Coast Guard reauthorization bill approved by conferees

House and Senate conferees Wednesday quickly approved a $7.9 billion reauthorization measure for the Coast Guard in fiscal 2005, preparing the bill for a final House floor vote next week.

The bill (H.R. 2443) would provide the Coast Guard with $5.4 billion for operations and expenses; $1.5 billion for acquisition, construction and improvements; $24.2 million for research and development; $1.08 billion for retirement pay; $19.7 million for bridge improvements and $17 million to comply with environmental requirements.

A House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee aide said the House could take up the measure next week. It also needs Senate approval before heading to the president for signing into law.

The only sticking point between the two sides was over a House-passed provision that would require the Coast Guard to certify a security plan for every foreign vessel entering U.S. ports.

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain, R-Ariz., said the language would "detract" the agency from meeting its other maritime security missions, could subject domestic vessels to similar requirements from foreign countries and cost the agency limited resources.

Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minn., ranking member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure panel, offered a compromise proposal that would require the Coast Guard to review the criteria for certifying a foreign vessel's security plan.

After a few rounds of debate between McCain and Oberstar, the two agreed to table the proposal and retain current practice, which depends on foreign governments or designated private or quasi-government groups to approve a ship's security plan. The Coast Guard does employ targeting tools to analyze potential threats and intercept suspected vessels.

The conferees agreed to staff recommendations that included a House measure, H.R. 4251, that would allow Coast Guard officers to make arrests and carry handguns. Lawmakers also agreed to the House's recommendation for $1.1 billion to the Coast Guard's 20-year initiative to modernize the agency's information technology systems, infrastructure and assets. The Senate had proposed $708 million.