[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 43 (Thursday, March 18, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E479]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 COAST GUARD AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 1999

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. DAVID E. BONIOR

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 17, 1999

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 820) to 
     authorize appropriations for fiscal years 2000 and 2001 for 
     the Coast Guard, and for other purposes:

  Mr. BONIOR. Mr. Chairman, the U.S. Coast Guard provides many valuable 
services to our country. Among them are ice rescues. As many of us 
along the Great Lakes know, the Coast Guard has saved countless lives 
and provided invaluable services to our communities.
  In the district which I represent, Macomb and St. Clair Counties, 
recreational uses of Lake St. Clair, the St. Clair River, and Lake 
Huron are not just limited to summer activities. Ice fishing is a 
growing and popular recreational activity, but from time to time 
wayward fishermen find themselves in need of help.
  Our communities do a great job in rescuing individuals from critical 
circumstances, but their rescue capacity could be greatly aided by a 
Husky Airboat stationed at the St. Clair Shores Coast Guard Station. As 
we consider the Coast Guard authorization bill, I hope the Coast Guard 
and committee authorizers will consider the import role the Coast Guard 
plays in ice rescues and will work toward providing adequate resources 
to satellite stations, like the one in St. Clair Shores, to fulfill 
their mission. I look forward to working with the Coast Guard and the 
committees of jurisdiction in this important matter.

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