Coast Guard Reauthorization Bill

Floor Speech

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Mr. WICKER. Mr. President, as the Presiding Officer entered the Chamber and took the Chair, I was explaining to Members what the Coast Guard does--all the various vital activities they do to provide for the safety and security of Americans. Let me tell my colleagues just a few things this bill does. The distinguished majority leader was discussing this in his remarks also.

This bill that we are about to vote on takes big steps in recapitalizing our vessel fleet. I am proud to say that shipbuilders across the country, including in my State of Mississippi, are rebuilding our fleet. In Mississippi, we have built six national security cutters that are currently operational. The seventh and eighth ships have been built and are scheduled to be commissioned next year. These ships are some of the most technologically advanced vessels in the world.

The Coast Guard needs more modern national security cutters to combat transnational organized crime. These cutters make up the backbone of this effort, and, as we know, the criminals who undermine our borders and our Nation's social and political development are not contained by borders.

In addition, the Coast Guard bill recognizes the importance of national security cutters by authorizing multiyear contracts that will lead to procurement of a 10th, 11th, and 12th vessel. So we are making great progress there. These cutters are highly advanced patrol boats that could deploy independently for a number of missions along our ports, waterways, and coasts.

In addition, the bill does not overlook the Coast Guard's shoreline infrastructure, instead authorizing more than $170 million for these facilities. This includes steps to repair and replace its aging rotary- wing aircraft.

Other provisions in the bill would clarify the Coast Guard's role in national security as a member of our Armed Forces, and they are and should be clarified as a member of the Armed Forces; establish a land- based, unmanned aircraft system program; help modernize the Coast Guard's healthcare system; enable block-buy contracts for ship acquisition; and conduct an advanced maintenance program for the Polar Star, our only heavy polar icebreaker. Our sole icebreaker is now 42 years old and 12 years past its intended service life. So this will allow us to pay more attention to the Arctic.

Finally, let me stress to my colleagues and once again express appreciation to the leadership of the committee that we are finally passing the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act, known as VIDA, which provides much needed relief to our commercial vessel industry. This relief would come through a single, science-based national standard for ballast water discharge and other vessel discharges. These discharges must take place; it is just a question of what the regulation is and how we take care of our economy and our environment.

Currently, commercial vessel owners are obligated to meet standards from the Coast Guard, standards from the EPA, and standards from 25 individual States. This can mean spending millions of dollars to install equipment, which may or may not ensure compliance with these regulations. Such burdens have put a strain on U.S. businesses and U.S. commerce. This bill will give us one nationwide standard, lifting the burden off of these businesses and lifting the burden off of people who would like to actually get out there and create more jobs instead of comply with a myriad of various regulations.

Under VIDA, the Coast Guard would be the lead agency to enforce these regulations, but it will also do this in consultation with EPA. In other words, VIDA uses the expertise of both of these excellent agencies, the Coast Guard and the EPA, and leverages the expertise of both agencies. It is quite an achievement.

I see my friend from Florida here. He may want me to yield on this question. But there has been a bipartisan effort, and the bipartisan vote yesterday was quite gratifying.

Again, thank you to Chairman Thune, thank you to Senator Sullivan, and thank you to my friends on the other side of the aisle for making this bipartisan, long-range effort finally come to fruition this afternoon.

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Mr. WICKER. I would be delighted to yield to my friend.

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Mr. WICKER. Mr. President, reclaiming my time, I thank the Senator from Florida for making those points and for his leadership as ranking member of the Commerce Committee. In this regard, I suggest the vote coming up soon will be probably as lopsided as the one on cloture yesterday. That is a good sign. It took us a while to get there, I would say to my friend from Florida, but we are there now, and it is a great achievement for our economy, for the environment, and for the Coast Guard as a whole.

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