[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 155 (Friday, October 23, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2621-E2622]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 COAST GUARD AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2010

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. JOE COURTNEY

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 22, 2009

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration of the bill (H.R. 3619) to 
     authorize appropriations for the Coast Guard for fiscal year 
     2010, and for other purposes:

  Mr. COURTNEY. Madam Chair, I want to applaud my friend, Chairman Jim 
Oberstar, and his committee for putting together a strong bill that 
invests in the needs of our Coast Guard. This bill makes many key 
investments in the ability of our Coast Guard to protect our nation, 
guard our waterways, and make sure it is ``always ready'' to respond.
  However, I rise today in reluctant opposition to this bill because of 
the very significant changes it makes to the admissions process for the 
United States Coast Guard Academy.
  As many of my colleagues know, the Coast Guard Academy is located in 
my district, in New London, Connecticut. Established at Fort Trumbull 
in 1910 first as the School of Instruction to the U.S. Revenue Cutter 
Academy and then as the U.S. Coast Guard Academy after the 
consolidation of the Life Saving Service and the Revenue Cutter Service 
in 1915, the Academy has been a part of New London at its present site 
since 1932. Over its last century in New London, the Academy has helped 
to train, educate and shape generations of young leaders of the Coast 
Guard.
  Today, the Coast Guard Academy is a highly competitive educational 
institution. Called ``the best kept secret in higher education'' by the 
Princeton Review, it is a challenging school that attracts driven, 
committed leaders who go on to serve our nation in the many diverse 
roles played by our Coast Guard today. In fact, the number of 
applicants who said that they were not seeking admission to one of the 
other service academies--that the Coast Guard Academy was their first 
choice--rose from 61 percent of the class of 2009 to 66 percent of the 
class of 2011.
  As of July 2009, the Coast Guard Academy had 973 cadets enrolled 
representing 43 states and 15 foreign nations. For the newest class, 
the class of 2013, 1,672 completed the application process, 411 were 
offered appointments to the Academy, and 288 cadets--17 percent of 
those who applied--were sworn in. Nearly 80 percent of Academy 
graduates go on to graduate programs, with most paid for by the Coast 
Guard, and 85 percent of graduates choose to serve beyond their 
required five-year commitment.
  The Academy is particularly proud of its high recruitment of women 
cadets. Of the total corps of cadets, 27 percent are women: 23 percent 
female in the class of 2010, 30 percent in the class of 2011, 28 
percent in the class of 2012, and 29 percent in the class of 2013. Its 
success in this area sets the Coast Guard Academy apart from other 
service academies, and is worthy of recognition.
  However, there are two areas in which both the Congress and the Coast 
Guard Academy agree that there is some work to do--the recruitment of 
underrepresented minorities in the cadet corps, as well as a lack of 
geographical diversity. I absolutely believe that, as a publicly funded 
institution, the Coast Guard Academy should represent a cross-section 
of our society, reflecting the racial, gender and geographic 
composition of our nation. Any young person, regardless of race, gender 
or geographic location, should have the opportunity to serve our nation 
as an officer in the Coast Guard.
  In my ongoing discussions with the leadership of the Coast Guard 
Academy, they have made clear that some of their top priorities include 
increasing diversity, both of underrepresented minorities and 
geographical regions, and spreading the word about the excellent 
education it has to offer to a wider audience. While involving Members 
of Congress in the application process may be one of the answers to 
these challenges, there are likely other ways to achieve these goals 
that should be considered as well before taking this step.
  For example, the Academy has significantly increased its efforts to 
get the word out about their unique institution and what they have to 
offer to underrepresented minority and geographic populations. For 
example, they are specifically directing recruitment efforts through 
mailings, advertising on online college search websites, and ramping up 
efforts to get recruiters in cities and regions with high minority 
populations, as well as those states and regions not typically 
represented at the Academy.
  There is some indication that these efforts are paying off. For 
instance, compared to last year, inquiries to the Academy by minority 
students are up 40 percent to 1,800. And, online applications from 
minority students are up 34 percent to 317.
  In addition, the Coast Guard Academy recently released a 
comprehensive Strategic Plan focusing on diversity, leadership, and 
character development. This plan outlines a clear goal of achieving 20-
25 percent representation by underrepresented minorities by 2015, and 
in faculty and staff by 2020. This plan is getting off the ground now.
  Even without congressional nominations, there is much each of us can 
do to contribute to the makeup of the Academy. For example, we can all 
include Coast Guard Academy admissions information our offices 
distribute related to service academy nominations, and direct 
interested constituents to the institution. And, we can ensure that our 
websites include information about the Academy. Earlier this year, a 
survey of congressional websites showed that over half made no mention 
of the Coast Guard Academy and did not post a link or other information 
about the institution. In March, I circulated a ``Dear Colleague'' 
letter urging that Members make sure their websites reflect this 
important information--and I will continue to work with my colleagues 
to encourage them to do so.
  I strongly believe that any change to the application process or the 
character of the institution must be carefully considered, hand in hand 
with the Academy, before moving forward. The manager's amendment to 
this bill included a provision to require the Government Accountability 
Office, GAO, to evaluate the Coast Guard Academy's efforts to improve 
minority and geographic diversity. While I strongly support this review 
and look forward to its findings, I am disappointed that this

[[Page E2622]]

kind of evaluation was not done first before pursuing changes to the 
existing admissions process.
  To this end, I reluctantly oppose the Coast Guard authorization bill, 
and hope to continue to work with my colleagues in the House and 
Senate, as well as the leadership of the Academy, to address these 
concerns.

                          ____________________