By 
Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp testified before the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Homeland Security Subcommittee, about the Coast Guard’s fiscal year 2012 budget today.
Adm. Papp read an oral statement early in the hearing where he highlighted the fact that America is a maritime nation; therefore, the safety and security of our “maritime” impacts the lives of every American. He provided examples of recent operations, including: interdicting harmful drugs in the Caribbean, protecting citizens from flooding in the Mississippi River Valley, breaking ice in the Great Lakes to facilitate the flow of commerce, and rescuing survivors of two small plane crashes in Alaska. He then offered the following observation:
“Yet today we find our Coast Guard at a critical inflection point. I am well aware of our Nation’s current economic and budget challenges. However, I also know that decisions made today will do one of two things: sustain a Coast Guard capable of meeting mission and responding to future man-made or natural disasters – or result in a less capable and diminished force.”
Click here to read Adm. Papp’s written testimony and here to read his oral testimony. Video of the hearing is available here.
Click here for a fact sheet on the Coast Guard’s FY 2012 budget request and here for the Coast Guard’s 2011 Posture statement with a detailed look at the FY 2012 budget.