Statements On Introduced Bills And Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

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Ms. CANTWELL (for herself, Ms. Snowe, Mr. Rockefeller, and Mrs. Hutchison):

S. 1194. A bill to reauthorize the Coast Guard for fiscal years 2010 and 2011, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, for countless communities around the country, our oceans are the heartbeat of their histories and economies. In fact, according to a report by the Joint Oceans Commission, healthy oceans and coasts are an important means of transportation, trade, and national security. Ocean-dependent industries generate about $138 billion and support millions of jobs in the United States' economy.

According to the National Ocean Economic Project, 30 U.S. coastal States accounted for 82 percent of total population and 81 percent of all U.S. jobs in 2006. In my home State of Washington, the Port of Seattle's facilities and activities alone support 190,000 jobs, and the State has 3,000 fishing vessels that employ 10,000 fishermen.

There is no group that is more important to the health and safety of our ports, fishing industry, and maritime community than the U.S. Coast Guard. The brave men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard are charged with many missions--from serving as our environmental stewards, performing search and rescue missions, and protecting us from terrorism, to helping clean up oil spills and enforcing fisheries laws. They are largely responsible for keeping these coastal economic engines running, and have proved time and time again that they are, as their motto says, ``Always ready.''

But for the Coast Guard to do its job Congress needs to support those who serve in its ranks. We have a responsibility to ensure the Coast Guard has the tools it needs to carry out the missions of today, while looking ahead to the challenges of tomorrow.

The bill I am introducing today, The Coast Guard Authorization Act for fiscal years 2010 and 2011, is designed to help the Coast Guard move toward the future, and ensure our maritime industries remain the clean and safe economic engine our nation's coastal communities have depended on for generations.

As the U.S. experiences major oil spills, tropical storms, hurricanes, and terrorism, our maritime economy faces ever-present threats. Congress needs to uphold its end of the bargain and provide the legislative backing the Coast Guard needs to do its job, and do its job well.

This bill gives the Coast Guard greater authority to work with international maritime authorities, get better access to global safety and security information, and work more cooperatively with other nations on law enforcement; allows the Coast Guard to rework its command structure and increase its alignment with other armed forces; better supports the men and women who serve in the U.S. Coast Guard by allowing greater reimbursement for medical-related expenses and allowing Coast Guard service-members to participate in the Armed Forces Retirement Home system; and directs the Coast Guard to conduct a thorough cost-benefit analysis for recapitalizing its polar icebreaker fleet so the service can prepare for future mission demands in the Arctic.

This bill also contains the most ambitious reform of its acquisitions program in the Coast Guard's history. The Coast Guard is struggling right now to replace their rapidly aging fleet of ships, aircraft, and facilities. At a cost of $24 billion, the Deepwater program is the Coast Guard's largest and most complex acquisition program ever. Congress has a responsibility to ensure there is transparency and oversight so this program is as efficient and effective as possible.

Unfortunately, the Coast Guard's Deepwater program has experienced major failures and setbacks. The program utilized a private sector lead systems integrator, LSI, know as Integrated Coast Guard Systems, ICGS, to oversee acquisition of a ``system of systems.'' When the Deepwater contract was originally awarded in 2002, the Coast Guard did not have the personnel within their ranks to manage such a large contract. Congress was told that outsourcing that role to industry would save the Coast Guard time and money over the long run.

That approach, which may have seemed innovative at the time, has not produced the promised results. Instead of cost and time savings, we have seen cost overruns, schedule delays, less competition and inadequate technical oversight.

The Department of Homeland Security Inspector General, IG, released three reports in 2006 and early 2007 detailing some of the problems with Deepwater, including problems with electronics equipment, crucial design flaws and cost overruns created by a faulty contract structure and lack of oversight, and serious issues with the 123-foot cutter conversion project.

This legislation wipes the slate clean and makes fundamental changes to the Coast Guard's acquisition program. It requires the Coast Guard to abandon the industry-led Lead Systems Integrator and get back to basics--full and open competition for all future assets.

It requires a completely new ``analysis of alternatives'' for all future Deepwater acquisitions to ensure that the Coast Guard is getting the assets best-suited for their needs.

It requires the Coast Guard to follow a rigorous acquisitions process to make sure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely.

And, it gives the Coast Guard the tools it needs to manage acquisitions effectively, including requiring the Coast Guard to make internal management changes to ensure open competition, increase technical oversight and improve reporting to Congress.

This legislation takes major steps towards getting the Coast Guard the assets they need while ensuring responsible management of taxpayer dollars. I look forward to working with my colleagues to enact the changes I am proposing today so we can get this program back on track and help the Coast Guard accomplish its missions.

If we fail to pass legislation, we are doing a major disservice to those very people we depend on. We will do so as they continue to place their lives at risk while they perform the mission of the Coast Guard.

This bill is good for taxpayers, good for the Coast Guard, and good for every American depending on them to be, ``Always ready.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be printed in the RECORD

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