Coast Guard Commandant Testifies on Challenges Facing the Service’s Homeland Security Mission

WASHINGTON, D.C. - This week, the House Committee on Homeland Security held a hearing to examine the U.S. Coast Guard's (USCG) role in protecting the homeland, featuring testimony from Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Linda Fagan. In the hearing, members questioned Admiral Fagan on the challenges facing the Coast Guard's efforts to recapitalize its icebreaker fleet, coordinate with the Department of Defense (DOD) and federal agencies, enhance the service's cyber resilience, and ensure the safety and well-being of personnel. Members also received testimony on the Coast Guard's crucial work to secure our maritime borders through drug and illegal migration interdictions and counter the Chinese Communist Party's gray-zone aggression in the Indo-Pacific.

Chairman Mark E. Green's (R-TN) opening statement, delivered on his behalf by Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security Chairman Carlos Gimenez (R-FL), highlighted the challenges facing the Coast Guard:

"In thinking about the service's current situation, I am especially concerned about the systemic issues that threaten to undermine the Coast Guard's ability to fulfill its statutory mission requirements and protect the homeland. The Coast Guard has experienced major problems in administering its acquisition programs. For instance, the PSC program was initially supposed to have delivered the first cutter by this year, yet construction on the first ship has not even begun. Additionally, according to a Congressional Budget Office cost estimate that Transportation and Maritime Security Subcommittee Chairman Carlos Gimenez and I requested last year, the PSC program's cost will be almost 60-percent higher than the Coast Guard's current estimate.
"These shortcomings ultimately hinder the Coast Guard's ability to maintain a sufficient presence in critical mission areas. Regarding personnel, the Coast Guard has severely damaged its standing with its handling of Operation Fouled Anchor and the wider issue of sexual assault, sexual harassment, and retaliation within the service's ranks. While I appreciate the ongoing efforts to address the issues, the Coast Guard must earn back the trust of its service members and the American public. It is long past time for more accountability and an overhaul of the Coast Guard's service culture. "

In his opening round of questioning, Subcommittee Chairman Gimenez questioned Adm. Fagan about the delayed timeline for the Polar Security Cutter program:

"The Polar Security Cutter, the heavy icebreakers--can you give us an update on what is going on with that? We should have had our first cutter already in the water, and we haven't even started building it yet. What is going on?"

Adm. Fagan answered:

"The Polar Security Cutter is a critical national security asset for the nation as we create the ability to operate and generate presence in our own exclusive economic zone, in our own waters. The Polar Security Cutter contract has been delayed. We're working with the shipyard-there was a--the shipyard was sold and purchased by Bollinger. It is now Bollinger, Mississippi. We're working with that shipbuilder to finalize the detailed design [and] begin building the cutter in earnest. We begin some module work. I owe the committee an update on what the timeline will be for actual construction of the cutter."
Subcommittee Chairman Gimenez continued:

"You're supposed to have a ship in the water and you're still working on a design?"

Adm. Fagan answered:

"We have a design. The design maturity is critical to reducing risk and onward schedule slippage and cost. So that work is-"

Subcommittee Chairman Gimenez then asked:

"How many years have you been designing this icebreaker?"

Adm. Fagan answered:

"We've been working with the yard in earnest for the past several years."

Subcommittee Chairman Gimenez continued:

"What's several years? How many years are you-It's supposed to be in the water now. You're five years behind."

Adm. Fagan answered:

"We are absolutely behind schedule."

Rep. Mike Ezell (R-MS) asked the Admiral about the Coast Guard's mission to counter illegal fishing, especially as it heavily impacts his district:

"About the shrimping and fishing industry in my district-these hard-working mariners and fishermen help feed the United States and contribute significantly to the Southeast Mississippi economy. I continue to hear about the impact of illegal, unregulated, and unreported (IUU) fishing on these families. We must continue to fight illegal dumping and enforce the UFLPA (Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act). We've seen these foreign countries, mainly the CCP, have no regard for our laws or our communities. With the growing threat of the IUU around the world, especially with China's more aggressive fishing fleet, do you agree more investments should be made to increase the FRC (Fast Response Cutter) acquisitions?"

Adm. Fagan answered:
"The best counter for illegal fishing is creating on-scene and on-water presence. So any investments that create extra capacity to counter the crime of illegal fishing is a benefit. The Fast Response Cutters have been exceptional assets for us, not just in illegal fishing, but in many of the other missions and operations we conduct as a Coast Guard."
Rep. Ezell continued:
"What legal authority does the Coast Guard have to bring these perpetrators of IUU fishing to justice?"
Adm. Fagan answered:

"We engage in countering illegal fishing literally around the world, and in some cases, we partner with ally and partner nations to allow them to exercise their own sovereignty and their own authorities in their own waters. With regard to IUU fishing in the Gulf of Mexico, we continue to engage to counter that activity and create opportunities for enforcement and consequences to breaking the law."

infrastructure and risk mitigation efforts, to which she answered:

"We've been making investments in our cyber workforce. It started with protecting our own cyber infrastructure and increasingly includes investments in expertise as it relates to the marine transportation system and ensuring that the system we rely on as a nation for $5.4 trillion in economic benefit is hardened and safe in the cyber world. There was an executive order in February that clarified our role in response to a cyber incident and we are in the process of rulemaking to clarify standards for the industry that we regulate to ensure that they, as well, are cyber-hardened. We sit in a great area of expertise between understanding the maritime sector and having cyber expertise."

Rep. Luttrell continued:

"You're definitely the subject matter expert. I think creating cross-functional teams is a must. Engaging with other services and their cyber force-is there information sharing going…have you engaged with your counterparts in cyber?"

Adm. Fagan answered:
"We absolutely engage with our DOD counterparts. I have Coast Guard personnel at U.S. Cyber Command. I have a Coast Guard Cyber Command. We lean on that training and infrastructure. Our CPTs and mission teams work right alongside our DOD counterparts. We're a member of the intelligence community, and working to share information and break down those silos is an important part of the work that's ongoing."

Rep. Dale Strong (R-AL) asked Adm. Fagan how increased aggression from the Chinese Communist Party in the Indo-Pacific and elsewhere impacts the fleet domestically:

"I recognize and appreciate the growing deployment of the Coast Guard cutters to meet the threats around the world and note our Coast Guard is spending additional time deployed away from the United States. This is especially true as the Coast Guard plays a key role in responding to China's actions in the South Sea throughout the Indo-Pacific. I do have some concerns, however, about the impact these deployments could have on our fleet. Admiral, what impact has the increased deployment tempo in the Indo-Pacific had on the cutter fleet?"

Adm. Fagan answered:

"We are globally deployed as a Coast Guard and we conduct Coast Guard operations consistent with our authority. The work that we're doing in the Indo-Pacific is critical to countering China and to increasing other partners' capacity to enforce their own sovereignty and improve their own capacity and capability. The Pacific Support Tender Harriet Lane is a perfect example of how a Coast Guard ship with Coast Guard authorities can create capacity and opportunity for a partner nation."

Rep. Strong continued:

"What is the concept for conducting maintenance on forward operating cutters moving forward?"

Adm. Fagan answered:

"We continue to look at how we support cutters [moving] forward. When the large cutters are over in theater, they're under the operational control of our DOD counterparts and we rely on them for logistic support. The Fast Response Cutters have been fielded into the region. We've got several in Guam, and we continue to look at innovative ways to ensure we've got the right maintenance and support for cutters as they're forward deployed."

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) asked about the Coast Guard's drug interdiction mission, to which Adm. Fagan answered:
"Our counter-narcotics mission work in the Eastern Pacific and in the Caribbean is critical. It, too, is life-saving work, preventing narcotics from reaching the streets of the United States and resulting in overdoses. This is a line of effort that we work in conjunction with other allies and our DOD partners. We continue to interdict primarily cocaine but some marijuana as well at sea. That is work that Coast Guard members are doing right now as we sit in this hearing room."

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