[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 65 (Wednesday, April 23, 2008)]
[House]
[Page H2557]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     COAST GUARD AUTHORIZATION ACT

  (Ms. BORDALLO asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, as the House prepares to take up H.R. 
2830, the Coast Guard Authorization Act, I call attention to Coast 
Guard policy affecting repairs of its vessels. There is a loophole in 
current law that I seek to close with an amendment that will come to 
the floor tomorrow.
  The law does not recognize Guam as a U.S. port for the purposes of 
repairs, overhaul and maintenance of Coast Guard vessels. My amendment 
would correct this loophole and would not allow the Coast Guard to seek 
repairs of vessels home ported in Guam at foreign shipyards.
  This amendment is needed to protect vital American jobs. Outsourcing 
repair, overhaul and maintenance of national security vessels is a 
dangerous proposition. The case in point, the Coast Guard wants to take 
the cutter Sequoia, home ported in Guam, and one of its newest in the 
fleet, to have its first major repairs done at a foreign shipyard by 
foreign workers. This move jeopardizes American jobs and critical ship 
repair capability on Guam.
  It is in our national security interest to maintain a viable ship 
repair capability on Guam. The Coast Guard's actions are contrary to 
our national security. And this is even more serious because we have 
U.S. shipyard workers who are being laid off while the Sequoia leaves 
Guam.

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