Cunningham Secures Funding to Expand Coast Guard Presence in the Lowcountry

Press Release

Rep. Joe Cunningham announced he had secured increased funding to expedite the Coast Guard's planned expansion in the Lowcountry in the Fiscal Year 2021 Homeland Security funding legislation, which the House Appropriations Committee approved today.

This comes after the Commandant of the Coast Guard, Admiral Karl Schultz, announced the Coast Guard would be substantially increasing its presence in the Lowcountry, including an additional two National Security Cutters (NSC) and over 1,000 more personnel. In February, Cunningham testified before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security and urged the Committee to fully fund this expansion. View the video of the testimony here. Cunningham was also appointed to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Board of Visitors last year.

"The brave men and women of the United States Coast Guard have decided to make a home for themselves in the Lowcountry and it is an honor to have them here," said Rep. Joe Cunningham. "I am proud to have helped secure the funding necessary for them to do the critical work of ensuring maritime safety, interdicting drugs, providing emergency and disaster relief, and keeping coastal communities like ours safe."

Thanks to Cunningham's advocacy, the FY 2021 Homeland Security Funding bill includes:

$68 million for maintenance, testing, evaluation, and support of the Coast Guard's tenth and eleventh NSCs, both of which will be homeported at Coast Guard Base Charleston upon completion.
$18 million towards the purchase of waterfront real estate needed to homeport two additional NSCs, as well as for security and a storm water management infrastructure to support an increased Coast Guard footprint in Charleston.
$3.3 million to provide for necessary additional construction and improvements to pier infrastructure to support Base Charleston's fifth NSC. This funding will also provide shore-side improvements to accommodate additional storage, shipping and receiving, and maintenance space.
The legislation will also help to improve employment outcomes for Coast Guard spouses by providing them financial assistance to pursue a degree or certification. Last year, Cunningham passed an amendment into the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act that expanded eligibility to the Department of Defense's My Career Advancement Account Scholarship Program (MyCAA) to Coast Guard spouses. This year's Homeland Security funding bill includes language authored by Rep. Cunningham that directs the Coast Guard to ensure that eligible spouses can take advantage of the newly-expanded MyCAA program.

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