Senator Dan Sullivan, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation’s Subcommittee on Coast Guard, Maritime, and Fisheries, has announced a hearing scheduled for January 29, 2026. The session is titled “The Fleet We Funded: Assessing Coast Guard Force Laydown on the Heels of Historic Investment” and will review how a recent $25 billion investment is impacting the U.S. Coast Guard’s operational capacity.
This funding was provided through the Working Families Tax Cut Act and the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025. The hearing aims to evaluate how these resources are supporting new operational demands such as global deployments and enhanced efforts to counter narcotrafficking. It will also consider how the Coast Guard maintains its presence in key regions like the Arctic, Indo-Pacific, Western Hemisphere, and Middle East while managing associated risks.
Recent operations involving Venezuela-linked tanker seizures have highlighted some of these challenges. These missions required specialized teams and created additional operational demands after vessels were taken into custody.
Senator Sullivan stated:
“As Great Power competition intensifies in the Arctic and North Pacific and commercial activity continues to grow, the United States must ensure the Coast Guard is equipped, ready, and present—especially as we see an increased presence of joint operations being conducted by our adversaries within our ADIZ and EEZ. As Chairman of the Commerce Subcommittee overseeing the U.S. Coast Guard, I worked with Chairman Cruz to secure the largest investment in Coast Guard history—nearly $25 billion—including funding for 16 new icebreakers and $300 million to homeport the Coast Guard icebreaker Storis in Juneau. The Coast Guard is essential to our national defense, and Alaska—America’s only Arctic state, with more coastline than the entire Lower 48 combined—is central to that mission. This hearing will underscore just how vital the Coast Guard is to Alaska and to the nation.”
Senator Cruz added:
“As Chairman of the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee, I fought to secure the largest investment in Coast Guard history through the Working Families Tax Cut Act. This $25 billion investment ensures the Coast Guard maintains a global presence, keeps our men and women mission-ready, and deters our adversaries. Admiral Lunday has been a steady hand at the helm, defending our maritime borders from deadly drugs, illegal immigration, and transnational crime. I look forward to continuing to advance President Trump’s vision to restore American maritime dominance.”
Admiral Kevin Lunday, Commandant of the United States Coast Guard, will serve as a witness at this hearing.
The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee operates as a standing committee within Congress with oversight over commerce-related issues including science and transportation policy areas [official website]. The committee includes members from both parties who conduct hearings like this one to inform legislative decisions [official website]. Its main office is located in Washington D.C.’s Russell Senate Office Building [official website].
The hearing will take place at 10:00 AM EST in Room 253 of Russell Senate Office Building with live streaming available via both committee website channels.
Reporters interested in attending are instructed to RSVP through their respective media galleries using provided contact information.
