[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 146 (Tuesday, October 6, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1435]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            EL FARO TRAGEDY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. CORRINE BROWN

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, October 6, 2015

  Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, my heart and prayers go out to the 
families of those aboard the cargo ship, El Faro, which disappeared 
Thursday evening, northeast of the Crooked Islands, Bahamas. Along with 
the family members, I hold out hope that the Coast Guard's search and 
rescue mission will be able to save the lives of surviving crew 
members.
  As a senior member of the House Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure, I will be asking for a complete investigation into this 
tragic incident. I commend the Coast Guard for everything they do for 
our nation in the areas of maritime security and environmental 
protection, and have worked closely with the agency for many years. I 
was briefed today by the Coast Guard, and was told that in their search 
and rescue mission, they currently have:
  Two Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules airplanes from Coast Guard Air 
Station Clearwater, Florida.
  Two Navy P-8 fixed wing airplanes.
  One Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk from Coast Guard Air Station 
Clearwater, Florida.
  Coast Guard Cutter Northland, a 210-foot medium endurance cutter 
homeported in Portsmouth, Virginia.
  Coast Guard Cutter Resolute, a 210-foot medium endurance cutter 
homeported in St. Petersburg, Florida.
  Coast Guard Cutter Charles Sexton, a 154-foot fast response cutter 
homeported in Key West, Florida.
  Three commercial tugboats.
  Additionally, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will 
have an investigative team that will arrive in Jacksonville tomorrow, 
and I will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide any 
assistance I am able to.

                          ____________________