House panel boosts Coast Guard procurement funds

A House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee voted Wednesday to accelerate funding so the Coast Guard can complete its ship modernization and acquisition program by the year 2016 -- seven years ahead of the Bush administration's timetable.

By voice vote, the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee sent a nearly $8 billion Coast Guard authorization bill (H.R. 3879) for fiscal 2005 to the full Transportation Committee. The administration's budget request was $7.5 billion. A fiscal 2004 authorization bill did not make it through Congress.

The subcommittee adopted an amendment by the panel's chairman, Frank LoBiondo, R-N.J., to boost to $1.1 billion from the administration's request of $678 million funding for the so-called Deepwater Project to modernize ships and equipment operating 50 or more miles off shore.

LoBiondo said the Coast Guard fleet is "rapidly deteriorating" and needs faster improvement than would be achieved under the administration's proposal, which would take 22 years, rather than the original goal of a 20-year improvement program. Aides said the proposed additional funding -- which must still be appropriated -- would put the modernization plan on schedule for completion in 2016, 15 years after the program's start.

The subcommittee approved a total of more than $1.5 billion for all acquisitions, construction and improvements, including the increased money for the Deepwater project. The authorization bill included $75 million more than the administration requested to continue equipping C130J aircraft.

Ship modernization was the biggest increase to the administration's request. But the subcommittee also added $19 million for bridge improvements not sought by the administration.

The subcommittee measure included $5.2 billion sought by President Bush for overall operating expenses at the Coast Guard as well as an additional $35 million to establish a West Coast helicopter interdiction tactical squadron.

Environmental compliance was set at the administration's requested level of $17 million and reserve training was included at $117 million, also equal to the administration's request.

The subcommittee approved the administration's request of $18.5 million for research and development and said it wanted the funds administered by the Coast Guard directly rather than a directorate of the Department of Homeland Security.

The subcommittee authorized the number of Coast Guard personnel at 45,500 active duty members as of Sept. 30, 2005.