Press Releases

Today, Congressman Mike Ezell (MS-04), Chairman of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee, announced significant victories for the U.S. Coast Guard following the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s markup of its Budget Reconciliation legislation. The bill includes $21.2 billion in investments to strengthen the U.S. Coast Guard’s mission.

“Today’s markup represents a historic and transformative investment in America’s maritime industrial base and readiness. Working alongside my colleagues and President Trump, we’ve significantly increased funding for Coast Guard shipbuilding. This essential funding is critical to reversing what Coast Guard leadership has described as a ‘readiness death spiral’ directly addressing urgent national security requirements, particularly those arising from increased geopolitical competition and operational demands in the strategically significant Arctic region,” Chairman Ezell said. “Our goal is to deliver timely, efficient, and strategic enhancements to the Coast Guard fleet while safeguarding American interests and promoting strong domestic economic growth. I have full confidence in the American shipbuilding industry's capacity and capability to meet this urgent national requirement using domestic resources and expertise. While international collaboration can offer strategic advantages, it also raises significant national security and economic concerns. Our dedicated Coast Guard personnel deserve robust and reliable resources to effectively protect our maritime interests and national sovereignty. By strengthening the Coast Guard’s capabilities, we’re investing in national security—something South Mississippi has long contributed to.”

“As the largest segment of American maritime, the tugboat, towboat, and barge industry is proud to be a longtime partner to the United States Coast Guard in ensuring the safety, security, and reliability of the U.S. maritime transportation system. We commend the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee for its leadership in proposing generational investment in the Coast Guard to provide it with the resources needed to execute its broad and vital mission set,” Jennifer Carpenter, President & CEO, The American Waterways Operators said.

“The American Maritime Partnership strongly supports this generational investment in the U.S. Coast Guard, which plays a central role in defending our homeland, strengthening U.S. national security and enforcing the Jones Act. This funding equips our service members with essential modern assets while strengthening America's maritime capacity, critical to our economy and supply chain. We thank T&I Chairman Sam Graves and Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Chairman Mike Ezell for their leadership in securing our waters,” the American Maritime Partnership said.

“This investment represents a critical commitment to the Coast Guard’s national security mission — from stopping the flow of illegal drugs, to securing our ports and projecting presence in the Arctic,” Matthew Paxton, President of the Shipbuilders Council of America said. “These vital duties demand modern, state-of-the-art assets, built and maintained by America’s shipyard industrial base. We applaud Chairman Ezell, Ranking Member Carbajal, and the Subcommittee for recognizing that protecting our maritime borders begins with investing in our nation’s Coast Guard.”

Key provisions include:

• $1 billion for the construction of Fast Response Cutters (FRCs)—vital for operations in drug interdiction, search and rescue, and port security. 

• $4.3 billion for continued development and procurement of Polar Security Cutters, which will expand the Coast Guard’s operations in the Arctic and help safeguard American sovereignty in increasingly contested waters.

• $4.978 billion for Arctic Security Cutters and domestic icebreakers.

• $3.154 billion for shoreside infrastructure, of which $400 million is for hangars, maintenance, and crew facilities for fixed wing aircraft and rotary wing aircraft, $2.33 billion is for homeports for Offshore Patrol Cutters, Fast Response Cutters, Arctic Security Cutters, Polar Security Cutters, domestic ice breakers, including the USCGC STORIS, and National Security Cutters, and  $425 million for design, engineering, construction management of, and program management for enlisted boot camp recapitalization, including barracks' replacement and a multi-use training center.

• $1.3 billion for aviation, cutter, and shoreside facility depot maintenance, of which $500 million is for a floating dry dock; and $180 million for maritime domain awareness, of which $75 million is for autonomous surface assets.

In total, the Coast Guard will receive $21.2 billion to bolster readiness, recapitalize aging assets, and support mission-critical operations across the globe. This includes enhanced capabilities to confront the growing emergency at our borders, combat transnational crime, and respond to evolving national security threats.