"Force Design or Force in Decline: Reviewing Readiness"

The subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation will come to order. I ask unanimous consent that the chairman be authorized to declare a recess at any time during today's hearing. Without objection, so ordered. I also ask unanimous consent that members not on the subcommittee be permitted to sit with the subcommittee at today's hearing and ask questions. Without objection, so ordered. As a reminder, if members insert a document into the record, please also email it to documentsti@mail.house.gov. I now recognize myself for the purpose of an opening statement for five minutes. Admiral Allan, thank you for joining us today to discuss the Coast Guard's plans for the future. You have been in your role in an acting capacity for a while now, but since the Senate has acted on your confirmation, I want to congratulate you on the formal assumption of the role of Vice Commandant. We look forward to working with you. Before we get started, I would like to take a moment to recognize Aviation Survival Technician Second Class Tyler Jaggers, who tragically passed away last week in the line of duty after sustaining injuries during a search and rescue mission off the coast of Washington. The committee expresses its deepest condolences to Tyler Jaggers' family, loved ones, and shipmates. And we'll just have just a moment of silence. It's so often that we hear accounts of successful rescue missions in the most hazardous and daunting conditions by Coast Guard helicopter and motor lifeboat crews that it can be easy to forget that each mission entails a great deal of risk and sacrifice to the men and women who unhesitatingly risk their lives so that others may live. This tragedy serves as a powerful reminder that the selfless service that our Coasties provide to our great nation can come at a high price. As Congress, we must ensure that the men and women of the Coast Guard are equipped with the tools and resources they need to safely and effectively do their jobs. To that end, we will hear testimony today discussing the Coast Guard's plans to strengthen the service for future mission needs. Admiral Allan, thank you again for joining us today and your staff. For decades, the Coast Guard has suffered from chronic underinvestment and readiness challenges as it has struggled to maintain aging vessels and shoreside infrastructure with no substantial increase in funding. Last year, Congress passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which with nearly 25 billion to the Coast Guard to reverse the trend of underinvestment and put a down payment on the service's future. The subcommittee is hopeful that this massive injection of funds, 15 years' worth of annual procurement funding, will help right the ship. However, the Coast Guard's performance record of executing major acquisition projects leaves much to be desired. Most service acquisition programs, including the Polar Security Cutter and the Offshore Patrol Cutter, have been delayed by years and are significantly over budget. In the past 12 months, the Coast Guard has canceled contracts for one National Security Cutter and two Offshore Patrol Cutters. Simultaneously, efforts to modernize the service's aviation assets have been hampered by the MH-60s being forced into early retirement due to limits on the airframe hours and the early retirement of C-27s after never achieving full missionization. As the subcommittee has reiterated in past hearings, a failure to acquire new surface and air assets and the shoreside infrastructure to support them is a crisis for the Coast Guard. Without them, the service will be unable to perform its mission. To ensure proper oversight, Congress requires yearly capital investment plans and major acquisition reports. These plans are not optional. They are required by law. Yet the Coast Guard has repeatedly failed to produce them. The Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025 required a report on the service's mitigation plan to provide statutorily required reports to Congress, which was due on February 26. To date, we have not received that report. Combined with the historic investment that were supported by President Trump's leadership, the service is undertaking a modernization effort known as Force Design 2028. When complete, the Coast Guard envisions a significantly larger service with greater capabilities that can leverage new technologies and all while streamlining bureaucracy and improving acquisition processes. I can only hope the service's vision is matched with a budget request to support it. Admiral Allan, I applaud the Coast Guard for taking the first steps toward ensuring the service's future. I am optimistic that you and Admiral Lunday will get to set the course straight for improved and strengthened service that will be well-equipped to support the American public. I look forward to hearing your testimony. I now recognize Ranking Member Carbajal for an opening statement for five minutes.

Before I begin, I'd like to request unanimous consent to submit Ranking Member Larsen's statement into the record.

Without objection.

Good morning and thank you, Chair Ezell, for calling today's hearing. The Coast Guard has reached an inflection point. Last year it received $25 billion, and this administration is currently overhauling various aspects of the service with Force Design 2028. I am eager to discuss the status of these efforts. The Force Design 2028 overview provides a roadmap for readiness and personnel changes but offers few specifics on how the Coast Guard plans to reach and sustain its goals. To be successful in its efforts, the service should develop comprehensive plans before making rash decisions. For instance, instead of blindly following the lead of Secretary of Defense or former Secretary Noem should have considered the merits and consequences of firing 25 percent of the Coast Guard's flag officer corps. Ongoing readiness are also disrupted when personnel and resources are diverted to hyperfixation on southern border missions. This pattern of disruption needs to be mitigated, and I fear that the Coast Guard is not appropriately considering the service-wide impacts. Readiness efforts are also hamstrung when the Coast Guard funding is commandeered for other purposes, like the purchase of two G7 luxury jets for former Secretary Noem. Former assistant to the Secretary of the Coast Guard, Sean Plankey, told Congress that President Trump personally approved the purchase of the luxury planes and that the department was planning to reimburse the service. I'm anxious to hear whether the reimbursement has taken place. In any event, I am hopeful that new civilian leadership will help chart a better course at the Coast Guard. I care deeply about Coasties and ensuring that they have the equipment, facilities, and resources they deserve. The expenditure of reconciliation funding and the implementation of Force Design 2028 must prioritize service members. While reconciliation funding ensures the near-term recapitalization of assets, a larger operations budget is also imperative to ensure personnel needs are sufficiently met. Assets don't operate without Coasties. Shoreside infrastructure is strained by the existing needs of 45,000 personnel and a $7 billion infrastructure backlog recently reported by the GAO. Given the administration's goal of increasing the size of the service to 60,000, I am anxious to understand what size operations and support budget will be required to support that growth. I am optimistic about the Coast Guard's readiness trajectory. I stand ready to work with new leadership at the department to ensure that we uphold the Coast Guard's model of Semper Paratus. Finally, I would like to conclude my remarks by honoring the life and character of Aviation Survival Technician Second Class Tyler Jaggers, who tragically passed away from injuries sustained while rescuing a distressed mariner at sea. My thoughts and deepest condolences are with his family. His selflessness is a reminder of the heroism that he and other service members tirelessly embody every day and of the steadfast support that they and their loved ones deserve. Thank you, Mr. Chair, I yield back.

Gentleman yields. Briefly, I'd like to take a moment to explain the lighting system. There are three lights in front of you. Green means go, yellow means running out of time, and red means wind it up. I ask unanimous consent that the witness' full statement be included in the record. Without objection, so ordered. I ask unanimous consent that the record of today's hearing remain open until such time as our witness has provided answers to any questions that may be submitted to them in writing. Without objection, so ordered. I also ask unanimous consent that the record remain open for 15 days for any additional comments and information submitted by members or the witness to be included in the record of today's hearing. Without objection, so ordered. As your written testimony has been made part of the record, the committee asks that you limit your oral remarks to five minutes. With that, Admiral Allan, you are recognized for five minutes for your testimony.

Chairman Ezell, Ranking Member Carbajal, and distinguished members of the subcommittee. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today and your support and advocacy of the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard is a vital instrument of national power in great demand now than ever before. Our people who volunteer to serve are our greatest strength. At home and abroad, our brave men and women conduct operations, often in harm's way, to safeguard the American people and our way of life. Service readiness starts with our crews and their families. And supporting them is our highest priority. The Coast Guard delivers value to the nation every day by performing our missions. We control, secure, and defend the U.S. border and maritime approaches. We ensure the flow of commerce that is vital to America's economic prosperity and strategic mobility. And we successfully respond to crisis at a moment's notice. The American people depend on us, and we provide a remarkable return on investment, but only with consistent and predictable appropriations. With the strong leadership and support of President Trump, the department, and this Congress, the Coast Guard is implementing bold new actions to address severe readiness challenges caused by decades of underinvestment. We thank this subcommittee for your advocacy and support in delivering the historic $25 billion capital investment in the Coast Guard and for the legislative relief provided to waive certain pre-acquisition requirements. Reconciliation funding is fueling Force Design 2028 to renew the Coast Guard to become a more agile, capable, and responsive fighting force. The Coast Guard is undergoing the most significant modernization and recapitalization in at least a century. We are rapidly converting budget reconciliation funding into new capabilities to rebuild readiness today and into the future. In the first nine months, we used legislative relief provided by this subcommittee to rapidly obligate nearly $9 billion to buy new cutters, aircraft, technology, and shore infrastructure. Moreover, our acquisition professionals provided stewardship over these funds, generating contracts that will deliver vital assets at speed. Building on this momentum, we will obligate more than $18 billion of reconciliation funding by the end of this fiscal year. However, this investment is only a down payment, not the finish line. Coast Guard operations depend on more than steel to operate. We must have consistent funding, predictable depot-level maintenance, and spare parts to keep our assets operational. They must include well-built piers, aircraft hangars, homeports, and facilities. Most importantly, they require Coast Guard men and women who are well-trained and equipped to execute our missions. And finally, we need support systems for our crews and their families, including quality housing, medical services, and childcare. We must grow our military workforce by 15,000 members to restore readiness, operate the expanded fleet Congress provided through reconciliation, and deploy the new capabilities required to meet growing demands in evolving threats. We need your support for significant, sustained, and reliable higher annual top-line growth in operating funds and capital investments starting with fiscal year 26 appropriations. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention we are now in the fifth week of the DHS shutdown, which is placing increased strain on the Coast Guard as uncertainty and disrupted support affect the workforce and our mission execution. Civilian employees remain furloughed or working without pay. Although our people continue to execute critical missions, the Coast Guard depends on timely congressional action to restore funding and ensure the continued readiness of the service and the stability of our workforce and their families. With your continued support, we will ensure the Coast Guard will remain Semper Paratus, always ready. Thank you for the opportunity to appear here before you today and for your unwavering support of our Coast Guard men and women. I look forward to your questions.

Thank you, Admiral. Thank you, Admiral. Admiral, the Coast Guard owes the committee approximately 100 reports and briefings that are required by law, many of which are years overdue. The Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025 required the Coast Guard to provide the committee an accounting of overdue reports and a strategy to address the backlog. Can you give us a status report?

Sir, thank you for that question. Yeah, by September, we owe you 108 reports, almost one every other day to be able to provide what you're asking us in the authorization. We are also going to continue and we want to get better at providing individual briefings to keep you up to date on the status of major acquisitions and where we're going. And we also want to answer those day-to-day questions that come up that are so vital for you in being able to quickly respond to appropriations or authorizations that are coming. We are working on that, sir. I will tell you that it is a lot of work to do. There's a lot to be answered. And I think in some of the cases, we know that some of the deadlines that got put on us as that appropriation got passed were not executable in that time. But we are, myself and Admiral Lunday, committed to getting those things to you because we think you are an important partner in helping us move forward.

We are definitely your partner. I just want to make sure you can get us some by the end of the month. You reckon? Thank you. Force Design 2028 calls for the establishment of a service secretary, similar to those of other military services. As you know, I introduced legislation to establish such a position. How will such dedicated civilian leadership benefit the service?

Sir, I think as we've seen in the other services, civilian control of the military is a very important part of how we operate and what we can do to deliver for the American people. This last year, as we saw some increased civilian control of the military for the Coast Guard, we ended up with a $25 billion historic appropriation that we've never seen before. We were able to work with you closely in getting a number of things in our authorization that are going to help us continue to move forward. So we think having a Secretary of the Coast Guard allowing us to have the same footing as the other services is great. We'll report to that service secretary, and then we'll have the added responsibility, the Commandant, of being an operational commander and reporting to that service secretary on the operations we're conducting. Thank you.

$75 million of funding in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act was provided for autonomous maritime systems. I understand the Coast Guard's intention is to use the funding to procure unmanned underwater vehicles, unmanned ground vehicles, unmanned aircraft systems, sensors, and unmanned surface vessel services. That seems to be a pretty wide range of uses. What's the Coast Guard's definition of autonomous maritime system and the source of that definition?

Sir, we are happy to say, and I'll tell you, I testified before you guys two years ago as DCMS and you said, when are we going to get to automated? And we said, we need some funding. You got us that funding and we are going after automated. In the maritime environment, we've actually stood up a PEO that is actually looking at that. So everything from acquisitions to lifetime support to how we will maintain it. We are defining that. I got to tell you, we're doing a lot of RFIs to figure out what those best systems are and to take the best use of systems that already exist and put them into operations now. That includes Saildrone, that includes small UASs, medium UASs, and long-range UASs. We're doing a lot of study to make sure we get the right mix because it is a big future investment in where we're going. Very good.

Can you explain how the Coast Guard's proposal to spend this funding on ground vehicles and aircraft comply with the requirement to contract the services of, acquire, or procure autonomous maritime systems?

Yes, sir. So as we talk about autonomous systems in the maritime environment, as you know, we have specialized teams like the Gulf Strike Team, like the Pacific Strike Team and Atlantic Strike Team that respond in a bunch of different incidents to handle hazardous materials. They've had old UASs that move on ground, move on wheels to be able to do some of those dangerous missions in areas where we don't want humans in and around. So we're taking this time to update some of those and make sure that our crews have the most technologically advanced vehicles. Very good.

Will you commit to get back to us with a detailed breakout of the proposal allocation for the $75 million appropriated for autonomous maritime systems, including how much the department plans to allocate for the contract for unmanned surface vessel services?

Yes, sir. I'll get that back to you. We can do that quickly. Yes, sir.

Thank you. I yield back and I now recognize Mr. Carbajal for his five minutes.

Thank you, Chairman Ezell. Admiral Allan, would you say a reduction in the flag officer core to 25 percent has impacted the Coast Guard's ability to provide those lagging over 100 reports to Congress?

Sir, I would tell you that our crews at the lower levels are the ones actually making a lot of those reports. I think we need to continue to drive and we need to make sure that we are increasing our flag core.

Admiral Allan, could you give me a yes or no answer?

Yes, sir.

Thank you. Admiral Allan, while I am thrilled that Congress provided the Coast Guard with a significant infusion of funding, I am concerned with how you're spending it. Reconciliation provided funding for C-130s and maritime domain awareness technology. Instead, parts of the funding were used to purchase G7 luxury jets and counter-UAV technology to support homeland security missions. Former special assistant to the secretary, Sean Plankley, told us that former Secretary Noem promised to repay the service for those purchases. Has the Coast Guard been repaid yet?

Sir, the money we used was fixed-wing money to purchase six C-130s. We are on track to purchase those six C-130s along with depot-level maintenance, along with a simulator. And we've been in close connection with the department. We haven't been refunded at this point, but they are looking at how they would do that to make sure we get our six C-130s.

Thank you. Did the Coast Guard execute an MOU with the department before the purchases?

Sir, could you repeat that? I'm sorry.

Did the Coast Guard execute an MOU with the department before the purchase of those jets?

We've continuously had an MOU with the department for use of our LURC, sir.

Admiral Allan, while I would prefer not to know about the former secretary's blanket preferences, unfortunately, we all do. This is because a pilot was reportedly fired, rehired, and then reassigned after former Secretary Noem and Corey Lewandowski forgot her blanket. Since the former secretary asked Congress to authorize a service secretary, what role do you believe political appointees should have in personnel matters?

Sir, I think oversight of civilian oversight of the military is always going to be important. And we look forward to that oversight to make sure that we are delivering what the department and the nation needs.

Admiral Allan, I'm concerned with the Coast Guard's ability to secure an appropriate level of operations and support funding required to operate new cutters entering the fleet, including in that account and among the most important are the homes, healthcare, and childcare facilities that Coasties use on a daily basis. Please explain Operation Restore Habitability and how it will help address acute issues affecting daily life of Coasties like water and mold remediation at Coast Guard housing like the one in Santa Barbara.

Sir, thank you for that question. I think when you look at what OB3 provided reconciliation funding, $25 billion, that was an investment in the Coast Guard. But to your point, over the last few years, we are a $20 billion Coast Guard operating on a $13 billion budget. There are a number of items that we need to fund, especially with our O&S, our operations support funds, to be able to do what I talked about in my opening statement, support our families. With Force Design 2028 and increasing by 15,000 people with the support of the administration and the Congress, I think we can get there. We need 500 more medical people to be able to service not only our families but our members. We need better access to housing and not only new housing but the repair of existing housing, like you said in Santa Barbara. We need to do a better job there. When you go across all of our support programs, our support programs are lacking for our families. We need that increase. But I will tell you, as you operate at a $20 billion kind of level on 13 billion, it leaves a lot of unmet needs.

Thank you. Admiral, as you know, my district includes Santa Barbara Harbor, which hosts a Marine Safety Detachment. And recently, the harbor was excluded from receiving federal operations and maintenance funding. The city of Santa Barbara has informed me that the lack of funding has now impacted U.S. Coast Guard operations. With the Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach beginning to experience operational impacts from shoaling in the harbor and recently canceled a patrol due to unsafe transit conditions. Can you provide me with an update on how the U.S. Coast Guard coordinates with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to ensure these types of issues are prevented? And are there any specific updates in regards to Santa Barbara Harbor that you can share with me today?

Sir, thank you for that question. I got to tell you, in ports across the country, we rely on the work of state, local, and federal partners to ensure that harbors are dredged and cleared. When they don't happen, those costs end up trickling down to the Coast Guard to find. That is not one that we've had budgeted. That's not one we're doing. But we will work with the Army Corps of Engineers. We will work with our state and local partners because if we are going to operate in that harbor, we've got to be able to get out to sea to rescue the people that are there.

Thank you. I yield back.

Gentleman yields. Chair recognizes Mr. McDowell for his five minutes of questions.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And thank you, Admiral Allan, for being here to testify before us today. I want to take you back to January 19, 2025. Do you know the historical significance of that day?

Sir, I'd say the day before the inauguration, but...

So that was Joe Biden's last day in office, last full day. Do you know the significance of January the 20th?

The first day of the President Trump in office.

Do you know the historical significance of January 21, 2025? I'm sure you don't. It was my birthday. Do you know the historical significance of July 4, 2025?

2025?

Besides it being our country's 249th birthday.

Yes, sir.

That was the day that President Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law. Can you tell me what was the size of the investment that was made to the Coast Guard in that bill?

Sir, it was $25 billion.

And then are you aware how many Democrats on this subcommittee voted in favor of that bill when it came to the floor of the House?

I am not, sir.

Zero. Are you aware of how many Democrats in this full committee voted to give you that $25 billion when it made it to the floor of the House?

I am not, sir.

It is zero. How about of all the Democrats in the House? Do you know how many voted to give you that $25 billion investment? It's going to come as no surprise, but it was also zero. I want to talk a little bit about the shutdown that we're in right now. And I have really, it's just one simple question because I've voted in favor of not shutting down the Department of Homeland Security for a litany of reasons, but do you think that our country is more or less safe with the Department of Homeland Security shut down?

Sir, we are providing vital national security missions during this shutdown, but there's a lot of missions that our Coast Guard or the nation expects that we are not providing.

The Coast Guard, you all do a lot of very incredible and important things for the safety of our country and it kind of has a trickle effect to every district in this country. Because you're the frontline on our east and our west to stop drugs, criminals, all kinds of things from coming into our country and you do a great job of that, but it sometimes gets lost amid all of the other things that the Coast Guard does, your role in cybersecurity. And it falls to you to protect our ports, our ships, and our terminals from cyber attacks. Can you talk for just a moment about the importance of the Coast Guard's cyber mission and how Force Design 2028 tackles that challenge?

Yes, sir. So when you talk about our marine transportation system, it's a $4.4 trillion system that provides economic benefit to the whole nation and is associated with 30 million jobs. We all are aware of the physical security aspects that we got to be aware of to keep that flowing, but cyber is becoming an increasingly important one where we're at. We currently have three cyber teams that respond to incidents at the port level to be able to help, and we think we need six to be able to continue to do that as we move forward.

So you kind of answered this, but you would agree that the Coast Guard today does not have the resources that you actually need or the capabilities that are necessary to protect marine transportation systems from cyber threats.

Sir, we think we have a bare minimum that can address issues. Yes, sir.

So I agree with your assessment that the Coast Guard, the men and women of the Coast Guard, is your greatest strength. And Force Design 2028 calls for increasing the Coast Guard's workforce by at least 15,000 members. And given how important members of our Coast Guard are at implementing the operational and capital improvements that are planned in Force Design 2028, how do you intend to improve their quality of life and set up the newest members of the Coast Guard for success?

Sir, thank you for that question because I think that's a very important question for us and one that our teams and families are paying attention to. I think it has to start with medical, it has to be housing, it has to have childcare, and it has to be benefits that are on par with our Department of War partners. And all that takes additional people within the Coast Guard, it takes additional funding to be able to provide some of those benefits, and it takes more recapitalization of the housing and buying new that we have.

Mr. Chairman, we can't do any of that while the government's shut down, but I'll yield back.

Gentleman yields. Chair recognizes Ms. Strickland for her five minutes of question.

Thank you very much, Chairman Ezell and Ranking Member Carbajal. Admiral Allan, thank you very much for being here today. I represent the South Puget Sound of Washington State, which is within the operational area of Sector Puget Sound. I first want to extend my deep condolences to the family and shipmates of Aviation Survival Technician Second Class Tyler Jaggers, who was stationed at Air Station Astoria in Oregon. AST2 Jaggers passed away from injuries sustained during a rescue mission about 120 nautical miles off the Oregon coast. My thoughts are with his family and crew of Air Station Astoria. I'm going to move over to workforce growth. Personnel are the foundation of Coast Guard operations. Force Design 2028 lays out an ambitious plan to address persistent workforce shortages and grow the enlisted workforce to meet escalating mission demands. I'm encouraged that the fiscal year 2025 data shows that the service exceeded its recruitment goals by more than 900 service members through the accession of 5,200 active duty enlisted service members that fiscal year. But I want to talk about too that the incident that happened with Secretary Noem, her blanket firing someone, finding out that the aviator was the only one who was actually going to be able to fly her back. Can you talk about the culture that is needed with civilian personnel when it comes to how they deal with our enlisted members?

Ma'am, I think civilian control of military is built on top of the Constitution and one that we welcome. We will continue to make sure that our crews are ready and able to respond and meet the missions of the nation.

Thank you. Now I want to switch over to Coast Guard stations that were closed or downgraded as part of Force Alignment Annual Year 2024. As many of you know, workforce shortages forced the closure of more than 25 Coast Guard stations, many of which serve rescue missions, search and rescue missions, and they're very important for our maritime communities. As we strive to increase the size of the service by 33 percent, what are your plans to reconstitute the stations that were closed or downgraded during force realignment?

Ma'am, thank you first for recognizing how well we're doing our accessions to bring in 5,200 new members. We're starting to close that gap of people that we lost and will be able to kind of return them to the places that they need to be. We are not intending to close any of the FAI stations, the stations that we degraded, and we're looking at how best to increase our staffing at those and get them back on a regular footing.

Great, thank you very much. And for some of my colleagues, the Department of Homeland Security not being funded could be solved if we're able to take ICE and CBP out of the DHS funding. The good news is that there's a discharge petition coming soon to separate ICE from DHS funding, so I encourage all my colleagues to vote yes for the discharge petition and we can fund DHS. I yield back, Mr. Chair.

Gentlelady yields. Chair recognizes Mr. Begich for five minutes of question.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Admiral, Democrats in Congress have refused to fund the Department of Homeland Security, including the Coast Guard. How is this impacting morale among Coast Guard members and their families?

Sir, thank you for the question. I would say that when you look at readiness, one of the things we like to talk about is uncertainty is the biggest degrader of readiness. For our men and women, not knowing whether we're going to get paid or not is a severe degrader of that readiness. We know that many of them are out there trying to figure out if they're going to be able to pay rent this week, are they going to be able to buy groceries. We've been able to find a couple ways to keep them funded, but that is not guaranteed paycheck to paycheck. And then our civilian people are not getting paid at all, and we know that especially with common GS series within Coast Guard within the DC area, they're probably going to start hopping to other agencies that are getting paid.

Thank you. Can you provide some information on drug interdiction operations of the Coast Guard over the past year?

Yes, sir. So past year was a record year for us. We, I'm just looking at my thing, we interdicted 547,000 pounds. And I think that's of cocaine and I think that's an interesting number, but if you start to put that into kind of what that means, that was $3.9 billion of drugs we kept out of our US economy. And more importantly, that was 206 million lethal doses that did not enter our streets.

That is incredible. That is American lives saved because of the Coast Guard's operations protecting our waterways, our borders. Important operations like these are placed in jeopardy when government funding for Homeland Security is held up. And Democrats in Congress are actually holding our law enforcement hostage by not passing this important funding legislation. Shifting gears a little bit to my home state of Alaska. Does the Coast Guard currently have the shoreside infrastructure necessary to support sustained Arctic operations today or are there capability gaps that you feel still need to be addressed?

Sir, thank you for that question. We need to be closer in Alaska to be able to get to the Arctic, especially as we look at buying Arctic security cutters. And we're looking to announce some of that movement soon, but we do not have the infrastructure in there. We are going to need additional investments. We brought on the Coast Guard Storis this summer, our plans are to put her in Juneau, but we are embarking on a $300 million investment there to get her in the next two to three years.

And we are very excited about that investment. As I've said before, it's important that the icebreakers be located near the ice and certainly that is in Alaska. What benchmarks or performance metrics is the service using to measure progress in reducing infrastructure backlog and how will Congress be kept informed of that progress?

So sir, thank you for that question. I think when you start looking at our shoreside infrastructure, we have an incredible backlog of that. We know that it's at least $707 million plus another almost $8 billion as we talked about before in the GAO estimate for our backlog. There's a lot of things that we need to do for our shoreside. We've certainly been focused on those assets that can get after the missions that the American public think, but every one of those starts and ends at a shore facility that needs some help.

Absolutely. And as was mentioned previously, the budget reconciliation bill of last year provides shoreside infrastructure support. We recognize that housing, childcare are also important components of the entire package for families and those serving in our Coast Guard. And we're working to make sure that those assets are made available in regions where the Coast Guard is operating or where they may operate in the future. We certainly appreciate the service of our men and women in the United States Coast Guard. We're doing everything we can to make sure that Department of Homeland Security is fully funded and we look forward to welcoming our Coast Guard members and families to Alaska as we execute on this next phase of the Coast Guard's mission. Thank you, Admiral, for your testimony today and I yield back.

Gentleman yields. Chair recognizes Ms. McDonald Rivet for her five minutes of questioning.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. And Admiral, I wanted to say thank you for being here, thank you for your service to our country, and thank you for your patience through the continuous partisan finger-pointing. I'm going to go a little bit in a different track. I am the very proud aunt of two Coasties. And like all Michiganders, we got a ton of coastline, grateful for the service and the security of the Coast Guard. You are American heroes and should be celebrated as such. But I want to zoom in on the impact of the Coast Guard operations have in the district I represent, which is right here. Okay. So within my district is Coast Guard Station in the Saginaw River, which is responsible for the activity throughout Michigan's Saginaw Bay and over 20 miles of the Saginaw River. It's an invaluable resource to our region, responding to water emergencies and generally patrolling the river. But like a lot of places in 2024, we saw a huge slash in the cuts to the hours and the services provided out of this Coast Guard station, particularly in the search and rescue operations down to 40 hours a week as scheduled. Now we love our ice fishing. That's the other thing about my district. So with this change, what we've seen is Coast Guard response time drastically increasing. It's moments when we need instant support, it can take hours, hours for the Coast Guard to provide it. And I wanted, I know this is on your radar, but I wanted to give you a very, a couple of examples. A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter takes an hour and 45 minutes to get to Saginaw Bay once it's dispatched. One hour to get crew assembled, 45-minute travel from Selfridge Air Base to Saginaw Bay. The Coast Guard Tawas search and rescue team, the closest fully operational facility, takes over an hour to respond if their airboats are available. So what we've done is to fill the service gap, we've had to rely on local law enforcement and first responders and, frankly, good Samaritans to assist in water rescues. One of them actually works on my team. Industrious Midwesterners, our residents even, we created a Facebook page to try to fill in the gaps in emergency coverage. But obviously, we shouldn't have to do this. I don't need to tell you that a fall through the ice, you don't have two hours for the Coast Guard to get there. So in this winter alone, we have seen an increase in ice rescue incidences. Our local sheriff's office has had to lead in nearly 20 ice rescue calls this season due to the support lapse. Heroically, these first responders saved dozens of lives. But we know for a fact that local law enforcement needs more funding, not less. So when our sheriff stepped up to add capacity to respond to those life-and-death situations, it used to be covered by the federal government, but now it means less money for other operations we need to fund on the ground at home, and it's just, it's not sustainable. Moreover, the Saginaw River Coast Guard station serves as a border station on Lake Huron, our country's northern border. As the Force Design 2028 strategy directs, calls for the U.S. Coast Guard to defend the border and maritime approaches from dangerous drugs, our station is just exceedingly important to our national security. So my question, Admiral, given the historic investment in the U.S. Coast Guard and the increase in recruitment, which is really important, it's also critically important that we restore full operations and staffing. What's the timeline to restore full search and rescue operations at the Coast Guard station in the Saginaw River?

So ma'am, thank you for that and thank you for recognizing all the Coast Guard does up there. We do enjoy and have a lot of crews up in Michigan. Two things. The shortage of personnel we had was basically 1,500 people and it started a couple years ago. We were in dire needs to be able to reprioritize our people and our missions. We are coming out of that. And while we have a lot of accessions and we're bringing on non-rates, you don't want our most junior people up there, you want skilled operators. So we are looking at all the needs across Coast Guard. We are not planning to close any of those stations permanently and we will be working to fill them. I would say that right now our current track is within the next 18 months, but we can get you more detailed information on how we are doing it as we move along with our assessment.

Yeah, thank you for that. I know that keep me apprised of the timeline on the Saginaw River station. My local sheriffs, my local folks are really asking almost daily about this. I also want to proudly say as one of the nephews in the Coast Guard that I have is actually a recruiter, so he's doing his thing. Thank you very much, Admiral, and I yield back my time.

Gentlelady yields. We're going to have a second round here of questioning since we seem to have a little time. I recognize myself for five minutes. Admiral, the Coast Guard announced its intention to open an additional training center in Alabama. Did you prepare a business case for the additional training center? If so, will it, will you share it with the committee?

Yes, sir. So I got to tell you, this Congress has been asking us to move faster and figure out how to solve some of our facility problems. I think this Birmingham State College is going to do that. We put out an RFI, we received 32 responses. I will tell you that the Birmingham State College met 90 percent of our requirements and the cost is about $2 billion less than what we thought it would cost to build from a clear field, and it certainly delivers. We'll be operating out of there this fall, whereas anything that we would have built from the ground up would probably be five to eight years out.

What's the Coast Guard's future plan for Cape May and do you still intend to invest the full 425 million made available for Cape May under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act?

Sir, the Training Center Cape May will always be the birthplace of the Coast Guard enlisted workforce. We intend to keep them there and keep all of our accessions. I will tell you right now today in the Coast Guard, we have a gap of 280,000 square feet of training space that we need right now. And if we are able to bring on the 15,000 people that we've talked about that we need so vitally over the next couple years, that training deficit will raise to 1.2 million square feet. We are going to make a big investment within Training Center Cape May, but it's a small area and we may have to shift some people around and some things around, but you have our commitment that Training Center Cape May will continue to be the birthplace, the sole birthplace of the enlisted workforce in the long run.

Okay. Given that your stated goal is to reach an additional 15,000 personnel by 2028, should we expect the FY 27 budget requests will reflect those resources needed?

Yes, sir. We are working with the administration and while the President's budget hasn't been released yet, I think you'll be very happy with the number of personnel it shows for an investment for the Coast Guard.

I yield back. Mr. Carbajal, you're recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Admiral, are you aware of my colleagues Representative McDonald and Representative Begich supported the big ugly bill?

Sir, no, I'm not.

Well, that's the bill that took healthcare and supplemental nutrition assistance food away from veterans, seniors, families across our nation, for millions of them. I want to give my two colleagues who spoke out today finger-pointing regarding Democrats an opportunity to show their fidelity to funding the Coast Guard, FEMA, and TSA. There is actually a bill that has already been introduced, HR 7841, which would provide funding for Coast Guard, FEMA, and TSA. Of course, it would separate ICE and CBP funding, and we can all agree to disagree on that funding issue. But they have an opportunity to not be hypocrites and support funding the Coast Guard today by supporting HR 7841. I urge my colleagues Representative McDonald and Representative Begich to sign on to that bill so we can, can open up that part of our government and fund the Coast Guard, FEMA, and TSA. And more so, today they even have another opportunity to sign the discharge petition that would bring that bill to the floor for a vote. So I just wanted to make that comment in light of the finger-pointing that was done, and also thank you for answering the question if you knew if they supported taking healthcare away from the American people and food assistance from so many individuals, veterans, seniors, children, and families. Thank you so much, Mr. Chair, I yield back.

Gentleman yields. Mr. Garamendi, go ahead.

I thank you, Mr. Chairman. Before I go to my questions, I want to bring to the committee's attention a group of students from Vallejo, California, in my district. They are here to learn how we make good policy and good laws, and so welcome those students. Thank you for this small diversion here. I think where I want to go several different places, but I'm compelled to go back to what we've worked on now for good 15 years. Oh yes, Admiral, you know I'm going to bring up the icebreakers. In the what the ranking member calls the big ugly bill, there was $4.3 billion for the icebreaker program. I want to go into this in some depth and I'd like you to explain to the committee where we are with the icebreaker program. I know that we're working on a collaborative effort with Finland and Canada. So please explain where we are and tell us that soon we will have a new heavy icebreaker and you might describe what soon is in terms of years. So Admiral, let's go into the icebreakers.

Yes, sir. Sir, first I'll hit the polar security cutters, the big heavy icebreakers that are the ones that do the biggest work. They are being built at Bollinger Mississippi and the Bollinger Mississippi has really up their game. We are at almost 99 percent on design and we are watching phases of that cutter continuing to roll off. They are making incredible progress, they're learning as they go, and we're going to be ready to obligate money for a second polar security cutter. We are expecting that first one in 2030, so those still take a long time to build. On the step down, the Arctic security cutters, over the last six months we've been very busy with those. We've been working some deals because we don't think we have right now the industrial base within U.S. to build them, so we've been working with our Finlands through Ice Pact alliance. And what we're looking to do is really start the offshoring of those cutters and then bring them on. So two things we're doing. We've got two designs, the multipurpose icebreaker that we're working with Rama and Bollinger to build, and we are going to build those and they're going to be starting to come quickly. We're going to have two of the MPIs, the multipurpose icebreaker, in 2028. So we're already looking at crews and training and how we're going to do them. The other one we have is the multipurpose polar that is going to be brought on, it's being built by Davies. They're going start in Finland and then they're going to bring that onshore into Texas. And we're going to be having one of those in 28, 29, 32, 33, and 34. So our capacity with our Arctic security cutters to get to 11 quickly is coming very rapidly.

So the current polar icebreaker, heavy icebreaker, there is significant design issues starting from zero by a company that never built an icebreaker before. Somebody made a mistake on that, but nonetheless, so the design is complete for the one heavy icebreaker. Will the second heavy icebreaker be similar design?

So sir, the two, yeah, the second heavy icebreaker will be the same exact design and they'll be using what they learned in the first one to continue that, and we're looking to get three of those. Yes, sir.

Okay. And then the smaller icebreakers will be rolling out and they're going to be built in a consortium with Finland. I guess that's the Davies company.

So sir, there's two. So Arama is working with Bollinger to bring six to the United States and then Davies is working a sistership, very similar, but they'll bring five. So they'll start with two in Finland and then they'll onshore for three in Texas. And Bollinger working with Arama will build two in Finland and then bring back the four into the states.

You did lay out the schedule three years out for the first of these smaller icebreakers.

Yes, sir. It's a very aggressive timeline. It was really built upon the legislation that this committee provided us within reconciliation that allowed us to get over some of the hurdles that we've had in the past, consensus building, overly specific requirements, allowed us to work with people that were building commercial-like icebreakers and had designs that were close to mature and were able to use that to really speed up by almost two to four years the delivery of these.

Mr. Chairman, I think it would be helpful for the committee to have a written report from the Coast Guard laying out the schedules, the specific issues that are out there, the money associated with each of these, the heavy icebreaker and the medium icebreakers. Could you develop a complete report so that we can have that written information available to us?

Yes, sir. In fact, what I'd like to do is commit to you that we had been and we've let a lag, we really have, quarterly updates on all of our acquisitions and I'd like to get back to where we're providing those quarterly acquisitions to you with all those specifics.

Well, it'll be up to the chairman if he wants that quarterly, but it would certainly be helpful that we have periodic, start with where we are today, the plans going forward for the next six years, I think as I calculate this, and year by year what is expected and then a periodic report on progress being made. This thing has been totally screwed up in the previous decade. So the money is there and new management in place, meaning you, Admiral Allan, and this has got to, this has to be done.

Sir, you are right and I would like to take some credit, but I won't. I would say it's more the processes and the things that you guys have allowed us to change within our acquisition process and, truthfully, having the money behind us, not just an idea that money's coming, is allowing us to accelerate that program.

Mr. Chairman, if I might take one additional question. The current Polar Star, the contract for the annual repair of that ship as it returns from Antarctica, has that contract been publicized? Has it been made? What's the status of the contract?

Sir, that's a very important contract for us because it is our only heavy polar security cutter and we need it. I will tell you we have not announced the award of that but I will tell you it is clear to us that we need more industrial base for ship repair and building on the West Coast because we need those guys to be strong to be able to support us.

Admiral, you and I know where you know where I'm going with this, so I may as well say, behind you are students from Vallejo, California. For the previous five years, the Polar Star has been repaired, reconditioned on its return from Antarctica in Vallejo. I know that the company is going to bid again for that next five-year contract. I'm not going to put my finger on the, well, I will put my finger on the scale here. It would be very beneficial to Vallejo and for the workforce if they had a reasonable chance at that contract.

Yes, sir.

And we're in the process of looking to improve the repair facilities on the West Coast, Vallejo, the four dry docks that are available in that area. Mr. Chairman, I got a lot of questions but I'm taking a lot of time, so please excuse me. Thank you for the time.

You sure? You sure? Gentleman yields?

I do have one more question.

Well, go ahead.

And I think you may have caught the tail end of your discussion. It has to do with the training for the Coast Guard personnel that are being hired. I think you were talking about Cape May as I came in. There's also a proposal to purchase a closed university in, I believe it's Alabama. Could you describe that? Is that moving forward? Is that an idea that's out there or is that a hard and fast and, if so, the details on the contract or the purchase of that university?

Sir, thank you for that question. So Coast Guard has a training deficit of space that we need right now. That's 280,000 square feet of deficit that we have. As we project the oncoming of 15,000 people, that deficit goes up to 1.2 million square feet of space that is needed. In the fall, we did an RFI to look at what was available. We got 32 answers to that RFI and we had a business case analysis to look at 90 elements on where we could do it. Birmingham State College was the one that met 90 percent of them. It was the only one that is ready to move in this summer and when we look at the costs associated with building from the ground up, it saves us about $2 billion. So we have provided notification to Congress on our intent to buy Birmingham State College and begin filling the gaps that we have for training, but we won't action that until the beginning of April.

So that contract, the purchase of that university, is going to go forward and that's going to be the second training site?

So sir, it will actually be our ninth training site that we have in the Coast Guard. So we have, you know, out in Petaluma we have sites, we have some in Alabama already, the Coast Guard Academy, Cape May, etc. What this will do is provide some capacity for kind of our mid-level, what we like to call A-school and C-school, so think of journey and master within their rates. It may provide some swing space for some of our other schools as we try and figure out how we increase capacity there and it may end up with some things going and changing. I will tell you that Training Center Cape May will always be the enlisted home of the workforce, the workforce's enlisted home.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

You're very welcome. Admiral, when's the quarterly acquisition briefing going to occur?

Sir, I will make sure we get one to you in April.

Okay. And can you tell us a little bit about this 280 square foot deficit?

Yes, sir. So when you look at where we are at and what we're doing, everything from just even Cape May, right? Cape May is really set up to be able to accommodate about 4,600 students, 4,200 to 4,600 students a year. We are pushing 5,200 through there. If you go to one of our classes right now, you will go into a classroom that's built for about 80 and to get through the aisles, it's 120 desks that I am squeezing through to get to the front to be able to talk to them. We have a deficit in our training numbers.

I understand the Coast Guard intends to spend up to 227 million in utility improvements at the Coast Guard Yard. Can you provide background on why this project is needed and how it will be paid for? Does it come from reconciliation funds? Does the Coast Guard expect to have sufficient funds to purchase a floating dry dock?

Yes, sir. Thank you for that. As we just talked about with Mare Island, we need to have more industrial base for our cutters and boats to be able to go to. Coast Guard Yard has always been a gem within the Coast Guard and it's one we need to invest in. Through the help of this committee, you guys have been at the fore, you know, at times probably pulling us along, but we need to get there. We are looking to have a dry dock in there in 2030. We have to do some dredging, we have to do some shoreside work and we're using a couple of the instruments that this committee has recommended to be able to do that quickly so that we have things so that as OPCs start to roll off line, they can go in those dry docks and get repaired.

Very good. I understand the Coast Guard has completed its infrastructure development plan for the Coast Guard Academy. Beyond the funding included in the reconciliation bill, what's the Coast Guard's plan to execute on other projects envisioned under the approved plan?

Sir, so what I would say is the Coast Guard Academy through the work of the previous superintendent, Admiral Michael Johnston, and the current superintendent, had developed a plan that's a 25-year plan to replace or upgrade 41 of the buildings that are on there. The five phases, we don't even have a total cost on it. We know phase one is about $1.3 billion to get after in the next five years. Through reconciliation, we were able to take $280 million and put it at that. So we're going to have a survival rescue station, basically think pool and the ability to do rescue survival stuff in there, and we're building a brand new STEM building. So that'll be $280 million. That gives us a good start. We want to be able to monetize that all, but I got to tell you, it's a 25-year plan and we are working in five-year chunks.

One more, maybe two. Will the 473 million provided by the reconciliation bill for Cape May be spent at Cape May?

Yes, sir. We have a lot more costs at Cape May than $473 million, that just gets us started. Yes, sir.

Thank you, Admiral. Does anybody else have anything? Where'd Garamendi go? I'm sure he's got something. We thank you and, you know, if there are no further questions to ask by any members of the subcommittee, we've not recognized anybody. Seeing none, that concludes the hearing for today. I would like to thank each and every one of our witnesses here today. The subcommittee stands adjourned. ...and the Coast Guard. I thank the witness for his testimony today. I ask unanimous consent that the record of today's hearing remain open until such time as our witnesses have provided answers to any questions that may be submitted to them in writing. I also ask unanimous consent that the record remain open for 15 days for any additional comments and information submitted by members or witnesses to be included in the record of today's hearing. Without objection, so ordered. If no other members have anything to add, the subcommittee stands adjourned.