[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 188 (Thursday, November 29, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H9694]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           INCREASING COAST GUARD ASSETS IN THE POLAR REGIONS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Louisiana (Mr. Abraham) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the urgent need 
for increased U.S. Coast Guard assets in the polar regions of the 
globe.
  America has been a world leader and a dominant force in the Arctic 
and Antarctic regions for over a century. While both of these areas are 
currently models of internationally shared territory, the geopolitical 
relevance of the polar regions is rising, and with it comes a larger 
and stronger presence of countries such as Russia and China.
  Russia and China have both declared plans to grow and strengthen 
their presence in the polar region. China recently announced its status 
as a near-Arctic nation and continues to rapidly grow its ice-breaking 
fleet. Over the last 3 years, Russia has constructed six new bases in 
Russian Arctic territory.
  These are concerning and clear signs that Russia and China have 
intentions to change the nature of their presence in the polar regions.
  In order to compete with these countries, we must protect our 
sovereignty in the Arctic and our national interests in the Antarctic. 
It is time for Congress to reinvest in Coast Guard assets in this area.
  The Coast Guard's sole heavy icebreaker, the Coast Guard cutter Polar 
Star, is 40 years old, and the task of accessing the polar region 
becomes more difficult for this ship every ice season.
  Immediate investments in new heavy icebreaker ships, the Polar 
Security Cutter fleet, is critical to ensuring a long-term presence for 
the U.S. in these polar areas.
  The U.S. Coast Guard has created a 6-3-1 approach to rebuilding its 
polar region fleets. With this 6-3-1 position, the Coast Guard will 
build a fleet of six polar icebreakers, including three Polar Security 
cutters similar to the Polar Star, and the U.S. Coast Guard's first 
Polar Security cutter.
  These new heavy icebreakers provide continued access to the polar 
region and, ultimately, will prevent the U.S. from ceding any ground to 
our political adversaries.
  I appreciate the hard work done by the folks at the Coast Guard, not 
only in the polar regions, but across the world. Their efforts play a 
role in ensuring our national security, and it is vital that we 
continue to provide the Coast Guard with the funding they need in order 
to do their jobs.
  This investment will arm the Coast Guard with the tools, equipment, 
and personnel it needs to complete its missions on the polar front.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues in Congress to join me in 
supporting the requested $750 million in funding.

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