken Przybyla is the Vice President of Operations at GLC
Minerals, a family owned company that has over 150 years of
history on the waterways in and around Green Bay. Mr. Przybyla
also has experience as a plant manager and mine manager.
Jim Weakley has been the President of the Great Lakes
Carriers Association since 2003. He also serves on the Great
Lakes Commission and on the Board of Directors for America's
Maritime Partnership. Jim has a long career as a Great Lakes
vessel operator and has served in the United States Coast
Guard.
The witnesses will now offer their testimony, beginning
with Mr. Haen.
STATEMENT OF DEAN B. HAEN, DIRECTOR, BROWN COUNTY PORT AND
RESOURCE RECOVERY DEPARTMENT
Mr. Haen. Good morning and thank you for this prestigious
opportunity to testify before the U.S. Senate Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation subcommittee. I
appreciate the meeting being held here in Brown County, in the
City of Green Bay and right at the Port of Green Bay.
The topic of the importance of Great Lakes icebreaking to
the regional economy is vitally important to me. I am Dean
Haen. I am the Port Director at the Port of Green Bay, and
Green Bay is the westernmost port on the Great Lakes, around
the on Lake Michigan of the Great Lakes, offering the shortest,
most direct route for shipments between the Midwest and the
rest of the world.
The port provides State of the art facilities and advocates
for port infrastructure and safe navigation. The types of
commodities that you see moving in and out of Green Bay
include: limestone, cement, salt, coal, forest products,
petroleum products which include diesel, gasoline, and ethanol
export, liquid asphalt, gypsum, ash, slag, aluminum components
for ship building, and project cargo.
These are collectively valued at more than $300 million a
year. We have a number of businesses that operate within the
port: eight do dry bulk, four do liquid bulk, and three do
project cargo.
The port of Green Bay is unique in that we have a 16 mile
channel. Three of it is in the Fox River, where there is
actually activity happening, with 13 of it being in the bay at
Green Bay. So, it is a 16 mile channel. The port overall has
seen 1.7 million tons of cargo moved through the port last
year, carried aboard 170 vessels.
So, 300 and--or, yes, it would be 340 transits per year.
The Port of Green Bay has and continues to be a vital part of
our regional economy, our history, and our lives. The port
generated $217 million in economic activity based on a study
done in 2022, supporting 1,620 jobs with personal income
reaching almost $42 million. This demonstrates high families
supporting wages.
The Port activities has also resulted in $38 million in
local, State, and Federal taxes paid, and these taxes support
essential services like police, fire, transportation, and
education. As Port Director, I have watched and seen the Port
significantly evolve over the years with the reduction in coal
consumption and now the increased movement of petroleum
products by water on the Great Lakes.
Early and late icebreaking are critical to the movements of
these petroleum products, among others, into the Port of Green
Bay. The Port of Green Bay needs sufficient icebreaking assets
available to move cargo, especially during the early and late
ice season. The Bay is one of the most heavily iced ports on
the Great Lakes, if not the most heavily ice location on the
Great Lakes. The Port is not looking for year round service.
We are looking for the full 9 months that we are allowed to
operate within. Green Bay is a Tier 2 waterway, meaning that we
are lower priority than the Tier 1 locations. The U.S. Coast
Guard breaks Green Bay only after the Soo and the St. Marys
River are free of ice. And, you know, Green Bay really should
be a Tier 1 designation, just like East--every East Coast port
is identified as.
So, we have sent in a letter to the Coast Guard and are
asking for that consideration. With regard to icebreaker
investment, it is critical that we as a nation invest in the
infrastructure that is needed to support efficient and reliable
waterborne transportation, especially here in Wisconsin. U.S.
Coast Guard icebreakers are critical assets and are
particularly important to the port of Green Bay.
Nearly every year, the U.S. heavy icebreaker MACKINAW is
needed in Green Bay to clear the vessels leaving in Sturgeon
Bay and then open up the Port of Green Bay. With that, the
MACKINAW becomes a single point of failure. So, that translates
into a risky proposition for ports, shippers, and businesses
that need a confident and reliable maritime transportation
system.
In conclusion, I applaud Senator Baldwin for her continued
advocacy for the Port of Green Bay, for this effort in securing
new Coast Guard assets, and I applaud also the Coast Guard with
their commitment to the Great Lakes and the Port of Green Bay,
and I respectfully ask that the Committee continue to work with
the Coast Guard to expedite construction, within a time-frame
that is as short as possible, to help out the Great Lakes as a
system.
You know, if we have to wait 10 years for a solution, we
may miss new opportunities, forcing American workers and the
economy to pay the price for that delay, and I am hopeful that
the Coast Guard District Nine considers the Great Lakes ports
as important as ports in the Northeast of the U.S. and afford
us the same level of service. Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Haen follows:]
Prepared Statement of Dean R. Haen, Director, Brown County Port &
Resource Recovery Department
The following testimony provides support for expedited acquisition
of a second heavy U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) icebreaker for the Great
Lakes and the immediate recapitalization of the 140-foot USCG
icebreaking tugs.
Good morning and thank you for the opportunity to testify before
the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation
Subcommittee on Oceans, Fisheries, Climate Change and Manufacturing. I
appreciate the meeting being held in Green Bay.
The topic of ``The Importance of Great Lakes Icebreaking to the
Regional Economy'' is of vital importance to me. I am Dean Haen, Port
Director for the Port of Green Bay.
The Port of Green Bay is the western-most port of Lake Michigan
offering the shortest, most direct route for shipments between the
Midwest and the rest of the world. The Port provides modern, state-of-
the-art facilities and advocates for port infrastructure and safe
navigation to economically handle diverse cargo. Waterborne
transportation is an efficient and environmentally friendly mode of
transportation.
The Port of Green Bay is a fundamental part of our regional
economy, our history and our lives. It plays an important role in the
transportation of goods and commodities that are critical to the
economic health of the region. The Port of Green Bay receives and/or
sends commodities as far south as Sheboygan, Wisconsin, west to Wausau,
Wisconsin and north into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Commodities typically include limestone, cement, salt, coal, forest
products, petroleum products (diesel, gasoline and ethanol), liquid
asphalt, gypsum, ash, slag, aluminum components, project cargo and
other essential commodities annually valued at over $300 million. Eight
(8) terminal operators handle dry bulk commodities such as coal,
cement, limestone, salt, gypsum, ash and others. Four (4) terminal
operators handle bulk liquids including tallow, petroleum products,
chemicals and liquid asphalt. Three (3) general cargo docks are capable
of handling machinery, aluminum components, bagged agricultural
commodities, wood pulp and other forest products.
The Port of Green Bay plays a vital role in providing Northeast
Wisconsin with a natural competitive advantage for businesses to locate
and prosper while paying good wages for families to live and thrive in
our communities. The Port's economic impact illustrates the profound
role the Port plays in our region and its value to both current and
future businesses. It includes the direct jobs of dockworkers and ship
crew members to the indirect jobs that are generated, such as equipment
supplier jobs and jobs at office supply firms. Those who are directly
employed use their wages, in part, to purchase goods and services in
our community. In addition, businesses' revenue is also used to hire
people, purchase goods and services and pay taxes, all adding up to
make a significant contribution to our regional economy.
The Port of Green Bay has a 13-mile outer channel leading to the
Fox River, where 14 Port businesses span more than three miles upriver.
The recently concluded 2023 shipping season saw 1,782,887 metric tons
of cargo. A total of 170 vessels moved through the Port of Green Bay
this past shipping season.
Economic activity generated by the Port of Green Bay during 2022
reached $217.3 million, an increase of $70 million since 2017,
according to an economic impact study released in 2023. The report also
points to 1,620 Wisconsin jobs supported by the Port of Green Bay, an
increase of 331 jobs over the 2017 total. Direct personal income paid
during 2022 reached $41.7 million. When combined with induced and
indirect income the impact exceeded $142 million. This demonstrates
high, family-supporting wages. Port activities also resulted in $38
million in local, state and Federal taxes which support essential
services like police, fire, transportation and education.
Tier 2 Designation
As Port Director for many years, I've watched as the Port has
changed significantly over time. Back in 2006, the Port saw 2.55
million metric tons (mt) of coal. As the use of natural gas has
steadily increased, coal tonnage has steadily declined to a historic
low of just over 100,000 mt in 2023. Year-over-year coal tonnage is
decreasing at 40 percent/year. The Port's past efforts to advocate for
more diverse cargo movements and its adaptability have proven valuable
and necessary.
With the closure of the Westshore pipeline, petroleum products
delivery by vessel continues to grow year after year. Petroleum
products are the life blood of the economy, and marine transportation
moves this cargo inexpensively into our region. Domestic imports of
petroleum products have increased 81 percent and domestic exports have
increased 34 percent, along with a return to the foreign export of
petroleum products. Early and late ice breaking is critical to the
movement of these petroleum products. The Port of Green Bay is not
looking for a year round shipping season but rather sufficient USCG
icebreaking assets available to move cargo during the early ice
conditions before needing to shut down due to significant ice
conditions and recreational use(s) of the bay.
The bay is one of the most heavily iced places on the Great Lakes.
The Port of Green Bay recognizes the recreational users of the bay
during heavy ice conditions and is not looking for year-round service.
Rather when recreational ice users are unable to use the mid bay ice,
the port should stay open with ice breaker assistance to bring in these
commodities when weather allows. For the record, I am an avid ice
fisherman and know the Bay of Green Bay well and respect all users of
the waters of the Great Lakes
According to USCG District Nine, Green Bay is a Tier 2 waterway.
That means our port is a lower priority than other waterways for
Federal icebreaking. The USCG has and continues to provide ice breaking
early and late in our seasons but only after the Soo Locks area is
cleared of ice. A Tier 1 waterway designation at Green Bay would ensure
USCG has assets available as needed to aid commercial navigation and
would also mean delays due to ice would be measured and reported to
Congress. Green Bay currently has two (2) terminal operators, Holcim
and U.S. Venture, that depend on USCG ice breaking assets to keep
commerce flowing. Both have expressed concern about USCG ice breaking
capacity and availability to improve the movement of commerce in Green
Bay.
Ice Breaker Investment
As mentioned earlier, the Port of Green Bay is a vital part of our
regional economy and plays a key role in the transportation of goods
and commodities that are critical to the economic health of the region.
Opportunities for growth, whether using an existing port facility or
developing a new property, makes the port an attractive option for
businesses but requires a healthy and dependable Great Lakes Navigation
System (GLNS) even during the winter months.
Ports around the Great Lakes continue to compete for cargo,
including containerized cargo, which relieves pressure from congested
East and West Coast ports bringing goods further into the U.S. and
removing trucks and trains from the tightening surface transportation
nodes and out of residential communities. It is critical that we as a
nation invest in the infrastructure that is needed to support efficient
and reliable waterborne transportation, especially here in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin businesses rely on Great Lakes shipping. USCG icebreakers
are crucial national assets that support the movement of ships here on
the Great Lakes during the winter months. They are particularly
important to Green Bay and not just the port but the entire bay where
vessels transit daily between March and January.
Unfortunately, our port and the entire Bay of Green Bay is not
afforded a priority status for icebreaking by the USCG in the Great
Lakes. Unlike harbors on the East Coast like Portland, Maine who the
USCG treats with the highest levels of icebreaking service, Green Bay
is not considered a top priority despite the fact that critical
petroleum products move into our port regularly.
As a member of the Great Lakes Maritime Task Force which represents
nearly 80 organizations including port authorities, shipboard and
shoreside labor, shipyards and terminal operators, we have sent
numerous letters documenting the issue with the USCG's inadequate
icebreaking fleet and begging for funding to build another heavy
icebreaker.
Nearly every year the USCG's only heavy icebreaker is required in
Green Bay in order to free the vessels that depart the shipyard in
Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin to begin the monumental task of restocking raw
materials at facilities around the Great Lakes. The smaller 140-foot
icebreaking tugs are often unable to break the thick lake ice that
forms in Green Bay, which makes the MACKINAW a single point of failure
at the start and end of our shipping season.
That translates into a very risky business for ports and facilities
around the Great Lakes. If shippers are not confident in a reliable
maritime transportation system during the early and late winter months
they will withdraw from the business and look elsewhere which would
cripple Wisconsin exports and imports.
Conclusion
I applaud your commitment to the Great Lakes, the U.S. shipping
industry and the USCG. I respectfully ask that the committee continue
to work with the USCG to expedite the construction timeline for the new
heavy Great Lakes icebreaker. If we have to wait ten years for a
solution, we will miss new opportunities, and American jobs and the
economy will pay the price. I am hopeful that USCG District Nine
considers Great Lakes ports as important as ports in the Northeast and
will afford us the same level of service.
Senator Baldwin. Thank you. Next, Mr. Przybyla.
STATEMENT OF KEN PRZYBYLA,
VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS, GLC MINERALS
Mr. Przybyla. Good morning. Am I on? No, I am good. Good
morning and thank you for the opportunity to testify before the
Committee. I am Ken Przybyla, Vice President of Operations of
GLC Minerals, one of the terminal operators in the Port of
Green Bay.
We are a fifth generation Green Bay area legacy business,
founded in 1871 as Herbert Calcium and Chemical Company.
Located on the banks of the Fox River in Green Bay, Wisconsin,
GLC Minerals has become a leader in mineral manufacturing for
agronomy, animal nutrition, and industrial applications
throughout the Upper Midwest.
GLC processes and distributes calcium carbonate, dolomite,
and gypsum products to the agricultural users and manufacturers
of glass, plastic, and other products. Our minerals arrive by
boat from Great Lakes quarries in the spring and summer months
going into fall.
Our location in Green Bay allows for optimal transportation
of our products to our customers across the Midwest. The port
and our access to the Great Lakes, Saint Lawrence Seaway are
essential to our business and the businesses we serve. We
believe in using waterways for business. Shipping is an
environmentally friendly, sustainable, and cost effective mode
of transportation.
GLC recently purchased additional land at the mouth of the
Fox River, part of the former Pulliam Power Plant site, which
will provide room to expand our mineral processing operations.
The purchase will result in an additional $7.5 million
investment by GLC over the next 5 years, creating at least 10
new jobs.
But to continue to grow and be successful, which includes
reinvesting in our operations, we need to be able to ship and
receive products for as long as possible throughout the
shipping season. As you know, ice can form very early in the
bay, and that directly impacts our ability to ship and receive
commodities and products.
And when we talk about impacts to our business, you have to
think about the impacts that go beyond the business itself. If
we must cut back and close our operations due to ice, it
impacts our employees, our customers and their employees who
are relying on our products to continue their operations.
When the movement of goods and--when the movement of goods
are curtailed due to ice, that directly impacts our regional
economy. But we also need to coexist with those who use the
waterways for recreation and tourism, and in winter this means
ice fishing, snowmobiling, and other sports.
We know it is not possible to have year round shipping due
to the heavy ice in the dead of winter. We also respect those
who want to be out on the ice for recreation during the off
season. But with a second heavy U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker, we
can have a longer shipping season that accommodates everyone
and best supports our regional economy.
This is why we support the expedited acquisition of the
second heavy U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker for the Great Lakes
and the immediate recapitalization of the 140 foot U.S. Coast
Guard icebreaking tugs.
On behalf of GLC Minerals, I thank you for coming to Green
Bay to hear our testimony and to learn why the icebreaker is so
important to our regional economy. And thank you very much to
your service, U.S. Coast Guard members. Thank you, thank you,
thank you.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Przybyla follows:]
Prepared Statement of Ken Przybyla, Vice President of Operations,
GLC Minerals
The following testimony provides support for expedited acquisition
of a second heavy U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) icebreaker for the Great
Lakes and the immediate recapitalization of the 140-foot USCG
icebreaking tugs.
Good morning and thank you for the opportunity to testify before
the committee.
I am Ken Przybyla, the Vice President of Operations for GLC
Minerals, one of the terminal operators at the Port of Green Bay.
We are a fifth-generation, Green Bay area legacy business--founded
in 1871 as the Hurlbut Calcium and Chemical Company.
Located on the banks of the Fox River in Green Bay, Wisconsin, GLC
Minerals has become a leader in mineral manufacturing for agronomy,
animal nutrition and industrial applications throughout the upper
Midwest.
GLC processes and distributes calcium carbonate, dolomite and
gypsum products to agricultural users and manufacturers of glass,
plastics and other products.
Our minerals arrive by boat from Great Lakes quarries in the spring
and summer months.
Our location in Green Bay allows for optimal transportation of our
products to our customers across the Midwest.
The Port and our access to the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway are
essential to our business and the businesses we serve.
We believe in using waterways for business--shipping is an
environmentally-friendly, sustainable and cost-effective mode of
transportation.
GLC recently purchased additional land at the mouth of the Fox
River--part of the former Pulliam Power Plant site--which will provide
room to expand our mineral processing operation. The purchase will
result in an additional $7.5 million investment by GLC over the next
five years, creating at least 10 new, full-time jobs.
But, to continue to grow and be successful--which includes
reinvesting in our operations--we need to be able to ship and receive
products for as long as possible throughout the shipping season.
As you know, ice can form very early in the bay and that directly
impacts our ability to ship and receive commodities and product.
And when we talk about impacts to our business, you have to think
about impacts that go beyond the business itself.
If we must cut back or close our operations due to ice, it impacts
our employees, our customers, and their employees who are relying on
our products to continue their operations.
When the movement of goods are curtailed due to ice, it directly
impacts our regional economy.
But we also need to co-exist with those who use the waterways for
recreation and tourism. And, in winter, that means ice fishing,
snowmobiling and other sports.
We know it is not possible to have a year-round shipping season due
to heavy ice in the dead of winter.
We also respect those who want to be out on the ice for recreation
during the off-season.
But, with a second heavy U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker, we can have a
longer shipping season and that accommodates everyone and best supports
our regional economy.
That is why we support the expedited acquisition of a second heavy
U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) icebreaker for the Great Lakes and the
immediate recapitalization of the 140-foot USCG icebreaking tugs.
On behalf of GLC Minerals, I thank you for coming to Green Bay to
hear our testimony and to learn why this icebreaker is so important to
our regional economy.
Senator Baldwin. Thank you. And, next we have Mr. Jim
Weakley.
STATEMENT OF JAMES H. I. WEAKLEY, PRESIDENT,
LAKE CARRIERS' ASSOCIATION
Mr. Weakley. The Lake Carriers' Association has advocated
for Great Lakes icebreaking resources for decades and been
stymied by inappropriate performance metrics. The Coast Guard
claims success despite serious ice delays.
We hired an expert in Coast Guard icebreaking who
previously held three command positions on Great Lakes
icebreakers and retired as the Coast Guard icebreaking program
manager. The system annually saves consumers $3.9 billion,
generates $26 billion in U.S. economic activity, $6 billion in
taxes, 150,000 U.S. jobs, and $17.8 billion in wages.
An economist estimated a $2 billion, 10,000 job loss from
inadequate icebreaking over 10 years. Lakers have been beset
for days awaiting the MACKINAW because of a casualty or
scheduled maintenance. During a 2023 polar vortex, MACKINAW was
not available due to a casualty.
Later in 2023, MACKINAW was towed home with an electrical
problem. During ice induced flooding in 2021, MACKINAW was not
available. With only one heavy icebreaker or GLIB, ports,
vessels, facilities, and homeowners feel the pain.
A new GLIB is needed now. The Coast Guard demands 10 years
after receiving construction funding to acquire one. The Great
Lakes region risks another $2 billion and 10,000 jobs waiting.
U.S. Coast Guard icebreakers lost 246 operational days
during the 2017, 2018 ice season, and another 182 days during
the 2018, 2019 season. Casualties are problematic in the 40
year old, 140 foot long icebreaking tug fleet.
When Katmai Bay's heating system failed, they operated in
subzero temperatures with small space heaters and heavy
clothing. Luckily, we are at historically low ice levels
because several ice breakers, including the MACKINAW, are not
operational.
Supposedly the 140 Service Life Extension Program breathed
new life. I disagree. The 1970s era engines were not replaced,
causing stack fires and other emergency repairs. We are
unlikely to see a 140 replacement until 2040. In 1979, the U.S.
and Canadian Coast Guards maintained 20 ice breakers on the
lakes, including two GLIBs. Today, they operate 11, including
two less ice capable buoy tenders.
The USCG measures the ability to free a beset vessel within
24 hours in only four waterways. None of Wisconsin is in any of
those four waterways. A vessel could literally be stuck for the
entire winter in Green Bay. It would not count. They justified
fewer icebreakers by lowering their level of service.
We need to fix this, to fight for future icebreaking
resources and to capture the impacts of the inadequate fleet. I
appreciate Admiral Fagan's support for another GLIB. The Fiscal
Year 2024 budget request included $55 million in construction
funding. I believe the Coast Guard will not be honest and
transparent. They will continue to deny the problems with the
140s and use flawed performance metrics.
They claimed two tugs were as capable as the old MACKINAW.
They claim that the new MACKINAW is as capable as the old. Both
are false. They will again claim that technology can provide a
smaller, more capable icebreaker. Bells and whistles can't
replace horsepower and vessel size, particularly when breaking
a path for a 105 foot wide ice breaker--laker.
Senator Baldwin, I applaud your commitment to the Great
Lakes, the U.S. economy, and the United States Coast Guard. I
fear the Coast Guard's acquisitions goals and priorities will
supersede Congressional direction and the needs of the Great
Lakes region. Coast Guard acquisitions has no lower priority
than icebreaking.
The Coast Guard outmaneuvered Congressman Obi on this. He
was ready to fully fund a second MACKINAW under the Open
Shipyard contract with 2008 stimulus funds. My guess is that
they are planning to outmaneuver you as well.
My guess is they are planning for a smaller, less capable
icebreaker than the MACKINAW, and they will do nothing with the
140 fleet. Unless Congress holds the Coast Guard accountable
and forces them to do the right thing, we won't see even a less
capable GLIB for 10 years, or a 140 replacement for 20. Thank
you.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Weakley follows:]
Prepared Statement of James H. I. Weakley, President,
Lake Carriers' Association
The Lake Carriers' Association has been advocating for additional
U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) icebreaking resources for the Great Lakes for
decades including the construction of the current heavy icebreaker
MACKINAW commissioned in 2006. Our efforts have been stymied in the
past by a lack of transparent Domestic Icebreaking performance measures
where the USCG claimed success with the mission despite serious winter
shipping delays. To counter the false claims, we hired an expert in
USCG icebreaking who previously held command positions on three USCG
Great Lakes icebreakers and finished his career in uniform as the
Program Manager for all USCG ice operations including polar
icebreaking, domestic icebreaking encompassing the Northeast and Great
Lakes, and the International Ice Patrol.
The below testimony provides support for acquisition of a second
heavy USCG icebreaker for the Great Lakes and the immediate
recapitalization of the USCG 140-foot icebreaking tug fleet.
Since 1880, the Lake Carriers' Association (LCA) has represented
the U.S.-flag Great Lakes fleet, which today can move 90 million tons
of cargos annually. These cargos are the building blocks of American
manufacturing, infrastructure, and energy: iron ore, construction
stone, coal, cement, and other dry bulk materials such as grain, salt,
and sand.
A reliable Great Lakes Navigation System (GLNS) is critical to the
success of our Nation and the economy. Similar to interstate highways,
infrastructure is a key component to a safe and efficient maritime
system. USCG icebreakers are a critical piece of maritime
infrastructure which, when adequate in both numbers and capability,
facilitate the movement of commerce via the most economically and
environmentally friendly mode of transportation: bulk cargo ships known
as ``Lakers'' on the Great Lakes.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) estimates that the GLNS
results in an annual transportation rate savings of $3.9 billion
annually. A recent report, Economic Impacts of Maritime Shipping in the
Great Lakes, highlights Great Lakes shipping's contribution to the
economic success of our Nation. The industry drives $36 billion in
annual economic activity, which generates more than $6 billion in
Federal, State, and local tax revenue annually. Almost 150,000 U.S.
jobs are tied to our fourth seacoast and more than $17.8 billion in
family sustaining wages are paid every year.
The economic impact of inadequate icebreaking is staggering. A
study commissioned by LCA and completed by Martin and Associates, a
well-respected economist, found that over the course of the last ten
years $2 billion in economic activity and 10,000 jobs have been lost
due to a lack of sufficient USCG icebreaking on the Great Lakes. U.S.
cargo vessels have been left stranded for days in waterways around the
Great Lakes, often awaiting assistance from the only heavy Great Lakes
icebreaker, MACKINAW. Unfortunately, when MACKINAW is unavailable due
to a casualty or scheduled maintenance, shipping companies, ports, and
jobs suffer.
During the height of ice onset in 2023, MACKINAW was not available
due to a casualty. Last year, MACKINAW also was unavailable during the
early part of the ice season and had to be towed back to homeport with
an electrical problem. When a serious ice jam occurred in the St. Clair
River in February 2021 requiring a heavy icebreaker to relieve coastal
community flooding north of Detroit, MI, MACKINAW was once again
unavailable. With only one heavy icebreaker on the Great Lakes when
heavy ice conditions persist across their vast expanse, the USCG is
forced into deciding which port, which vessels, and which facilities
will bear the pain.
While a new USCG heavy Great Lakes icebreaker is needed now, the
USCG has stated it will take 10-years to build one after they receive
construction funds. which is the same timeline the new $3.2 billion Soo
Lock mega project will take. LCA finds that timeline unacceptable and
untenable that we must endure another $2 billion impact with additional
lost jobs while waiting for this new icebreaker.
It is not just MACKINAW that faces challenges to remaining
operational during the ice season. A direct correlation can be made
between casualties and the severity of the ice season. In total, the
USCG fleet on the Great Lakes suffered 246 lost operational days during
the 2017/2018 ice season and another 182 during the 2018/2019 ice
season, two of the heaviest ice seasons during the past decade. Based
on LCA's observations over the past two years, these casualties are
increasing at an alarming rate, particularly in the 40-year-old 140-
foot icebreaking tug fleet. The USCG men and women sailing these
vessels are subject to work-arounds to critical failing operational
components. In fact, when KATMAI BAY's boiler heating system failed
last year, the crew bravely continued to operate in sub-zero
temperatures with portable space heaters and heavy clothing.
The USCG has claimed they have extended the life of the 140s with
their Service Life Extension Program (SLEP), but I respectfully
disagree. Since the 1970s era main propulsion engines were not replaced
or overhauled during that SLEP, annual failures have forced these
critical icebreaking resources to the dock for emergency repairs on
several occasions. The USCG Great Lakes icebreaking mission is facing a
complete collapse, and the fallout will be the shuttering of domestic
steel production, which will have massive impacts on our national and
economic security.
The real question is how did we get to this point of certain
failure? In 1979, the U.S. and Canadian Coast Guards maintained a
combined 20 icebreakers on the Great Lakes, including two heavy USCG
icebreakers. Today, that number is eleven which includes two less ice
capable buoy tenders. The USCG operates nine while the Canadian Coast
Guard operate two, and they claim to work as one team. However, the
Canadian commercial fleet receives a higher level of service from both
the USCG and Canadian Coast Guard due to a glaring difference in
performance measures. The Canadian Coast Guard measures their ability
to get to a vessel stuck in ice within eight hours anywhere on the
Great Lakes or St. Lawrence Seaway, while the USCG only measures their
ability to free a vessel within 24-hours of being stuck in one of only
four waterways. Green Bay is not one of those waterways; in fact, no
Wisconsin waters are in those four waterways. A vessel could be stuck
for a month in the middle of the bay and the USCG would not count this
as a mission failure.
The Canadian Coast Guard has justified their reduction in Great
Lakes icebreakers by using USCG icebreakers to meet their higher level
of service in Canadian waters. The USCG has justified their reduction
by lowering their level of service to U.S. waters and U.S. ships. After
enactment of the 2022 Coast Guard authorization Act, I believe the USCG
has realized there is an issue with their icebreaking performance
measures on the Great Lakes and trust that they, in consultation with
U.S. vessel operators, will find a reasonable solution that accurately
measures the ability of winter commerce to move safely and efficiently
on the Great Lakes. This needs to happen now, as the Great Lakes will
have to fight for future USCG icebreaking assets and the actual impacts
of the currently inadequate fleet need to be captured.
I was pleased to hear that Admiral Fagan has put her full support
into acquiring another heavy icebreaker for the Great Lakes and the
Fiscal Year 2024 budget request included $55 million in construction
funding, but ten years is too long to wait for this vital national
asset. The acquisition process must be accelerated.
Based on the current timeline for the new heavy icebreaker, I can
only assume that the timeline for replacing the fleet of 140-foot
icebreaking tugs will be even longer as there are more of them to
replace. The USCG should act now to start the process of replacing
these aging assets.
Icebreaking is a contact sport requiring stout vessels that can
withstand the daily punishment during the winter months. I commend the
crews of these vessels who work in some of the most challenging
environments on the planet, but they deserve to have the proper tools
to perform the job effectively and safely. I also commend the U.S.
merchant sailors who struggle to deliver their critical cargos faced
with inadequate USCG resources statutorily tasked with assisting
commerce in the winter on the Great Lakes.
Conclusion
Senator Baldwin, I applaud your commitment to the Great Lakes, the
U.S. shipping industry, and the USCG. I respectfully ask that the
Commerce Committee continue to work with the USCG to expedite the
construction timeline for the new heavy Great Lakes icebreaker. The
original heavy Great Lakes icebreaker MACKINAW was authorized and
received full appropriations on December 17, 1941 ten days after the
attack on Pearl Harbor. The vessel was operational assisting vital war
time domestic steel production three years later. While that timeline
probably can't be replicated during peacetime, we all should be
striving to approach it.
Senator Baldwin. Thank you all for your opening statements.
We are going to now turn to a round of questioning. And I want
to begin with Dean Haen. As we all know, the Port of Green Bay
handles a large volume of cargo and has a tremendous impact on
the Wisconsin economy, supporting jobs and generating tax
revenue.
Mr. Haen, thank you for highlighting the significant role
the Port of Green Bay plays in both the Wisconsin economy as
well as our whole region. Can you further describe the extent
of the port's impact on the economic health of the region and
how enabling maritime transportation of goods and commodities
supports a critical diversity of transportation, options that
are good for business and good for Wisconsin?
Mr. Haen. Yes, thank you. In addition to my oral remarks,
the port generates $142 million in wages, salaries, and local
consumption expenditures in the regional economy, and the Port
of Green Bay serves an area as far South as Sheboygan, over
past Wausau, and up into the Yuppies.
So that--we are the unique economic engine that is here at
the Port of Green Bay. So not every city has the opportunity to
have an international port and there is a lot of economic
benefit from having that port located in your community.
So, with that, you know, just waterborne transportation, it
moves things, as Ken mentioned, safely and very cost
effectively. So, it is a significant economic opportunity that
we need to maximize.
Senator Baldwin. Yes. Thank you. I want to also make sure
that we emphasize just how many industries rely on the port of
Green Bay and depend upon movement of goods through the bay.
Mr. Haen, thank you for including in your submitted
testimony a description of that diversity of commodities that
the Port of Green Bay sends and receives. Can you talk about
the different types of cargo handled in the port and their
importance in this region?
Mr. Haen. Certainly. Petroleum products obviously fuel our
economy. So, diesel and gasoline are coming into the region
to--for local consumers as well as our manufacturers. In
addition, our agricultural industries are exporting ethanol to
go into fuel additives on the East Coast.
So that is kind of what happens with petroleum products.
With regard to other commodities, cement and liquid asphalt are
really easy for people to relate to. They are going to road
construction. And the fact that we have the port here, that
unique economic engine that I mentioned--you know, taxes are
lowered, the ability to build roads are cheaper when you can
have that low cost delivery of those raw materials.
Other commodities, forest products. We see a lot of
eucalyptus wood pulp come into the Port of Green Bay, and that
goes into high end paper making products like diapers and
Swiffer and other things that are made by Kimberly Clark and,
Procter & Gamble. In addition, you know, Ken works in
limestone.
And you can talk more about that, but limestone is a very
unique and widely applied commodity that is used in everything
from pollution prevention applications to agricultural
applications to, you know, your calcium pills that you have
people take, to just--it goes into your toothpaste. It is part
of the scrubbing action that is added to toothpaste.
So, it is really unique, and I think those are probably the
commodities that I am comfortable addressing. The other ones
are, you know, coal obviously is for energy, and we have other
commodities that are in much smaller volume.
Senator Baldwin. Given the number of businesses that depend
on both the port and the bay, can you describe some of the
challenges they face when there is insufficient icebreaking
capacity, or conducted here in the Port of Green Bay?
Mr. Haen. Yes, thank you. So, we have two users that want
to run vessels as late as they can and then start as early as
they can. And one of them being U.S. Venture who moves
petroleum products. So, because that is continuously consumed,
if weather allows, they will move vessels as long as they can.
In addition, other commodities like cement are limited in
what they can store. So, if weather allows and they are
consuming those products, they will seek icebreaker assistance
to bring in those commodities.
So, these are the two users, that would be Wholesome Cement
and St. Mary Cement, along with U.S. Venture that generally
rely on icebreaker assistance. So, in late part of the season,
they are looking for icebreakers to keep the channel open. And
then in the spring, any time after March 15, we are looking for
icebreaker assistance.
And just talking about some of their--some of the struggles
that they have, this year we shouldn't have any. March 15 is
our designated start date, and we will be open, but Mother
Nature did that. In other years, during low ice, it is either
Mother Nature or the Coast Guard that helps us open up very
near March 15.
But then what happens during, heavy ice years? That is
where the port of Green Bay sits and waits, and we can sit and
wait anywhere from 20 to 30 days waiting for the Soo and the
St. Marys River to be cleared of ice before those assets can be
redeployed to Green Bay to open up Green Bay.
And some of those heavy ice years, I was looking back at
our start dates and those heavy ice years, and the most recent
ones 2008, 2009, 2014, 2015, and 2019, we experienced those 20
to 30 day waits for the Port of Green Bay to open.
Senator Baldwin. Yes. I think you have just answered this
question, but I was going to ask specifically what are some of
the complaints from dock owners in your port regarding the
ability to move cargo during winter?
Mr. Haen. Yes, those would be the primary ones.
Senator Baldwin. Yes. OK. We previously received estimates
that the Coast Guard--from the Coast Guard, that a new heavy
icebreaker for the Great Lakes may take as long as 10 years to
acquire.
Mr. Haen, I know you are working diligently on an expansion
of the port that will provide significant economic growth for
the region for years to come. Can you describe how your
intended timeline for port expansion, and how a 10 year wait
for the Coast Guard to provide additional heavy icebreakers,
how will that impact those plans?
Mr. Haen. Well, it does play a role in those plans. And
just to touch base on that project, we are again, very thankful
for your help in helping us secure some of the funding needed
to make that reality right before us.
So, we have secured about $34 million, and we are looking
for another $20 million to take a decommissioned power plant
and turn it into a State of the art port facility. That
facility is planned to have--and we had a third party do it,
that it would have an economic impact of $87 million in the
first 5 years that it is open.
But obviously, you know, the facility can realize that, but
we need the assurances that we have icebreaking so that we can
find the highest and best user for that facility. And, you
know, being limited to a 9-month ice season, or I mean,
shipping season, it is critical that we have that full 9 months
in order for someone to make the investments and to move the
cargoes that they are going to be looking to move.
Senator Baldwin. Yes, just emphasizing that point, how does
the lack of assurance from the Coast Guard that there will be
sufficient icebreaking impact a company's decision whether or
not to do business with the port?
Mr. Haen. Well, as with all Great Lakes ports, with the
nine-month season, we are challenged already with having that
window of time where, you know, manufacturers, producers,
receivers need to transition to something different during
those 3 months that we are closed.
So that that is just a baseline understanding across the
Great Lakes. And we certainly don't need that to be any more
than 3 month limitation. So having the assurances that we have
ice breaker capacity is critical to keep that window as short
as possible.
Senator Baldwin. Great. In 2022, Brown County secured over
$10 million for the Port of Green Bay development project
through the U.S. Department of Transportation's Port
Infrastructure Development Program, which received over--that
whole program received over $2 billion in the bipartisan
infrastructure law.
I supported the bipartisan infrastructure law and this
project, and I am working to ensure that Wisconsin and the
Great Lakes receive our fair share of the port funding that is
available. Can you speak to the importance of the port
receiving those funds? And what does it really mean to the
Green Bay community?
Mr. Haen. Thank you, Senator. Those funds are great
opportunities that a small community like the Port of Green Bay
wouldn't otherwise be able to realize. You know, to take a
decommissioned power plant is $50 plus million dollars.
So, looking, to contribute as a local--we are limited in
what we can contribute. So, we have reached out to State and
Federal agencies have been very successful in getting that
support. So, it is critical in order to invest in our future,
having the partnerships we need with the State and with the
Federal Government.
Senator Baldwin. Thank you. Mr. Przybyla, thank you for
being here for today. I think it is so important that we hear
directly from business leaders themselves, and I appreciate
your help in illustrating how crucial commerce on the Great
Lakes is to Green Bay and the entire regional economy.
Your business is unique in some ways because your
fundamental mission is to keep other businesses running. In
your testimony, you described how your company supports a wide
variety of industries.
Can you give us an idea of the types of industry, your
customers, that would be harmed and the types of products that
would not be available if you were unable to ship your goods?
Mr. Przybyla. Certainly. Animal nutrition is one of our
primary customers. With that, you have primarily in Wisconsin,
that is dairy cows and cheese. So, if you do not have the
material calcium from the limestone, magnesium from the
dolomite, then you will have a reduction of sustainable
minerals, we call them macro minerals, that increases the yield
of milk from the cows.
So, we have roughly two days' worth of inventory so that
when we have an incident similar to what happened in 2014, 95
percent of the lakes were covered with ice, we were unable to
receive a vessel that was scheduled for early spring. We had to
ship from Roger City, Michigan by truck 300 miles one way
material in to keep our process running.
So, if you look at 25,000 tons on a vessel, that would be
1,000 trucks put on the road to get to Green Bay. Obviously,
that put us in a quite a bind. We eventually did receive the
vessel. Also, we have agronomy customers.
So, the health of the soil. So that is important and also
relates to the yield of milk from the cows, in that as you grow
crops, the crops absorb the moisture into the plant and then
leave behind the need for additional minerals that we supply to
that also. And about 80, 90 percent of the corn growing in
Wisconsin is for the dairy process.
And then we also have manufacturing such as glass, float
glass, plastics, adhesives and sealants. Those are customers
that have relatively low inventory in stock, and we are--our
model is ``keep business running.'' We guarantee that we will
deliver on time so that we keep your business running.
Senator Baldwin. Thank you. Can you describe why the Port
of Green Bay is a strategic location for your business, and how
important access to the Great Lakes is to both you and your
customers?
Mr. Przybyla. Sure. The Great Lakes and the Saint Lawrence
Seaway is very important to us. We have shipped materials from
Newfoundland that has come through the Saint Lawrence Seaway.
And we also have the Great Lakes quarries that we deal with
in Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. We also have other modes of
transportation for shipping our end product out, trucks and
rail. It is ideal for us. It gives us the three modes of
transportation. And the icebreaker would allow us to extend our
season to be able to grow our business.
Senator Baldwin. Tell me a little bit about the difficult
winters during which bringing raw materials in and shipping
your products out were restricted. And can you describe how the
alternative methods of shipping, such as via ground, truck, or
rail are more expensive? Give us a sense of that difference.
Mr. Przybyla. So, as I said, the 25,000 tons would be 1,000
truckloads, or it would be 250 rail cars. And the rail car--for
us, the rail cars wouldn't work at all. We don't have access
from the quarries to rail.
So that is not even feasible to get raw materials in that
way. The other thing that we have is trucking. Of course, the
distance that has to be covered by truck from the quarries
would be--we would not be in business if it was not for the
Great Lakes.
Senator Baldwin. And last, think about the length of your
shipping season currently and how a longer shipping season
would be an economic boost not just for you, but for the
customers that you support.
Mr. Przybyla. Certainly. We have additional costs related
to winter storage of materials. If we did not have that, we
would be able to increase our output and our customer base
would also grow.
And we are, you know, through innovation and new product
development, our reach is getting farther and farther, so our
demand for stone will continue to increase as we reach toward
the West and to the South and to the East also by truck and
rail for shipping our products.
And then there is also the possibility of being able to
ship outgoing products. We have shipped barges to Michigan from
here. But, you know, there are other possibilities to go over
into Lake Erie, Lake Ontario also.
Senator Baldwin. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Przybyla. Mr.
Weakley, now that we have discussed how important icebreaking
is to the Port of Green Bay and the businesses that are located
here, I am really eager to discuss with you the significance of
icebreaking to the entire region.
But do you think the Coast Guard has articulated or has
currently adequate resources to accomplish its icebreaking
mission on the Great Lakes? And do you think that it is plans--
you know moving forward, will be adequate?
Mr. Weakley. Thank you for the question, Senator. I would
say absolutely not do they have the adequate resources to
maintain the Great Lakes navigation system. The previous
gentleman talked about the importance of the supply chain.
I would say the Coast Guard has the ability to manage one
problem area at a time. If the Straits are a problem, they can
handle it. If the St. Marys are a problem, they can handle it.
It Detroit is a problem, they can handle it. They can't handle
two of those four waterways that are a problem at a time.
We have seen that year over year. I was pleasantly
surprised when the Commandant said that she wasn't going to
reduce the number of 140 replacements for the Great Lakes, but
I was equally surprised that they are going to add two to the
East Coast. That demonstrates the importance of the flawed
metric application of the Great Lakes and the opportunistic
application of the metrics on the East Coast.
Keep in mind, East Coast ice is easier than Great Lakes
ice. We have fresh water. It is solid. It is hard. It is blue.
It is beautiful. The East Coast, it is saltwater laden. They
have a tidal flow, so the tidal flow will break the ice up. On
the East Coast, I am probably getting ahead of myself, they
have 25 Coast Guard assets that are capable of breaking ice.
I am counting the 140s, the 65 icebreaking tugs, the 225s,
and the 175s. I think Great Lakes, we got 11. So, you know,
their plan is East Coast centric. Going forward, I am very
grateful we will get the additional GLIB. Is it enough?
Absolutely not, particularly if you applied the same metrics on
the East Coast that you do on the Great Lakes.
No doubt Superior and no doubt Green Bay would be Tier 1
waterways if they were on the East Coast. 35 Tier 1 waterways
from New York, North. We have got four. It is disappointing, to
say the least.
Senator Baldwin. Yes. What are the risks associated with
having inadequate domestic icebreaking assets, as you have just
outlined?
Mr. Weakley. So, we have talked about the economic risk,
the supply chain risks, not just to my members, but to GLC's
customers, right. And it is the cascade effect.
Collisions, we have seen ice--two lakers had a collision in
the Straits of Mackinaw in 2014, a Tier 1 waterway, because of
lack of adequate icebreaking. One laker tried to go close to a
beset one to free it up. It didn't work out and they had a
collision.
Cost $7 million of damage. Groundings, we saw an instance
where the Coast Guard didn't have enough resources to manage
the upbound in the downbound channel in St. Marys River. The
first downbound laker was forced to go down the upbound
channel, ice forced it out of the channel and hold itself
flooding. Fortunately, no injuries or loss of life or
pollution, but clearly flooding is a risk to vessels, but also
to homes.
In 2021, we saw massive flooding along the Detroit Saint
Clair River because of an ice dam. And I am going to throw this
one out to the mothers of the toddlers in the audience. In
2018, we almost had a Cheerios crisis, right. We were trying to
get grain from Superior, Wisconsin to General Mills in Buffalo,
New York.
Buffalo was iced in. They were on the verge of running out
of grain for the mill that supplied our Nation's Cheerios.
Could you imagine the tragedy among the toddlers of the world
when we ran out of Cheerios, all because a lack of Coast Guard
icebreaking.
So, it not just impacts us, not just their members, it
impacts the toddlers of America. That is how important
icebreaking is to our national economy. And those are the risks
that we face on a daily basis.
Senator Baldwin. Yes. My next question was going to be
about comparing the Great Lakes assets to those assigned to the
East Coast. You already addressed that. I would like you to
describe a little bit about the economic loss that can occur to
the region in icy years. So, including those three in the last
decade, 2014, 2015, and 2018.
Mr. Weakley. So, we hired an economist to look at the
impacts of the cargoes that were delayed. In 2014, we
calculated it was a $705 million loss and 3,800 jobs were lost
because of the cargo that was delayed.
In 2015, we calculated a $335 million loss and 2,000 jobs.
But I will tell you that that is an underestimate because in
2015 the Coast Guard Admiral asked us not to sail because he
knew he could not move the commerce.
So, we did not count the delayed ships that didn't sail for
a week, two weeks. We only counted the delays that were
incurred of vessels that were beset. So, I would say that
number is probably half of what it actually should be. And in
2018, we did a little better job of calculating our delays.
We used to say an economist, went back to him, and he
calculated $1 billion in economic loss to the Great Lakes
region and 5,400 jobs lost just from the cargo delays that
couldn't move because of the iron ore that didn't result in
steel, the coal that didn't result in electrical power, the
limestone that didn't result in, you know, good Wisconsin dairy
products. Those are just economic losses.
And I have no idea how to calculate the loss of a result of
flooding. If you look at the 2021 floods up and down the
Algonac River, the Detroit, Sinclair River, it was catastrophic
to those homeowners and business owners along that, all because
the Coast Guard didn't have the ability to do the job.
And I am always very careful not to criticize the men and
women of the United States Coast Guard, being one formerly
myself. I think the problem is a lack of resources, a lack of
focus, and the Coast Guard will always have higher priorities
in the Great Lakes.
Senator Baldwin. You just referenced this anecdotally,
about the Coast Guard recommending to a company that they not
embark on any voyages because there would be inadequate
icebreaking capabilities. Do you have--beyond anecdotal
stories, a sense of how many companies that impacted?
Mr. Weakley. Yes, Senator. And with your permission, I will
enter a copy of that letter on the record.
Senator Baldwin. Without objection.
[The information referred to was unavailable at time of
printing.]
Mr. Weakley. And I will also enter----
Mr. Weakley. Usually say that to colleagues, but----
[Laughter.]
Mr. Weakley. And also, Senator, with your permission, I
will provide more detailed descriptions of the problems we had
in 2014, 2015 and 2018.
Senator Baldwin. OK.
Mr. Weakley. We have been writing letters to the Coast
Guard documenting that. So, an entire--the letter from the
Admiral Midgette in 2015 impacted the entire industry, both the
Canadian fleet and the American fleet. Basically, all the
companies delayed by a few days, some delayed by weeks.
There was one company that elected to go out earlier than
the others, in spite of the Admiral's plea. And to tell you the
truth, it backfired on those companies that were more risk
averse because that company got all the Coast Guard assets to
get them through, so they were more successful, but you would
not believe the pressure from our customers.
In fact, the company that went out and took what I believe
was an unnecessary risk or an excessive risk compared to the
other members, used it as a marketing campaign. So, if it
happened again, I would think the other customers would put
just as much pressure, and sadly, our members would be less
risk sensitive.
So, I think the Admiral did the right thing. His letter
talks about 7 feet of brash ice in the Detroit, Saint Clair
River. And it was impenetrable, but, you know, somebody took
the risk, and it paid off financially for them.
Senator Baldwin. As we have already discussed, the Coast
Guard has provided in a report to Congress that there is an
estimated 10 year timeline to deliver a new Great Lakes heavy
icebreaker. Mr. Weakley, in your opinion, I already know the
answer to this--is it a reasonable timeframe?
Let me not ask that question, but answer two questions.
What are the impacts to the U.S. industry of such a long
timeline, and what do you believe is a reasonable timeframe
where this would be achievable?
Obviously, as the Commandant reflected, there are a lot of
laws and rules and regulations that have to be followed, and
you can't skip important steps in this process, but what would
be a reasonable timeframe?
Mr. Weakley. So, if I may respectfully push back on the
Commandant's earlier statement--and she is absolutely correct,
those laws have to be followed. But there are also laws that
allow for single source and there are regulations within the
Department of Homeland Security, when the Coast Guard could
have purchased a second MACKINAW class hull with a single
purchase designed, approved vessel.
The Coast Guard successfully fought us on that. They
refused to do that. We had an excellent meeting, thanks to you
and your staff and Fincantieri Marine. We talked about that.
The Coast Guard refused to do that.
They believe that they have to start with a fresh piece of
white paper and design from scratch. The MACKINAW has a proven
hull. If they went with a parent class using the MACKINAW hull,
they could expedite that process.
So, there are ways around that. We actually even introduced
legislative language to make that process go further, thanks to
you, Senator, and some of your colleagues. Coast Guard
acquisitions and Coast Guard legislation successfully fought us
on that. So, had the Coast Guard listened to us 5 years ago, we
would be looking, I believe, at a delivered Great Lakes ice
breaker as we speak.
I always use the comparison of the Army Corps of Engineers
building a $3 billion new lock in 10 years, the same amount of
time the Coast Guard is requiring it. I believe President
Kennedy said we could put a man on the moon before the end of
the decade in 1960, and in 1968 we did that.
It will take the Coast Guard longer to acquire an ice
breaker than we took to put a man and safely return him from
the moon. I think they could do better if they wanted to. I
think they choose not to.
Senator Baldwin. All right. Thank you, Mr. Weakley. On that
note, I am going to--I have concluded my questions. I know
there may be other colleagues on the Subcommittee who wish to
submit questions, so the hearing record will remain open for
two weeks until March 15, 2024.
Any Senators who would like to submit questions for the
record should do so by March 15, 2024. We ask that your
responses be returned to the Committee quickly, as possible,
and in no case later than two weeks after receipt.
And with that, this concludes today's hearing. Thank you
all for being here.
[Whereupon, at 12:20 a.m. CST, the hearing was adjourned.]
[all]