Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Chair of the Homeland Security Subcommittee, delivered the following remarks at the Subcommittee's hearing on the Fiscal Year 2023 Budget Request for the United States Coast Guard:
I welcome everyone to this morning’s hearing on the Coast Guard’s FY 2023 Budget. Admiral Schultz, we are pleased to have you testify before us today.
I’d like to start by extending my gratitude to you and all the men and women of the Coast Guard for your service to our nation.
And in particular, as you approach the final month of your service as the Commandant of the Coast Guard and the end of your distinguished Coast Guard career, I want to thank you for your partnership with this Subcommittee to ensure that we have the information we need to make informed decisions about Coast Guard readiness and funding.
Over the past several years, this Subcommitee has made significant investments in modernizing the Coast Guard’s air and marine assets, consistently providing funding well above the budget request levels.
We have also gone out of our way to help the Coast Guard retain and recruit a diverse and qualified workforce, and to modernize your shore infrastructure and technology systems.
In the fiscal year 2022 funding bill, we provided $11.5 billion in discretionary funding for the Coast Guard, which was $515 million above the request and included funding for many items on the Coast Guard’s Unfunded Priorities List.
Many of these items will directly support the wellbeing and readiness of Coast Guard personnel and their families, such as child care investments, tuition reimbursement, and improving housing facilities.
We were able to fund important investments to in the bill to recapitalize the Coast Guard’s air and marine fleets, including an additional HC-130J aircraft; additional MH-60T helicopters; and resources for the Polar Security Cutter program.
Admiral Schultz, I commented during our hearing with the Secretary that the Department has many difficult missions and that the subcommittee is not always in agreement on the way forward on some of those missions. When it comes to the Coast Guard, I think it is fair to say that the subcommittee is largely in sync on supporting what you do and how you do it.
Source: U.S. Department of HCA
