Senator moves to rescue Coast Guard acquisition initiative

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Thad Cochran, R-Miss., said Tuesday he would try to rescue the Coast Guard's Deepwater program from significant funding cuts, a move that would protect contracts and jobs in his home state of Mississippi and several other states.

Cochran said he planned to talk with House Appropriations Committee Chairman Jerry Lewis, R-Calif., soon about Coast Guard funding in the fiscal 2006 Homeland Security appropriations measure, with the goal of trying to move the House-Senate conferees "closer together." The two chambers are negotiating on the spending bill, and Cochran said he hoped the Senate would vote on a conference report this week.

Cochran said the Coast Guard's homeland security mission to protect U.S. waters is "important to the security of our country." Because of that, he said, "It's irresponsible to not move forward with the program."

The Deepwater initiative aims to modernize the agency's fleet of cutters, patrol boats and helicopters over the next 20 to 25 years. The price ranges from $19 billion to $24 billion. The agency also plans to incorporate sensors, unmanned aerial vehicles and communication equipment into the program.

House appropriators cut President Bush's request of $966 million by $466 million for the Coast Guard's 20-year initiative. The agency missed several deadlines to give House appropriators a report on its future budget numbers and to rework the initial 1997 plan to incorporate its new homeland security missions. The Senate allocated $906 million.

House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Harold Rogers, R-Ky., indicated in a hearing last week he was still not satisfied that the agency has adequately explained its budget priorities and would hold firm on the spending cut.

However, Cochran is likely to find support from other House and Senate appropriators in negotiations to increase funding for the Deepwater program.

Two companies -- Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin -- have the primary contract to carry out the program, along with more than 400 subcontractors in 41 states, according to Coast Guard officials.

Northup Grumman's shipbuilding facilities are located in Mississippi and Louisiana. Specifically, Northrop Gruman is building the first of the Coast Guard's new cutters -- the national security cutter -- and employs 600 individuals in Mississippi. It also is estimated to build two more ships next year and increase the payroll to 800 employees.

The agency plans to build new helicopters, offshore-patrol cutters, fast-response cutters and patrol boats. Lockheed Martin's maritime system and sensors facility is located in New Jersey.

The officials said cutting $500 million from the Deepwater program jeopardizes 15 major acquisitions of cutters, patrol boats and other systems. Coast Guard officials have testified several times recently about the dilapidated state of its fleet. The average Coast Guard cutter is 29 years old.