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S. HRG. 115–63 

STATE OF THE COAST GUARD: ENSURING 

MILITARY, NATIONAL SECURITY, AND 

ENFORCEMENT CAPABILITY AND READINESS 

HEARING 

BEFORE THE

SUBCOMMITTEE ON OCEANS, ATMOSPHERE, 

FISHERIES, AND COAST GUARD 

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, 

SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION 

UNITED STATES SENATE 

ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS 

FIRST SESSION 

MARCH 22, 2017 

Printed for the use of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 

( 

(II) 

SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION 

ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS 

FIRST SESSION 

JOHN THUNE, South Dakota, Chairman 

ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi 

ROY BLUNT, Missouri 

TED CRUZ, Texas 

DEB FISCHER, Nebraska 

JERRY MORAN, Kansas 

DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska 

DEAN HELLER, Nevada 

JAMES INHOFE, Oklahoma 

MIKE LEE, Utah 

RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin 

SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West Virginia 

CORY GARDNER, Colorado 

TODD YOUNG, Indiana 

BILL NELSON, Florida, Ranking 

MARIA CANTWELL, Washington 

AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota 

RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut 

BRIAN SCHATZ, Hawaii 

EDWARD MARKEY, Massachusetts 

CORY BOOKER, New Jersey 

TOM UDALL, New Mexico 

GARY PETERS, Michigan 

TAMMY BALDWIN, Wisconsin 

TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Illinois 

MAGGIE HASSAN, New Hampshire 

CATHERINE CORTEZ MASTO, Nevada 

NICK ROSSI, Staff Director 

ADRIAN ARNAKIS, Deputy Staff Director 

JASON VAN BEEK, General Counsel 

KIM LIPSKY, Democratic Staff Director 

CHRIS DAY, Democratic Deputy Staff Director 

RENAE BLACK, Senior Counsel 

SUBCOMMITTEE ON OCEANS, ATMOSPHERE, FISHERIES, 

AND COAST GUARD 

DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska, Chairman 

ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi 

DEB FISCHER, Nebraska 

JAMES INHOFE, Oklahoma 

MIKE LEE, Utah 

RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin 

CORY GARDNER, Colorado 

TODD YOUNG, Indiana 

GARY PETERS, Michigan, Ranking 

MARIA CANTWELL, Washington 

RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut 

BRIAN SCHATZ, Hawaii 

EDWARD MARKEY, Massachusetts 

CORY BOOKER, New Jersey 

TAMMY BALDWIN, Wisconsin 

(III) 

C O N T E N T S 

Page 

Hearing held on March 22, 2017 ............................................................................ 1 

Statement of Senator Sullivan ............................................................................... 1 

Statement of Senator Peters ................................................................................... 3 

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 4 

Statement of Senator Inhofe ................................................................................... 13 

Statement of Senator Cantwell .............................................................................. 15 

Statement of Senator Wicker .................................................................................. 17 

Statement of Senator Hassan ................................................................................. 18 

Statement of Senator Schatz .................................................................................. 20 

Statement of Senator Nelson .................................................................................. 21 

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 23 

Statement of Senator Cruz ..................................................................................... 24 

WITNESSES

Admiral Paul F. Zukunft, Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard ................................ 5 

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 7 

APPENDIX

Response to written questions submitted to Admiral Paul F. Zukunft by: 

Hon. Bill Nelson ............................................................................................... 31 

Hon. Maria Cantwell ........................................................................................ 32 

Hon. Amy Klobuchar ........................................................................................ 36 

Hon. Richard Blumenthal ................................................................................ 36 

Hon. Brian Schatz ............................................................................................ 37 

(1) 

STATE OF THE COAST GUARD: ENSURING 

MILITARY, NATIONAL SECURITY, AND 

ENFORCEMENT CAPABILITY AND READINESS 

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017 

U.S. SENATE, 

SUBCOMMITTEE ON OCEANS, ATMOSPHERE, FISHERIES, 

AND COAST GUARD, 

COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION, 

Washington, DC. 

The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 2:30 p.m. in room 

SR–253, Russell Senate Office Building, Hon. Dan Sullivan, Chairman of the Subcommittee, presiding. 

Present: Senators Sullivan [presiding], Peters, Inhofe, Cantwell, 

Wicker, Hassan, Schatz, Nelson, Cruz, Booker, Fischer, Gardner, 

and Young. 

OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. DAN SULLIVAN, 

U.S. SENATOR FROM ALASKA 

The CHAIRMAN. The hearing will come to order. The Subcommittee is meeting today to review the state of current Coast 

Guard missions, manpower, resources, acquisitions, and budgetary 

needs. And I’m honored to be here with my colleagues on both sides 

of the aisle. This is my first hearing as the Chairman of the Subcommittee with my colleague and friend, Senator Peters, as the 

Ranking Member, and I look forward to working with him and 

members of both sides of the aisle here I think on an issue that 

is very bipartisan, and that’s the U.S. Coast Guard. 

As you know, Admiral Zukunft, our main witness today, I certainly have a great appreciation for the work the Coast Guard does 

in Alaska and for the country. And it’s an honor to have you here, 

and it’s an honor for you to represent the men and women of the 

Coast Guard, and please, please pass on to them the appreciation 

from this committee on the exceptional work that they’re doing. 

Maritime security and safety are issues of national security and 

are central to economic prosperity. Global stability is dependent on 

safe and unfettered access to the maritime domain. Congress has 

given the Coast Guard a wide range of missions, from search and 

rescue, icebreaking, and marine environmental protection to port 

security, drug interdiction, international crisis response, and readiness to support the Department of Defense in its operations. 

With such an integral role in national and global stability, it 

should not be overlooked by members of this committee or by the 

Trump administration that the Coast Guard is the fifth branch of 

2 

the armed services. By securing our maritime boarder, the Coast 

Guard acts as the front line of defense for our homeland. 

The Coast Guard combats transnational criminal organizations 

at the points of origin by pushing cutters and resources to intercept 

drugs and human smugglers off of foreign shores prior to threats 

even getting close to our shores. The Coast Guard supports U.S. 

forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. And that is why today I would like 

the members of this committee, many of whom I also serve with 

on the Armed Services Committee, to think about these issues as 

much as you would from a Commerce Committee perspective as 

well as an Armed Services Committee perspective. 

As the Coast Guard balances the wide range of public safety, 

stewardship, and national security missions, these missions do not 

remain static. Challenges for the Coast Guard, threats to our Nation, are emerging whether those are terrorism, drug trafficking in 

the Caribbean Basin and Central America, and overseas contingency operations continually demand more of the Coast Guard. 

The mission requirements are also expanding in my home state 

of Alaska. The area of responsibility assigned to Coast Guard units 

within Alaska’s waters is the largest in the Nation and encompasses an area over three and a half million square miles. We have 

a little map, the blue, and the Great Lakes, of course, Senator Peters, are indicative of what the Coast Guard has to cover, and that 

is a lot, a lot, of territory. 

There is heightened interest in the Arctic with the region’s future 

resource development, increased transportation, maritime traffic, 

resource development, and fisheries management. Commandant, as 

you know, just in 2010, the Panamanian-flagged shipping vessel 

the Nordic Barents sailed through the Northern Sea Route from 

Norway to China. It saved almost 18 days from the normal Suez 

Canal route, and that’s $300,000 just in fuel savings. Since then, 

there has been a continuous and increasing amount of activity in 

the Arctic in the Northern Sea Route. Just this past summer, the 

cruise ship Crystal Serenity, with more than 1,700 passengers onboard became the largest commercial cruise ship ever to navigate 

the Northwest Passage from Alaska over to New York. 

America is lagging behind other countries when it comes to our 

ability to protect U.S. interests in the Arctic. I will have questions 

for you, sir, on what the Russians are doing in the Arctic and what 

we are trying to do there. 

I also want to make sure we talk about the assets of the Coast 

Guard. The National Security Cutter, the NSC, will be an asset in 

the Arctic region, but also throughout the country, as it has proven 

its operations in other theaters. The expanded capabilities of the 

NSC have had dramatic results in our fight against transnational 

criminal organizations, in the drug transit zones of the Caribbean 

and Eastern Pacific. The Coast Guard cutter HAMILTON secured 

26 metric tons of cocaine worth over $760 million just on its maiden voyage. I look forward to its continued success and continued 

delivery of all nine of these high-performance vessels. 

As has been reported, the pre-decisional funding guidance we 

heard from OMB during formation of the President’s budget contained a significant proposed cut in the Coast Guard. A number of 

us worked together—Senator Cantwell, myself, several other memVerDate Nov 24 2008 08:13 Sep 06, 2017 Jkt 075679 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 S:\GPO\DOCS\26595.TXT JACKIE
3 

bers of this committee—to address this to OMB and let them know 

what we thought of the importance of fully funding the Coast 

Guard. Ultimately, the proposed budget provides discretion to the 

Department of Homeland Security to allocate its department-wide 

budget in a manner of its choosing, and I am confident that Secretary Kerry—Kelly—excuse me, sorry about that—will be a strong 

supporter of the Coast Guard given his previous position as the 

commander of the Southern Command. 

This Subcommittee has a great deal of work to do to ensure that 

the Coast Guard is properly resourced to fund its priorities, modernize its assets, and successfully execute its mission. 

Admiral, we look forward to your testimony. I hope this hearing 

is able to focus attention on the mission demands placed upon the 

Coast Guard, and the value the service provides to the national security, national defense, and homeland security, and prosperity of 

this Nation. 

Thank you. And I recognize Ranking Member Peters for his 

opening statement. 

STATEMENT OF HON. GARY PETERS, 

U.S. SENATOR FROM MICHIGAN 

Senator PETERS. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman, and a pleasure 

to serve with you in this Congress, so I look forward to having 

many hearings and much work to do going forward. It’s wonderful 

to have the first hearing of the Subcommittee to be with the Coast 

Guard, which, of course, plays a critical role in ensuring maritime 

safety and the security of our Nation. And I want to thank you, Admiral Zukunft, for being here today and joining us for this hearing. 

My home state of Michigan is a coastal state. Michigan has the 

longest freshwater coastline in the United States, and it has more 

coastline than any other state in the country with the exception of 

Alaska, so—— 

The CHAIRMAN. I’m glad he clarified. 

[Laughter.] 

Senator PETERS. Michigan also has the second most boat registrations of any state in the Nation. And I think we might have 

a better shot of taking that number one spot than the number one 

spot for coastline. That’s probably fairly fixed. 

The citizens of Michigan depend on a healthy, secure Great 

Lakes system for clean drinking water, sustainable fisheries, recreation and tourism, navigable waterways to support a very robust 

maritime economy, and safe, secure borders with our friends to the 

north in Canada. The Great Lakes support more than a half a million jobs and supply the drinking water for 40 million people. 

The 6,000 men and women who make up the Coast Guard District 9 serve selflessly to ensure that the lakes remain Michigan’s 

second most important asset, next to our people. The Coast Guard 

is absolutely essential to making the Great Lakes accessible, clean, 

and safe for both commercial and recreational purposes alike. 

I’ve had the chance to visit a number of Coast Guard stations in 

Michigan, including Harbor Beach, Traverse City, Sheboygan, and 

Detroit, with Senator Nelson, just to name a few. And people in 

these towns, I will tell you, truly value and cherish the Coast 

Guard presence in their communities. In fact, this appreciation for 

4 

the Coast Guard’s critical role in the Great Lakes is largely because the Coast Guard has long been an integral part of these very 

tightly knit communities. Grand Haven, Michigan, in fact, is proud 

to hold the distinction of being the only city officially designated 

‘‘Coast Guard City USA,’’ and that’s a testament to the close ties 

and affection our coastal communities hold for the Coast Guard. 

The Coast Guard’s reputation as a ‘‘can do’’ service that stands 

always ready to do what we ask of it of course extends beyond our 

Great Lakes communities to communities all across the Nation and 

across the world where the Coast Guard operates professionally on 

every continent and every theater of U.S. conflict as well. Day in 

and day out we hear stories of fantastic work of our Coast Guard 

women and men and what they are doing. 

But you are forced to meet these and other mission demands 

with an aging fleet of cutters and aircraft. And I find reports of the 

Trump administration’s plan to cut the budget of the Coast Guard 

by as much as 14 percent to be troubling and disconnected with the 

value of this unique military service. The Coast Guard’s 210-foot 

medium endurance cutters are roughly 50 years old, and some of 

the Coast Guard’s C–130 planes are almost as old and facing troubles with reliability. 

In addition, in recent years, the Great Lakes have seen record 

levels of ice cover threatening the uninterrupted movement of commercial shipping, so vital to not only Michigan’s economy, but the 

entire country’s economy. And without continuous heavy icebreaker 

support in the winter months provided by the Coast Guard, we 

would be in trouble. 

The Coast Guard stands ready to respond to threats to the environment as well. For example, you are charged with responding to 

oil spills in the Great Lakes from pipelines and other forms of 

transportation. 

But given this myriad of tasks we ask of the Coast Guard, I believe that now is the time to increase the Coast Guard’s budget, not 

to cut it, particularly to advance the acquisition of new ships and 

aircraft to enable the Coast Guard to perform reliably and effectively. If there are other things that Congress can do to keep you 

always ready, please let us know today. We look forward to hearing 

your comments. 

So I would like to thank you, Admiral, as well as all of the men 

and women of the Coast Guard, for your continued excellent service 

to the country. We look forward to your testimony. 

[The prepared statement of Senator Peters follows:] 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF HON. GARY PETERS, U.S. SENATOR FROM MICHIGAN

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. First I want to thank you, Chairman Sullivan, and of 

course Chairman Thune and Ranking Member Nelson for calling this hearing today 

on the State of the Coast Guard, an agency that plays a critical role in ensuring 

the maritime safety and security of our Nation. I want to thank Admiral Zukunft, 

Commandant of the Coast Guard, for joining us today, and in advance of your testimony for our first hearing on the Coast Guard for the 115th Congress. Welcome, 

Admiral. 

My home state of Michigan is a coastal state—Michigan has the longest freshwater coastline in the United States, and more coastline than any other state except 

Alaska. 

5 

And Michigan also has the second most boat registrations of any state in the nation—I think we have a better shot of taking the number one spot in this category 

as opposed to coastline miles. 

The citizens of Michigan depend on a healthy, secure Great Lakes system for 

clean drinking water, sustainable fisheries, recreation and tourism, navigable waterways to support a robust maritime economy, and safe, secure borders with our 

friends to the north in Canada. 

The Great Lakes support more than 500,000 jobs in Michigan and supply drinking 

water for 40 million people. 

The 6,000 men and women who make up Coast Guard District Nine serve selflessly to ensure the lakes remain Michigan’s second-most important asset—next to 

our people. The Coast Guard is absolutely essential to making the Great Lakes accessible, clean and safe for commercial and recreational users alike. 

I have had the chance to visit a number of Coast Guard Stations in Michigan, 

including Harbor Beach, Traverse City, Cheboygan, and to STA Detroit with Senator Nelson, just to name a few. People in these towns and cities value and truly 

depend on the Coast Guard. 

This appreciation for the Coast Guard’s critical role in the Great Lakes is largely 

because the Coast Guard has long been a part of our tightly-knit communities. 

Grand Haven, Michigan is proud to hold the distinction of being the only city officially designated ‘‘Coast Guard City, USA’’, a testament to the close ties and affection our coastal communities hold for the Coast Guard. 

The Coast Guard’s reputation as a can-do service that stands ‘‘Always Ready’’ to 

do what we ask of it extends beyond our Great Lakes communities throughout our 

national coastlines, and around the world where the Coast Guard operates professionally on every continent and in every theater of U.S. conflict. 

Day in and out, we hear stories of the fantastic work our Coast Guard women 

and men are doing around the world. 

But you are forced to meet these and other mission demands with an aging fleet 

of cutters and aircraft, and I find reports of the Trump Administration’s plans to 

cut the budget of the Coast Guard by as much as 14 percent to be troubling and 

disconnected with the value this unique military service provides to the country. 

The Coast Guard’s 210-foot Medium Endurance Cutters are roughly 50 years old, 

and some of the Coast Guard’s C–130 planes are almost as old and facing troubling 

issues with reliability. 

In addition, in recent years the Great Lakes have seen record levels of ice cover, 

threatening the uninterrupted movement of commercial shipping so vital to the 

Michigan economy without continuous heavy icebreaking support in the winter 

months provided by the Coast Guard. 

The Coast Guard stands ready to respond to threats to the environment as well. 

For example they are charged with responding to oil spills in the Great Lakes from 

pipelines and other forms of transportation. 

Given the myriad tasks we ask of the Coast Guard, I believe now is the time to 

increase the Coast Guard’s budget, not cut it, particularly to advance the acquisition 

of new ships and aircraft to enable the Coast Guard to perform reliably and effectively. 

If there are other things Congress can do to keep you ‘‘Always Ready,’’ please let 

us know today. 

Thank you and the men and women of the Coast Guard for your continued excellent service to our country and I look forward to your testimony. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Senator Peters. 

And now I would like to welcome the witness, the Commandant 

of the United States Coast Guard, Admiral Zukunft. Please, sir, 

your opening testimony. 

STATEMENT OF ADMIRAL PAUL F. ZUKUNFT, COMMANDANT, 

U.S. COAST GUARD 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman and distinguished members of the Subcommittee. I appreciate the opportunity to testify today. And I want to especially thank you for your 

enduring support of the United States Coast Guard. I also ask that 

my written statement be entered into the record. 

The CHAIRMAN. Without objection. 

6 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. The Coast Guard offers a truly unique and 

enduring value to our Nation. The only branch of our U.S. armed 

services within the Department of Homeland Security, the Coast 

Guard is uniquely positioned to help secure the border, combat 

transnational organized crime, and safeguard America’s economic 

prosperity. And I cannot be more proud of the operational and modernization successes we have had in 2016. 

Now, transnational criminal organizations continue to wreak 

havoc on security and prosperity in Central and South America. 

That was validated just 2 hours ago when I met with the President 

of Honduras, President Herna ́ndez. Now, these networks, they corrupt rule of law, they’ve forced historic levels of migration to our 

Southwest border, and it’s the Coast Guard’s capabilities and authorities that position our service to attack these networks before 

they reach our borders, where they are most vulnerable, and that’s 

when they’re at sea. 

Using our broad law enforcement authorities and a portfolio of 

more than 60 bilateral agreements, we push our maritime borders 

thousands of miles beyond our land border with Mexico to disrupt 

these illicit pathways. In 2016, we recorded a record removal of 201 

metric tons of cocaine, and we brought 585 smugglers, members of 

transnational criminal organizations, to justice here in the United 

States, where our prosecution rate is nearly 100 percent, whereas 

it’s less than 10 percent in their countries of origin. 

However, cocaine and illicit trafficking, they’re on the rise. And 

surveillance and surface asset gaps allow us to target a mere 30 

percent of known cases. Last year, it was a lack of interdiction assets by the Coast Guard that prevented us from disrupting 580 

known smuggling events. Critical acquisitions, like the Fast Response Cutter, the National Security Cutter, the Offshore Patrol 

Cutter, and both ship- and land-based unmanned aerial systems 

are essential to long-term success in our fight against illicit networks, the pathways they employ, and the threat they pose to our 

southern border. 

We recently awarded Phase 2 to complete the build-out of our 58 

Fast Response Cutters at an affordable price, and the last four, 

numbers 19 through 22, were delivered with zero discrepancies. We 

awarded the acquisition for the first nine Offshore Patrol Cutters 

to Eastern Shipbuilding Group, a down payment for a program of 

record of 25 of these capable platforms that meet requirements, 

and all at an affordable price. 

We also awarded long lead time materials to Huntington Ingalls 

for a ninth National Security Cutter. These ships continue to prove 

their worth by allowing us to go on the offense to fight and to secure our borders. 

And we stood up an Integrated Program Office with the Navy, 

and recently awarded industry studies to commence the build-out 

of a fleet of three heavy and three medium icebreakers. The first 

one we need to have delivered by the year 2023. 

On top of that, we received our fourth consecutive clean financial 

audit opinion, the only service to have one, and we have four consecutive, and have minimized acquisition and cost growth and 

timeline slippages in our major acquisitions. 

7 

I especially want to thank this Congress for its strong and consistent support of our critical acquisition programs. And while we 

have had operational and acquisition success, readiness, modernization, and force structure challenges inhibit our ability to fully 

address the asymmetrical threats in our increasingly volatile 

world. 

The Coast Guard is an important part of the modern joint force, 

and I am proud of our enduring contributions to our combatant 

commanders around the world. Like DoD, the Coast Guard faces 

the many challenges associated with mission demands, years of fiscal constraints, and lost purchasing power. However, as the only 

armed service in the Department of Homeland Security, we rely 

primarily upon non-defense discretionary funds for both our capital 

and our operating budgets. 

Further, our ability to simultaneously execute our full suite of 

missions and sustain support to combatant commanders while also 

being ready to respond to global contingencies has eroded under 

the Budget Control Act. Secretary Kelly understands this issue and 

fully supports the President’s call to rebuild all of the armed services. 

Restoring readiness is but one part of the equation, and prudence 

demands that we continue to invest and modernize our Coast 

Guard. Our world is not exactly breaking out in tranquility. Our 

Nation benefits when its Coast Guard is equipped to project U.S. 

sovereign interests in the polar regions to dismantle transnational 

criminal organizations and secure the $4.5 trillion of economic activity in our Nation’s Maritime Transportation System. 

Now, our inland river system relies upon a fleet of 35 inland 

buoy tenders with an average age of 52 years to keep this infrastructure running. The time to replace these assets is now, and 

your support has helped us to make tremendous progress, and it 

is critical we build upon these successes to field assets that meet 

cost, schedule, and performance milestones. 

Funding 21st century Coast Guard platforms and people is a 

smart investment in our national security. Modern assets with exceptional capability is but one aspect, but our greatest asset is our 

people. I’m incredibly proud of our 88,000 active duty, reserve, civil 

servant, and auxiliary members, but we need at least 1,100 more 

reservists and another 5,000 active duty personnel to be Semper 

Paratus in a non-static 21st century. 

I appreciate the unwavering support of this subcommittee to address our most pressing needs, and with the continued support of 

the administration and Congress, the Coast Guard will continue to 

live up to our motto, ‘‘Semper Paratus, Always Ready.’’ 

Thank you for this opportunity. And I look forward to your questions. 

[The prepared statement of Admiral Zukunft follows:] 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF ADMIRAL PAUL F. ZUKUNFT, COMMANDANT, 

U.S. COAST GUARD

Good afternoon Mr. Chairman and distinguished members of the Subcommittee. 

I appreciate the opportunity to testify today and thank you for your enduring support of the United States Coast Guard. 

As the world’s premier, multi-mission, maritime service, the Coast Guard offers 

a unique and enduring value to the Nation. The only branch of the U.S. Armed 

8 

1 14 USC § 1. 

2 In addition to the Coast Guard’s status as an Armed Force (10 U.S.C. § 101), see also Memorandum of Agreement Between the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland 

Security on the Use of Coast Guard Capabilities and Resources in Support of the National Military Strategy, 02 May 2008, as amended 18 May 2010. 3 Executive Order on Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvements, 25 January 2017. 4Secretary Kelly Hearing Testimony, ‘‘Ending the Crisis: America’s Borders and the Path to 

Security’’ before the House Homeland Security Full Committee and Subcommittee on Border 

and Maritime Security Joint Hearing on America’s Borders, Panel 1, 07 February 2017. 

Forces within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), a Federal law enforcement agency, a regulatory body, a first responder, and a member of the U.S. Intelligence Community—the Coast Guard is uniquely positioned to help secure the border, combat transnational criminal organizations (TCO), and safeguard America’s 

economic prosperity. 

Indeed, the Coast Guard’s combination of broad authorities and complementary 

capabilities squarely align with the Administration’s priorities, and I am proud of 

the return on investment your Coast Guard delivers on an annual basis. 

I appreciate the unwavering support of this Subcommittee to address our most 

pressing needs. I will continue working with Secretary Kelly, the Administration, 

and this Congress to preserve momentum for our existing acquisition programs and 

employ risk-based decisions to balance readiness, modernization, and force structure 

with the evolving demands of the 21st century. 

Appropriately positioned in DHS, the Coast Guard is a military Service and a 

branch of the Armed Forces of the United States at all times.1 We are also an important part of the modern Joint Force,2 and a force multiplier for the Department 

of Defense (DoD). I am proud of our enduring defense contributions to Combatant 

Commanders around the globe. 

In addition to the six cutters operating as part of Patrol Forces Southwest Asia 

(PATFORSWA) since 2003, other defense operations include: 

• Port Security Units (PSUs) support Combatant Commanders with 24-hour protection of vessels, waterways, and port facilities. These specialized teams have 

deployed almost continuously to strategic ports in Kuwait and in Guantanamo 

Bay, Cuba, since 2002. 

• Deployable Specialized Forces Advanced Interdiction Teams support U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) vessel board, search, and seizure operations. 

• Aircrews perform rotary-wing air intercept operations in support of the North 

American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). Specially trained aviators 

intercept aircraft that enter restricted airspace in the National Capital Region 

and during National Security Special Events around the country. 

• Assets and personnel deploy worldwide in support of defense operations and 

fully participate in major international exercises. As the Coast Guard is similar 

in size, composition, and missions to most of the world’s navies, we are a frequent engagement partner of choice to support Combatant Commander goals. 

Like the other military Services, the Coast Guard supports all efforts to rebuild 

the Armed Forces. 

Secretary Kelly leads the Department’s efforts to secure our borders, and the Administration’s strategy ‘‘to deploy all lawful means to secure the Nation’s southern 

border . . .’’ 3 relies on the Coast Guard supporting a comprehensive security strategy. The Coast Guard protects the maritime border—not just here at home, but also 

off the coast of South and Central America. As Secretary Kelly has stated, ‘‘. . . the 

defense of the southwest border really starts about 1,500 miles south . . .’’ 4

We continue to face a significant threat from TCOs, and the Coast Guard is positioned to attack these criminal networks where they are most vulnerable, at sea. 

We leverage over 40 international maritime law enforcement bilateral agreements 

to enable partner nation interdictions and prosecutions, and employ a robust interdiction package to seize multi-ton loads of drugs at sea before they can be broken 

down into small quantities ashore. 

In close collaboration with partner Nations and agencies, the Coast Guard works 

to engage threats as far from U.S. shores as possible. In 2016, Coast Guard and 

partner agencies interdicted more cocaine at sea than was removed at the land border and across the entire nation by all federal, state and local law enforcement 

agencies—combined. A service record 201.3 metric tons of cocaine (7.1 percent of esVerDate Nov 24 2008 08:13 Sep 06, 2017 Jkt 075679 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6621 S:\GPO\DOCS\26595.TXT JACKIE
9 

5 [U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, Review of U.S. Coast 

Guard’s Fiscal Year 2016 Drug Control Performance Summary, OIG Report, OIG–17–33, February 1, 2017.] 

timated flow) 5 was removed from the western transit zone, 585 smugglers were detained, and 156 cases were referred for prosecution. 

Coast Guard readiness relies on the ability to simultaneously execute our full 

suite of missions and sustain support to Combatant Commanders, while also being 

ready to respond to contingencies. Your Coast Guard prides itself on being Semper 

Paratus—Always Ready, and predictable and sufficient funding is necessary to 

maintain this readiness in the future. Prudence also demands we continue investing 

in a modernized Coast Guard. Indeed, recapitalization remains my highest priority, 

and today’s activities will shape our Coast Guard and impact national security for 

decades. Your support has helped us make tremendous progress, and it is critical 

we build upon our successes to field assets that meet cost, performance, and schedule milestones. I am encouraged by our progress to date. 

In 2016, we awarded a contract to complete build out of our fleet of 58 Fast Response Cutters—at an affordable price—and the last four ships (numbers 19 

through 22) were delivered by Bollinger Shipyards with zero discrepancies. In September, we achieved a monumental goal with the award of a contract for Detail Design and Construction of the Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC). These cutters will eventually comprise 70 percent of Coast Guard surface presence in the offshore zone. 

OPCs will provide the tools to more effectively enforce Federal laws, secure our maritime borders by interdicting threats before they arrive on our shores, disrupt TCOs, 

and respond to 21st century threats. With the continued support of the Administration and Congress, we anticipate ordering long lead time material for the first OPC 

later this year, and plan for its delivery in 2021. 

We also generated momentum to build new polar icebreakers. In July of last year, 

we made a commitment to partner with the Navy to establish an Integrated Program Office to acquire new heavy icebreakers. This approach leverages the expertise 

of both organizations and is delivering results. The recent award of multiple Industry Studies contracts—a concept the Navy has utilized in previous shipbuilding acquisitions to drive affordability and reduce schedule and technical risk—is an example of the positive results of this partnership. We will continue refining the system 

specification and prepare to release a request for proposal for Detail Design and 

Construction in FY 2018. 

We are also making progress with unmanned aerial systems. A recent small Unmanned Aerial System (sUAS) proof of concept aboard a National Security Cutter 

(NSC) validated this capability and will enhance the effectiveness of these cutters. 

In its inaugural month underway, STRATTON’s sUAS flew 191 flight hours, providing real-time surveillance and detection imagery for the cutter, and assisting the 

embarked helicopter and law enforcement teams with the interdiction or disruption 

of four go-fast vessels carrying more than 5,000 pounds of contraband. In addition, 

we are exploring options to build a land-based UAS program that will improve domain awareness and increase the cued intelligence our surface assets rely upon to 

close illicit pathways in the maritime transit zone. While long-term requirements 

are being finalized, I can fully employ a squadron of six platforms outfitted with marine-capable sensors now and am moving out to field this much-needed capability. 

In addition to the focus on recapitalizing our surface and aviation fleets, we are 

also mindful of the condition of our shore infrastructure. Investments in shore infrastructure are also critical to modernizing the Coast Guard and equipping our workforce with the facilities they require to meet mission. 

America’s economic prosperity is reliant on the safe, secure, and efficient flow of cargo through the Maritime Transportation System (MTS), which sees $4.5 trillion 

of economic activity annually. The Nation’s maritime industry and the MTS face 

many challenges, including growing demands, a global industry-driven need to reduce shipping’s environmental footprint, and the ever-increasing complexity of systems and technology. 

Coast Guard marine safety programs employ our unique capabilities to ensure a 

safe, secure, and environmentally sound MTS. We do this by developing risk-based 

standards, training and employing a specialized workforce, and conducting investigations into accidents and violations of laws so standards can be improved. We are 

mindful of the need to facilitate commerce, not impede it, and remain committed 

to our prevention missions. 

While readiness and modernization investments will improve current mission performance, the right force is central to success. I am incredibly proud of our 88,000 

active duty, reserve, civil service, and auxiliary members. I am working aggressively 

to validate a transparent and repeatable model to identify the appropriate force 

10 

structure required for the Coast Guard to simultaneously respond to global, national, and regional events. 

Funding 21st century Coast Guard platforms and people is a smart investment, 

even in this challenging fiscal environment. Modern assets bring exceptional capability, but our greatest strength will always be our people. Coast Guard operations 

require a capable, proficient, and resilient workforce that draws upon the broad 

range of skills, talents, and experiences found in the American population. Together, 

modern platforms and a strong, resilient workforce will maximize the Coast Guard’s 

capacity to meet future challenges. 

History has proven that a responsive, capable, and agile Coast Guard is an indispensable instrument of national security. With the continued support of the Administration and Congress, the Coast Guard will continue to live up to our motto. We 

will be Semper Paratus—Always Ready. Thank you for the opportunity to testify before you today and for all you do for the men and women of the Coast Guard. I look 

forward to your questions. 

The CHAIRMAN. Great. Well, thank you, Admiral. And, again, 

thanks for your service, and please pass on our appreciation to all 

the men and women in the Coast Guard, who do such an exceptional job every day. 

I wanted to follow up on what you mentioned just in your testimony and also in your ‘‘State of the Coast Guard’’ address last 

week when you talked about the need to look at the budget of the 

Coast Guard to be no longer marked as discretionary non-defense. 

Can you explain a little bit more in detail on your ideas on how 

to focus this issue? You’re clearly one of the five services. You serve 

on the Joint Chiefs, isn’t that correct? 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. That is correct. 

The CHAIRMAN. And yet somehow, maybe because you’re not located over at the Pentagon, there seems to be an occasional disconnect. And I think it comes from the Congress, but I also think 

it comes from the Executive Branch. 

How can we better address the issue that you are a key member 

of the U.S. military that a number of us want to make sure we’re 

rebuilding all five services? 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. So it’s a binary approach. We have non-defense discretionary and defense discretionary. And our defense discretionary, that comprises 4 percent of the Coast Guard’s budget. 

The other 96 percent is non-defense discretionary. It would be helpful if I gave you an example. Today we have over 18 ships that are 

chopped to Southern Command. No Navy ships. That fleet down 

there are all Coast Guard ships, bought for and paid for by the 

Coast Guard with non-defense discretionary, manned with non-defense discretionary, operated and maintained with non-defense discretionary funding. 

The CHAIRMAN. And who has operational control over those? Is 

that the combatant commander of Southern Command? 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. Right now, they’re under the Tactical Command of Southern Command, doing detection and monitoring activities, which is considered a defense, or Title 10 authority. But 

as soon as it transitions to an interdiction law enforcement operation, these very same people, very same platforms, shift to doing 

Title 14, which is law enforcement authority. 

So we have our feet in both buckets in enforcing law and upholding sovereignty across the world. The Coast Guard is off the coast 

of six of seven continents right now, and we can do this interchangeably. But 96 percent of our budget finds itself in non-defense 

11 

discretionary when, in fact, we’re a very fungible service that on a 

daily basis works across these defense and non-defense authorities 

to carry out missions in support of our national security. 

The CHAIRMAN. So when the Trump administration talks about 

increasing spending for national defense in terms of our military 

and in terms of our homeland security, you would seem to be in 

your service occupying both fields. 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. And we would certainly like to be included. As 

we mention Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine, let’s not forget the 

Coast Guard as we talk about readiness concerns of our armed 

service because we are, in fact, an armed service first and foremost. 

The CHAIRMAN. I want to change topics, Admiral. The fishing industry is important to a number of the members in the Committee 

here. What do you see right now as the biggest challenges, whether 

in Alaska or off the coast of Mississippi or New Jersey with regard 

to our fishing fleet? Is it IUU issues? What are the biggest challenges that the Coast Guard is focused on right now? 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. I first look at this globally. And about 3 billion people today in the world, out of 7.2 billion people, reside on 

fish as their primary source of protein. If I look out 20 years from 

now, the world’s population is going to be closing in on $9 billion, 

and many of these fish stocks are already collapsing. 

Chairman, as you well know, we have a very sustainable fishery 

in Alaska up in the Bering Sea. We don’t know where fish are 

going to go, but we do know that ocean temperatures are warming, 

and fish are moving further and further north, and we have a moratorium up in the high latitudes that say you can’t fish up here, 

but we don’t have an enforcement mechanism. 

So as I look at global demands for fish and protein and distant 

water fishing fleets, we can’t just put paper on top of this and say, 

‘‘No fishing allowed.’’ It does require an enforcement regime. And 

we need to look at, how do we sustain fisheries where it works? 

And right now, the model that works the best with individual fishing quotas, our work with NOAA and the fishery councils, that is 

a model of success. 

We do have stressors elsewhere, particularly off the coast of New 

England. But I look at where the largest fish stocks are drawn 

from in this country, is in the state of Alaska and those waters adjacent thereto. 

The CHAIRMAN. Senator Peters. 

Senator PETERS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Again thank you, Admiral, for your presence here. Admiral, some 

of the cuts that are reportedly outlined in the OMB’s draft budget 

include the elimination of all 10 of the Coast Guard’s Maritime 

Safety and Security Teams, which, among many other missions, 

provide waterborne security for President Trump when he retreats 

to his Mar-a-Lago resort on most weekends. In addition, the cuts 

would eliminate our Maritime Security Response Teams, which I 

understand provide specialized maritime counterterrorism capability. Could you tell the Committee a little bit about what capabilities those units offer and what would happen if they were eliminated? 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. As you noted, Senator, we have two high-end 

teams, a Maritime Security Response Team, one on the East Coast, 

12 

one on the West Coast. These are bona fide counterterrorism teams 

that look at an ambiguous threat, but they can enter onto a ship 

suspected of carrying a weapon of mass destruction. 

We have over 10 bilateral agreements that allow us to board 

pretty much every flag state of convenience anywhere on the high 

seas, but if there is even reasonable suspicion that there is a vessel 

destined toward the United States carrying a chemical or radiological device, we don’t have to wait for it to pass under the Golden 

Gate Bridge, to use a metaphor, we meet them offensively offshore. 

In many cases, we will use Navy airlift to get our people out 

there to do the boarding, but we don’t know if it’s a real thing, 

which is why we approach it using law enforcement authority, Title 

14, but it can quickly escalate to Title 10. 

We don’t pull our people out. These are highly trained teams. 

They expend 40,000 rounds of precision fire a year. And so if we 

have a threat to the homeland, this is the team that you want on 

your side. So that’s what those two teams do. 

Our other, Maritime Safety and Security Teams, they’re the ones that secure our ports and infrastructure. And we talk about $4.5 

trillion worth of commerce; for a very modest offset, we would put 

all of that economic prosperity at risk. If you were to look at the 

outside of, ‘‘What is it that makes this economic engine run in the 

United States?’’ much of it happens through our ports and waterways, and these are the teams that secure that for our Nation. 

Senator PETERS. Well, they do a critically important job, and it 

reminds us of the fact that most of our borders are water, not land, 

and I know you are stretched very thin to provide that incredible 

protection. That really leads to my next question, it’s my sense that 

whenever we squeeze the middle of a balloon, as an example, air 

will rush to where it’s going to escape and move somewhere else. 

Similarly, I think you can use that analogy to look at criminal activity as it usually flows to the path of least resistance wherever 

we squeeze. And we have seen that when we have a strong land 

border, illegal efforts can shift to the maritime routes, and vice 

versa. 

The Coast Guard in 2016 broke your 2015 achievements by interdicting a record amount of 416,000 pounds of illegal drugs worth 

$4.5 billion. Congratulations to each and every one of you who 

made that happen. 

So my question is, if the Coast Guard budget is cut to fund a 

wall or another type of land border security system, where would 

we expect criminal activity to go? Would it flow into the maritime 

domain? And how would you be able to maintain your effectiveness 

in the face of potentially significant cuts? 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. If I look at a wall, I really look at a border 

as a system, and so a wall is a defensive aspect of border security. 

But when your authorities go into—right up to the shoreline of 

over 40 signatory countries that say, ‘‘Coast Guard, you can come 

in and enforce law in our sovereign waters before that threat 

threatens your country,’’ that’s a very offensive-driven strategy. So 

you have an offense and a defense. You need both aspects of this, 

a system, to have a coherent border security regime. So you need 

both. One complements the other, but you can’t have one without 

the other. 

13 

So I’m not the land border expert, but I am—I’ve been around 

the water for quite a while. And as I said in my opening statement, 

where this movement is most vulnerable is when it’s on the high 

seas. That’s where we have the upper hand. It’s a numbers game. 

We don’t have enough capacity. It’s ship numbers, surveillance in 

the air, all of that matters. But when those commodities—they’re 

landing in Central America. 

I met with President Herna ́ndez, as I said earlier, and we set up 

what we called a sea shield. We stopped ships from offloading cocaine off the Honduran rise, and within a year and a half, violent 

crimes went down 30 percent in Honduras. Honduras at that time 

was the number three drop-off point for cocaine. Today, it’s number 

7. 

As you said, you squeeze a balloon, and guess where the balloon 

squeezed out. Costa Rica is now the number three landing point, 

and we just met with their President. He said, ‘‘I don’t have a 

Navy, I have a very nascent Coast Guard, but we need more U.S. 

Coast Guard off our waters.’’ Because these are commodities that 

are being dropped in Central America, but they’re destined for the 

United States for consumption here. So we own a part of this as 

well as the number one consumer of just in cocaine alone. 

Senator PETERS. Thank you, Admiral. 

The CHAIRMAN. Senator Inhofe. 

STATEMENT OF HON. JIM INHOFE, 

U.S. SENATOR FROM OKLAHOMA 

Senator INHOFE. OK. First, thank you, Senator Wicker, for allowing me to move in ahead of you. You know, you’re aware of this, 

but some of the others might wonder why this would be the case, 

but I’ve spent a lot of time at the Academy up there. I’ve actually 

talked to two of their graduating classes, and there are some reasons for this. But we have what I consider to be a best kept secret 

in my state of Oklahoma, that even in the infinite wisdom of our 

Chairman Sullivan may not be aware of it, and that is, we in Oklahoma are navigable. Did you know that? 

The CHAIRMAN. No. 

Senator INHOFE. Yes, well, we are. And I’m very proud of this. 

In fact, my father-in-law had a lot to do with the building of what 

some people consider to be the greatest boondoggle of all time. But 

it was our boondoggle, you know. 

[Laughter.] 

Senator INHOFE. Anyway, we have the cutters that go back and 

forth, and they’re stationed up there. We have one that is 

Muskingum, is based in Sallisaw. Now, what these guys do is they 

go up and down the navigation way to make sure the buoys, that 

all the aids are in good shape, and it happens that the cutter that 

is in Oklahoma is—and I checked and I found out it’s the same 

problem in other areas—it’s 52 years old, you even made that in 

your opening statement, and built in 1965. 

Now, what kind of—you know, this is—are there problems that 

go with this? Because they’re old pieces of equipment. I’ve been on 

them. What’s out there that might be—that we might look at and— 

can you get parts for them? 

14 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. So we pretty much have done everything we 

can. We almost have to go to the Smithsonian to find parts. 

[Laughter.] 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. But we’ve had challenges with lead abatement, asbestos mitigation. When those ships were designed in 

1965, they were not designed for mixed gender crews, there are 

only a handful of ships in this fleet that can accommodate mixed 

gender crews. And so all of those complicate matters. 

We’ve worked with the Army Corps of Engineers to look at a 

common platform design to take all of the design work out of what 

it would take to recapitalize this fleet. And the dollar value is 

about $25 million a copy. 

Senator INHOFE. Yes. 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. So if you look at the value of that commerce, 

again, $4.5 trillion. This is the equivalent of our interstate highway 

system, and it has 35 maintenance vehicles to maintain the entire 

interstate highway. One tank barge takes 144 tank trucks off the 

highways, and one tow configuration, that equates to over 2,000 

trucks. And if you run that out, the numbers, you’re talking tens 

of millions of trucks carrying hazardous cargos are now taken off 

our highways and through our inner-city streets. So it’s absolutely 

critical to our Nation’s infrastructure and to our resiliency as well. 

Senator INHOFE. Yes. 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. A modest investment, but as you know, we 

have a couple that are over 70 years old still in operation today. 

It is a challenge for us. 

Senator INHOFE. Yes. Well, I know that’s true. And I meant to 

mention one other thing to you, and that is you have a reputation 

to be so accommodating to people. I’ve had occasion to be—I used 

to be a builder and developer in South Padre Island, Texas, and 

they pulled me off the rocks on two different occasions. And I had 

occasion to fly an airplane around the world a few years ago up in 

Alaska, I mean, they just stop everything they’re doing to accommodate you. 

Now, you do have the C–27Js. I actually did the amendment on 

the Armed Services Committee to make that transfer. I think there 

are 12 of them or so? 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. Fourteen. 

Senator INHOFE. Fourteen. And how are they? Are they working 

all right? Is that the kind of aircraft that can still perform? 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. Great platform. They have very few hours on 

them. We’ve taken delivery of 13 of 14. Our first air station out in 

Sacramento, California, will take delivery of their sixth. And so 

we’re missionizing these. 

What we did find out is as these were being built, there were not 

a large suite of vendors that had bought into the C–27J. So the 

spare parts allowance is a challenge for us right now. But as we 

build this program out, it’s the spare parts that we’re going to need 

to build out simulators and the like. But make no mistake, this 

was a half billion dollar cost savings, and, again, with the support 

of you and others to make this transaction possible, because we 

would be sorely challenged to find those monies with the other recapitalization needs we have. 

15 

Senator INHOFE. Well, that was only about 3 years ago, and it 

seemed to be a good fit when we did that. 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. This is an improvement over what was our 

prior program of record. I’ve flown in these airplanes, not around 

the world, but when I talk to the air crews, they are delighted with 

this airframe. 

Senator INHOFE. Yes. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you. 

Senator Cantwell. 

STATEMENT OF HON. MARIA CANTWELL, 

U.S. SENATOR FROM WASHINGTON 

Senator CANTWELL. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

And thank you, Admiral, for speaking so highly of the Alaska 

fishing fleet and the management practices. We appreciate that in 

the Northwest. 

If I could, I want to ask several questions and try to get through 

them. On the budget, is there support for a new icebreaker? 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. Senator, there is. And so—— 

Senator CANTWELL. Can you say at what level? 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. So it’s in the Navy shipbuilding budget, a $1 

billion mark that has been put in there. We’ve stood up an Integrated Program Office. We awarded industry studies 3 weeks ago. 

So—— 

Senator CANTWELL. So you’re saying in this new budget, there is support for the $1 billion that the Senate was able to push—— 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. Push $150 million of that out, so we can accelerate the timeline with industry studies, look at commercial offthe-shelf designs, and ideally award a contract to start cutting steel 

in the next year. 

Senator CANTWELL. OK. Offshore Patrol Cutters, are they in this 

budget proposal? 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. They are, and I am delighted to see that. 

Senator CANTWELL. OK. And can you tell us at what amount? 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. I don’t have the exact amounts. I can—— 

Senator CANTWELL. You know, I think my colleague from Michigan asked, first we saw the skinny budget with, I think, a 14 percent reduction, and then a new proposal, but we couldn’t really see 

the transparency of the Coast Guard. So as a lot of Coast Guard 

communities represented here and places where the Coast Guard 

is so critical, we just want to understand what’s in the budget proposal and what we have to fight extra hard for that’s not. 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. Yes. So when we looked at the initial passback, it did not touch the Offshore Patrol Cutter. So I’ll give you 

the exact funding figures that are in there for 2018, but we are still 

on trajectory to deliver the first of those 25 in 2021. 

Senator CANTWELL. OK. Canadians are upping by $200 million 

their oil response prevention because of the tar sand oil. You and 

I have had this exchange before. Is there additional funding in the 

Coast Guard budget for tar sands? 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. We have modest funding in our R&D budget, 

and this is one of my highest priorities, trying to remove bitumen, 

whether it’s in the Great Lakes, in the Straits of Juan de Fuca, but 

we’re also working within the Department of Homeland Security 

16 

and S&T to look at what other technologies are out there. We meet 

regularly with our Canadian counterparts. I’ll meet tomorrow with 

my counterpart from Russia in Boston, and what are they doing to 

mitigate an oil spill in the Arctic domain as well? So we need to 

be transparent in, what are the best technologies out there? 

Senator CANTWELL. So you did get new money? Is that what 

you’re saying? 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. No. We’re still flatlined in our R&D budget. 

Senator CANTWELL. So you need money. So we need money on 

this? 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. It would help. 

Senator CANTWELL. Thank you. On this TRICARE issue that you 

and I have had a chance to have an exchange about, and I was just 

out at Cape Disappointment meeting with fishermen in Ilwaco, and 

the Coast Guard was good enough to show up. I think the issue 

here is that still given this designation, we have Portland on one 

side, who basically gets to be seen as rural, not enough access, and 

gets a better designation than on the Washington side, obviously 

a very small community. The analysis is that really there is only 

one in seven nurse practitioners and one doctor available to see 

Coast Guard patients in under a one-month period of time. 

So I received a letter from you I think dated yesterday or today, 

and you’re still looking at this. So I want to understand what processes we need to go through to help the men and women in the 

Coast Guard in that region get access to timely health care. 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. Senator, again, I thank you. My wife and I 

have been to these very same remote areas, and this comes as no 

surprise to us. And with all the military serving in the state of 

Washington, thank you for looking out to our folks that often are 

overlooked. 

We’ll look at the designation, the proper designation. We have a 

clinic in Astoria. We’re meeting with the Defense Health Agency. 

Can we instate this as TRICARE Remote instead of TRICARE 

Prime? But what impact would that have with retirees, all the 

military retirees that live in these very same communities? So I 

want to be able to answer those questions. But we are not meeting 

the needs of our people today, and I understand that. 

We will meet with you and your staff I believe on the fourth of 

August. We’re still waiting to get more information back from the 

Defense Health Agency because they would be the ones that would 

ultimately designate that as an area for TRICARE Prime Remote. 

Senator CANTWELL. Well, we definitely will help take on that effort with them, but we want to know we have your support in that. 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. Yes, you do. 

Senator CANTWELL. OK. Thank you. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

And just, UAVs, if you’re going to include that in the icebreakers. 

Are they going to look at that capacity? 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. Right now we’re looking at that in our 

counterdrug. This is going to be crosscutting in everything that we 

do, in the high latitudes, with drug interdiction and the like, but 

we also need to look at land-based unmanned aerial systems as 

well. 

Senator CANTWELL. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

17 

The CHAIRMAN. Senator Wicker. 

STATEMENT OF HON. ROGER F. WICKER, 

U.S. SENATOR FROM MISSISSIPPI 

Senator WICKER. Thank you. 

Admiral, let’s talk about ballast water regulations and vessel incidental discharge regulations. In addition to the Federal standard 

already in place, 25 states have implemented their own regulations. What is the importance of having a uniform national standard for vessel owners and operators? And would a national uniform 

standard streamline enforcement efforts? 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. Thank you for that question, Senator. And 

uniform is absolutely the right approach to take. So if you have 

ship—you know, we held the bottom line on rendering invasive species nonviable. The International Maritime Organization was looking at a less stringent standard than the U.S. Coast Guard did. 

It’s taken us several years and working with independent labs, 

but we now have three certified systems that meet the threshold 

of rendering invasive species nonviable, which will be appealing to 

every state that—you know, the Saint Lawrence Seaway, as an example, as well, the state of New York. But it provides a uniform 

standard for all ports in the United States because, otherwise, it 

would be very difficult for us to engage in maritime trade. And if 

shippers can’t meet a uniform standard because a state applies a 

different one, they’ll go somewhere else, they’ll just go somewhere 

else. 

Senator WICKER. OK. Well, now, do explain for those of us who 

are not quite as familiar with this, nonviable. What do you mean 

by that? 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. Basically it means it kills the species, it cannot reproduce itself. The IMO standard does not render it—you 

know, a species, if discharged, has a potential to reproduce, and so 

think where we are with zebra mussels. 

Senator WICKER. OK. So the international standard would allow 

some of these species to slip through, but the standard that you enforce does not allow these invasive species—— 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. That’s correct. 

Senator WICKER.—to slip through, and that’s because they’re 

nonviable. 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. Right. 

Senator WICKER. OK. Well, there are some people who don’t 

seem to understand that the Coast Guard has jurisdiction and expertise in this area. Some critics claim the agency has little water 

pollution enforcement expertise, and, instead, mainly deals with 

homeland security issues. I understand one of the Coast Guard’s 11 

statutory missions is marine environmental protection. How long 

has the Coast Guard performed this mission? 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. Since the mid-1800s, Senator. 

Senator WICKER. And is there any other agency than the Coast 

Guard who enforces vessel discharge in the United States? 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. At sea, it is only the Coast Guard. 

Senator WICKER. OK. So what do you have to do—what is the 

problem when a state has a different standard, as some states do? 

18 

How does that present a problem for you making all of these species nonviable? 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. Well, I think we really—it is an issue of educating and collaborating. It can get technically complex, but to explain the standard that we have applied that would meet the 

thresholds that they have set. Now, there may be some states that 

have set thresholds that, quite honestly, science cannot attain 

today or maybe even into the distant future, and if they uphold 

that standard, then what it does do is it may shut off those ports 

to shipping, which is probably counterproductive to the threshold 

they’re trying to set, but this does meet the intent of what concerns 

these states the most, is to assure that we do not have invasive 

species entering our waterways. 

Senator WICKER. Well, we don’t want that, and so thank you for 

what you’re doing. Let me just briefly ask you about icebreakers. 

This is an issue that is vitally important to us in the Gulf Coast 

area. I understand the POLAR STAR is the only heavy icebreaker, 

and actually we do build ships around and about in the Gulf Coast. 

But what—if there’s a gap, if this 

OLAR STAR, the only one we have, it goes offline, and there’s 

a gap, what are the problems there? And don’t other agencies try 

to avoid having that sort of situation? 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. Absolutely. If there is a gap with a heavy icebreaker, there are no other heavy icebreakers. In fact, there are 

few, if any, heavy icebreakers that are available for lease on the 

worldwide market today. Clearly, Russia is off the table. And so 

these are national assets in the true sense. 

So as far as the way ahead, we are doing everything we can to 

sustain POLAR STAR until we recapitalize the next heavy icebreaker. But we’re going to be right behind it. As soon as they start 

cutting steel on the first replacement, we better start cutting steel 

on the second one as well so we don’t end up with a one-trick pony, 

if you will, a single point of failure with only one heavy icebreaker. 

Senator WICKER. So you don’t think there will be a gap, but it’s 

something you can’t guarantee to this Committee today? 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. We cannot guarantee that. 

Senator WICKER. Thank you. 

The CHAIRMAN. Senator Hassan. 

STATEMENT OF HON. MAGGIE HASSAN, 

U.S. SENATOR FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE 

Senator HASSAN. Well, thank you, Chairman Sullivan and Ranking Member Peters, and thank you for allowing me to participate 

in this Subcommittee today. 

And thank you, Admiral, for being with us today. I am a very 

proud Granite Stater who has had the privilege of visiting the station in New Castle, and the men and women of the Coast Guard 

do a great job there. 

In your testimony, you talk about the important role that the 

Coast Guard plays in drug interdiction efforts, and I think a lot of 

my constituents would be surprised and concerned about the fact 

that the resources you have are limited and you haven’t been able 

to go after everything that you might know is there. 

19 

You also note that the Coast Guard and partner agencies interdicted more cocaine at sea than was removed at the land border 

and across the entire Nation by all Federal, State, and local law 

enforcement agencies combined. 

As you know, New Hampshire, like much of the country, is currently in the midst of a really truly devastating substance misuse 

epidemic. And in addition to prevention, treatment, and recovery 

efforts on the demand side of the crisis, we need to be doing everything we can to stop the drugs from coming into the country in the 

first place, the very work that you and the men and women of the 

Coast Guard are doing. 

Right now, a lot of heroin and fentanyl, that is at the heart of 

the current epidemic in New Hampshire, is coming across the 

southern border. But that’s not the only place drugs are coming 

from. They’re also coming from the northern border, in the mail, 

and, of course, as you have pointed out, by sea. 

I expressed last week in a Homeland Security and Government 

Affairs Committee hearing that I’m concerned about the creative 

nature of these drug cartels, and I’m concerned that if you build 

a wall along the southern border, while making major cuts to the 

Coast Guard, you’re just incentivizing cartels to smuggle in more 

drugs in other ways, including across our maritime borders. 

So do you share my concern that drug cartels could expand their 

maritime operations if we’re building a wall along the southern 

border at the same time we’re slashing funds to the Coast Guard? 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. I do share that concern. 

Senator HASSAN. Thank you. The other thing I wanted to ask you 

to do was just expand a little bit more on the counterterrorism role 

that the Coast Guard plays, and particularly how you go about 

measuring its effectiveness, everything from where you’re stationed 

right now and how we measure the Coast Guard’s role and effectiveness in counterterrorism. 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. Certainly. On the counterterrorism front, 

we’ve been a member of the national intelligence community dating 

back to 2001, and so we are embedded at every three-level agency 

to look at what threats may be posed against the U.S. 

In terms of modes of transportation, there’s a large fixation on 

the aviation mode, but if you harden the defenses in terms of being 

able to use an airplane, then you have the maritime shipping aspect. 

Senator HASSAN. Yes. 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. When you look at the millions of containers 

that arrive in our ports every year—so we work with Customs and 

Border Protection, the U.S. Coast Guard. We visit over 160 countries a year, ports with whom we do trade, to assure that they’re 

complying with the International Port Security Standards. If they 

don’t, they’re demarshed. As soon as they’re demarshed, ships will 

not trade in those ports because they know when they come to the 

United States, they’re going to be delayed because we’re going to 

do a very lengthy boarding to assure that that is a safe movement. 

If we have an indication warning that there may be something 

suspicious in one of those containers, before we created these 

counterterrorism teams, about all we could do was wait for that to 

enter port. We had a ship in New York called the Palermo Senator, 

20 

and it gave off a radiological signature, but it is right now sitting 

in metropolitan New York, and it could have had a dirty bomb on 

it. This team would allow us to meet this ship way before it arrived, passed under the Verrazano Bridge, stopped the ship in 

place, determine what’s onboard before that ship would even enter 

into U.S. waters, and that’s what these teams do. 

Senator HASSAN. Thank you very much. 

And thank you, Mr. Chair. 

The CHAIRMAN. Senator Schatz. 

STATEMENT OF HON. BRIAN SCHATZ, 

U.S. SENATOR FROM HAWAII 

Senator SCHATZ. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Thank you, Admiral, for your great work. Thank you for everything you do in Hawaii. I want to talk to you about District 14. 

And the question I have, there has been a lot of talk about interdiction, and I want to ask you a question at the sort of policy level 

and at the level at which you, as the Commandant, prioritize the 

utilization of resources. 

But to make it more specific, we have a couple of 378-foot cutters, we have four C–130s on the island of Oahu, and one might 

assume that they get moved into the Western Pacific to deal with 

issues in the South China Sea, to deal with fisheries management 

issues, to deal with contingencies related to the PACOM AOR, but, 

as you know, in fact, they’re more often deployed to South and Central America for drug interdiction. 

And so my basic question is you have 11 statutory missions, how 

do you come to the conclusion, both as a technical matter, and then 

what is your judgment, and how do you reevaluate that over time 

about whether or not that’s the best use of these resources? 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. Great question, Senator. And so we look at, 

in intelligence-driving operations, and—but it’s also intelligence-informed risk management. And so when we looked at, what are the 

incursion rates in our remote EEZs, you know, distant waters from 

the state of Hawaii? And we’re seeing incursions of maybe 1 or 2 

percent, rare events, and at great expense, we would patrol those 

waters, but, quite honestly, it has been years since we have actually encountered a vessel attempting to enter our Economic Exclusive Zone and plunder fish that are rightfully the U.S. 

Now, today, we’re using Navy assets to patrol these distant waters with Coast Guard law enforcement teams. So when Navy ships 

were taken out of service that were otherwise patrolling for 

counterdrugs, they’re not there anymore. So working with Pacific 

Fleet and the Third Fleet, every quarter they provide usually it’s 

a DDG with a Coast Guard boarding team on it patrolling those 

waters. 

Senator SCHATZ. Sort of on their way back. I guess my question 

is it still seems to me that we could use a couple of cutters in the 

Pacific, not just because we can always use more vessels forward 

in the region, but also because of the specific Title 14 authority, 

and to the degree and extent that we’re enforcing the law and trying to avoid some kind of kinetic situation in Scarborough or elsewhere in the South China Sea, that the Coast Guard assets could 

be put to good use. 

21 

And my concern, to be precise here, is that the Coast Guard has 

gotten so good at the interdiction over so long a period of time— 

and congratulations on all of your success—that it seems to me 

that you continue to do what you do at this incredibly high rate 

of success, and yet it may not be what we need you to do in the 

AOR over a long period of time. 

I’m not suggesting you immediately change everything. I guess 

what I’m trying to get at is, how do you reevaluate this over time 

to determine that it’s still in our national interest to send these 

cutters and these C–130s to South and Central America and not 

where I think most of us think many of our maritime challenges 

remain? 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. So working with my DoD counterparts, and I 

put a proposal on the table of providing a one-ship presence, you 

know, 365 days out of the year in the East and South China Sea, 

depending on what our approach is as we look at contested claims, 

extraterritorial claims, in the East and South China Sea. At the 

same time, we have a tremendous Coast Guard bilateral relationship with our counterparts in the Philippines, with our counterparts in Vietnam, and with our counterparts in Indonesia, three 

key ASEAN nations that want to work with the Coast Guard. 

Senator SCHATZ. Right. But their Coast Guard is not anywhere— 

especially I’m thinking of the Philippines, and I’m happy about 

EDCA, and it seems to be actually continuing despite the rhetoric 

of the President there and all the rest of it, but it’s not a Coast 

Guard in the sense that American citizens think of a Coast Guard. 

They don’t have the capability that we have. 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. No. The Philippine Navy does, since they 

have three of our former 378-foot HAMILTON-class cutters. Vietnam is taking delivery of one probably within the next 6 to 8 

months. So they’re expanding on their capability. But I always look 

at the risk of a miscalculation, and that risk goes down considerably if it’s a Coast Guard-Coast Guard encounter because right now 

if our Navy is operating in those waters, their first encounter is 

going to be a challenge by the China Coast Guard, not the PLA 

Navy, but the China Coast Guard. So might there be logic in rather 

having two coast guards encounter one another at sea? 

I have an open dialogue with my Chinese counterpart. In fact, 

they’re trying to determine, ‘‘How do we get to be like the United 

States Coast Guard?’’ They merged four out of five services to form 

a coast guard. They are nowhere near where we are today in the 

United States Coast Guard. 

Senator SCHATZ. They could start by observing the rule of law. 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. That would help. 

Senator SCHATZ. Thank you very much. 

The CHAIRMAN. Senator Nelson. 

STATEMENT OF HON. BILL NELSON, 

U.S. SENATOR FROM FLORIDA 

Senator NELSON. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Admiral, it’s great to see you. I am such a fan of the Coast 

Guard, and, fortunately, I’ve had the privilege of traveling all the 

way to Alaska and seeing in Senator Sullivan’s state the enormous 

job that the Coast Guard does, basically it does the job for the 

22 

Navy. That leaves the Navy to go elsewhere. In addition, you do 

all of your protection of the fishing fleet up there, and so forth. I’ve 

been to the Great Lakes with the Senator from Michigan, and it’s 

just amazing what you do up there. 

I’ve seen your operations in the Caribbean and the Southern Pacific as you’re going after drugs and you’re going after migrants. 

And I often find that the United States Navy and the Coast Guard 

are working just like that so that the Navy may help you locate, 

and once you locate, you have the law enforcement authority to go 

and stop the ship. 

I’ve flown in your helicopters, showing how you shoot out the engines of a go-fast and I’ve gone with you in a go-fast after we go 

after another go-fast, and I’m just—I can’t say enough good things. 

Then all of a sudden, a few weeks ago we suddenly hear in a budget coming out of the White House, in order to pay for a $54 

billion wall, that they’re going to take and rob the maritime wall, 

the wall on the sea, which you provide, with a 14 percent cut. And 

we said this just can’t be. They’re going to take out more than a 

million dollars out of the Coast Guard. So about that time, these 

two Senators led a letter, and this Senator went to the floor and 

gave a speech about it. 

Now, we don’t know if that really did any good, but when the 

skinny budget actually came out, it was silent as to the Coast 

Guard. However, the rumblings were that there were still going to 

be cuts coming out of the Coast Guard. So we’ve got to be very, 

very protective going forward because of the critical mission that 

you play not only here in the United States, but where you are supporting the military elsewhere in the world. 

Now, fortunately, also, as the Senator from Mississippi just reminded me before he left, and these two Senators reminded me, we 

have the last say because the President proposes and the Congress 

disposes. 

But I want to get on the record, what, Admiral, would a 14 percent cut mean to the Coast Guard and its ability to secure the 

homeland and protect life and property? 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. Well, when we looked at that proposal, and 

then there were some specifics within that, there were some areas 

we just could not cut. If you take a counterterrorism team, it has 

taken us 6 years to generate this high-end team. These are trained 

to Navy SEAL tactics, techniques, and procedures. These are only 

the best of the best, and we give them the absolute best equipment, 

and, in fact, much of what they do is in support of defense operations to begin with, but it was all funded with non-defense discretionary. 

They’re cutting steel on a ninth National Security Cutter. Long 

lead time materials have been awarded. The contract has been let, 

and they are literally cutting steel as we speak. I can’t recoup 

money from that either. 

So when you look at if you have to recoup from these specific 

items, now you have to look elsewhere, and the only other place 

you can look at, what variable costs do I have? And those are operating expenses. If you start cutting operating expenses, our ability 

to protect mariners in distress, our ability to secure our maritime 

borders, when Central America is besieged by the flow of drugs, 

23 

which spawns violent crime, which spawns migration and a movement to our Southwest border, those are all the things that we 

have to look at cutting. We’re not up in the Arctic anymore. And 

very, very painful, but unfortunately necessary decisions that we 

would have to make, and, again, all of this being pre-decisional. 

Senator NELSON. And what I learned with Senator Peters is you 

perform a unique service because so many people in the frozen 

Great Lakes, they get out there, and they’re ice fishing, and all of 

a sudden they’ve fallen in. And who goes and rescues them? A 

Coastie goes out there and risks his life and pulls him out of that 

water of which they’re about to have hypothermia. 

Tell me this, with regard to Florida, where 40 percent of the 

Coast Guard activity is in and around the Caribbean and all the 

activities down there in JIATF, as you try to track and go get the 

bad guys, whether it’s drugs or whether it’s people or whether it’s 

potentially terrorists trying to come in, and with all the cargo and 

passenger vessels in all of the ports of Florida—take, for example, 

Jacksonville—Florida’s economy is at stake if you get cut. 

So can you work with us, Admiral, as we try to keep this budget? 

Is that something that you can state here? 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. I can state that unequivocally. I can also state 

your letters, your voice, the voice of my boss, my service secretary, 

you know, my relationship with the administration really begins 

and ends with Secretary Kelly. The advocacy that we have had for 

the United States Coast Guard in a pre-decisional matter, I have 

never in my 40 years of service have seen the unanimous support 

for our service. And voices do matter. And I am thankful. And I am 

sleeping well, Senator, that we will navigate our way through this 

as we look at the final budget when that rolls out in May. 

Senator NELSON. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

[The prepared statement of Senator Nelson follows:] 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF HON. BILL NELSON, U.S. SENATOR FROM FLORIDA

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I want to take this opportunity to congratulate 

you and Senator Peters on your new roles as the Chairman and Ranking Member 

of this Subcommittee. 

I also want to welcome the Commandant of the Coast Guard. Admiral, thank you 

for joining us. 

We need look no further than the daily newspaper or the nightly newscast to see 

what an important role the Coast Guard plays in securing our maritime borders and 

protecting the safety of life and property at sea and on the Great Lakes. 

Just last week, the media reported that the Coast Guard Cutter Spencer returned 

home after seizing an estimated three thousand pounds of cocaine worth more than 

$92 million during a patrol in the Eastern Pacific. 

On Sunday, the Coast Guard Cutter Sockeye rescued 25 people from a charter 

fishing boat off of California, after the boat struck a submerged object and started 

sinking. 

These news stories show how vital the Coast Guard is to this country. Yet we also 

have the administration weighing cuts to the Coast Guard. This Senator is concerned. 

It’s one thing to propose securing our borders and increasing military spending 

by $54 billion, but it’s another thing entirely to even consider slashing up to $1.3 

billion—roughly 14 percent—to the very military service that secures our vast maritime borders. 

Now, some have concluded from a DHS press release that the FY18 budget sustains current Coast Guard funding levels, that the Coast Guard is out of the woods 

and safe. 

But if that’s the case, then why is the Administration’s budget completely silent 

with respect to the Coast Guard. 

24 

The reality is when DHS talks about sustaining ‘‘current funding levels,’’ we have 

no idea whether they mean the funding levels Congress has enacted to pay for a 

ninth national security cutter and reequip the Coast Guard’s 14 new maritime patrol aircraft, or whether they mean the funding levels that OMB typically pushes 

for in the formal budget request each year, which have not been adequate for Coast 

Guard acquisitions and operations. 

Admiral, the bottom line is if the priority is to secure our borders and increase 

military spending, then we should not be slashing their budget. 

Fortunately, we here in Congress will have the final say when it comes to funding 

the Coast Guard. With that said, it’s my hope that we’ll learn more about the Coast 

Guard’s actual needs today because I think a thorough assessment will make the 

case for increased funding. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I look forward to hearing the admiral’s testimony. 

The CHAIRMAN. Senator Cruz. 

STATEMENT OF HON. TED CRUZ, 

U.S. SENATOR FROM TEXAS 

Senator CRUZ. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Admiral, thank you for being here. Thank you for your service. 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. Thank you, Senator. 

Senator CRUZ. I want to bring to your attention an issue that’s 

important to my home state of Texas, which is the Presidio International Rail Bridge connecting Texas and Mexico burned to the 

ground on February 29, 2008. The Texas Department of Transportation has developed plans for the reconstruction of the bridge and 

have been working with the Army Corps of Engineers on the 

project. 

However, my understanding is that the process has been delayed 

because the Coast Guard has asserted that the bridge is over a 

navigable body of water. And it’s worth noting that the bridge is 

712 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. And as you can see from the 

poster, the land is dry and would be unnavigable to any vessels. 

And I would like to ask if you would commit to working with my 

office to expediting the reconstruction of this bridge, which has significant impact on the state of Texas? 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. Senator, you have my word, and from that 

picture, I do not see a navigable waterway. And perhaps that term 

is used a little bit too liberally, and especially if it inhibits the reconstruction of this critical node. 

Senator CRUZ. Well, I appreciate your commitment to work with 

us on that, and I look forward to our working together to address 

this. 

Let me shift to a different issue, which is, as you’re aware, our 

Nation’s GPS system is used by a number of our critical infrastructure and key resource sectors. In 2014, the Department of Homeland Security publicly recognized that of the Nation’s 16 critical infrastructure sectors, 15 of them use GPS. And should GPS be disrupted or even flicker for a few hours, the U.S. could potentially 

see widespread failure of cellular and telecommunications networks, disruption or failure of the power grid, breakdown of our financial system, or even potential failures in our air traffic control 

system, and first responder network failures. 

Do you have any concerns regarding the vulnerabilities of GPS? 

And do you see the need for a backup system? 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. Senator, we had this concern back in 2008, 

2009, when authorization language shut down our LORAN staVerDate Nov 24 2008 08:13 Sep 06, 2017 Jkt 075679 PO 00000 Frm 00028 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6601 S:\GPO\DOCS\26595.TXT JACKIE
25 

tions. A low-frequency wave, if you will, which is very difficult to 

hack, by the way, but those signals were taken off the air, some 

of those towers, but not all of those, were dismantled, and the program was shut down. And it wasn’t just for navigation, but, more 

importantly, for precision timing for financial transactions. 

So that is the state of our infrastructure, if you will, critical infrastructure, in the IT world, that we are solely dependent on GPS. 

And so there does need to be a serious dialogue about reconstituting something other than GPS, and certainly we look at 

eLORAN as a solution set to that. 

Senator CRUZ. What do you see as the most viable path for going 

forward and developing a fully operable backup system using 

eLORAN or otherwise? And would a public-private partnership be 

one of the options that you think might make sense? 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. Senator, I think that’s certainly a very viable 

solution. This was really a cross-cutting. It cuts across transportation, it cuts across commerce, and so there are other key stakeholders in this as well. But we’ve been having these discussions 

now since those LORAN stations were taken off the air, and now 

we’re nearly 10 years since that time. 

The time to move forward is really now on this. We would certainly welcome an interagency approach, but, more importantly, a 

solution to this problem set. 

Senator CRUZ. Well, very good. Thank you, sir. And thank you 

for your leadership. 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. Thank you, sir. 

The CHAIRMAN. Senator Peters. 

Senator PETERS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Admiral, I’m going to return back to the Great Lakes, and I just 

want to talk to you about a couple specific issues that are important to us in our region. As we’ve previously discussed, the Great 

Lakes have seen some record levels of ice cover in recent winters, 

although this last winter was fairly mild. But from 2013 to 2015 

we had nearly complete coverage, which limited U.S.-flag cargo 

movements in the Great Lakes, and it’s estimated it resulted in 

about $1 billion in lost business revenue for steelmakers, power 

plants, and other businesses because of that intense ice. 

The Coast Guard operates an aging Great Lakes fleet that includes only nine icebreaking-capable cutters, some of which were 

commissioned back in the 1970s, as you know. And while the Coast 

Guard took a very positive step in combating ice by launching the 

Mackinaw, I still remain concerned that the Coast Guard doesn’t 

have adequate capacity to meet the icebreaking mission in the 

Great Lakes when we have these kinds of severe winters that we 

have seen recently, which is why I worked to include language in 

the 2016 Coast Guard authorization that authorized the design and 

construction of a new Coast Guard icebreaker. 

I was pleased that the Senate Appropriations Committee met my 

request to include $2 million for early stage acquisition of a new 

Great Lakes icebreaker in the Fiscal Year 2017 Department of 

Homeland Security bill, and I’m going to continue to work with my 

colleagues to keep pushing that forward. 

But I would like you to comment for the record, Admiral, just 

how important is your statutory mission to keep the Great Lakes 

26 

channels and harbors open to navigation to meet the demands of 

commerce particularly during some of these severe winters? 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. We’ve made headway these last 2 years in 

being able to extend the service life of those 140-foot icebreakers, 

and we’re able to actually get ahead of ourselves because we had 

light ice years in 2015 and now in 2016. So we bought back some 

time without having push these resources too hard. 

We’ve also tiered the areas that absolutely require icebreaking 

service that are critical to commerce, and so by using that, we can 

better leverage the capability that we have. And then we have a 

bilateral agreement, a memorandum of understanding, with our 

Canadian counterparts if we have extreme icing conditions. What 

is not known is, what does the future foretell? We had two, as you 

very well know, back-to-back very severe ice seasons. In fact, the 

one we had in 2014, we were pretty much—you know, everything 

we had was barely enough to keep the pace. 

I don’t know what those weather patterns are going to be, but 

certainly what’s happening in the high latitudes contributes to 

what happens in the middle latitudes, and as those waters are 

warming like we have never seen before, it does allow that jet 

stream to migrate south and literally flash-freeze the Great Lakes. 

And so we need to be mindful of that as we look into the future. 

Senator PETERS. Can we meet mission requirements today? 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. Yes. Those 140-foot icebreakers, this is probably the last service life extension we can do on those. So we 

bought ourselves some time, maybe 5 or 6 years at best. But we’re 

going to have to look at a major recapitalization for this fleet. And 

we cannot assume away that winters that we had like this year 

and the last are going to be the trend for the future as well. 

Senator PETERS. I appreciate your comments that we may see 

more heavy ice as a result of the changing jet stream. I’ve had conversations with our friends at NOAA, who also believe that some 

of their modeling suggests that that is indeed the case. It’s still too 

early to know, but if we’re not putting steel together now, as you 

mentioned in response to some of my other colleagues, we could get 

behind the curve, which would have a devastating economic impact, not just to the Great Lakes region, but the whole country, 

which depends on steel and ore coming through the lakes, as you’re 

well aware. 

The one last issue that I just want to touch on that’s something 

that you and I have spoken about at length as well, is the additional mission of the U.S. Coast Guard for oil response and pollution cleanup. I am particularly concerned about an aging pipeline 

that we have in the Straits of Mackinac, 60-plus years carrying oil, 

in what the University of Michigan study recently stated as the absolute worst place for an oil spill anywhere in the Great Lakes. The 

currents are incredibly strong and the volume of water that goes 

through the Straits of Mackinac are significant. In fact, they are 

equal to 10 times that of Niagara Falls. So having an oil break in 

that pipeline would be devastating for water supply for 40 million 

people, not to mention Mackinac Island, our number one tourist attraction, is right there at Mackinac as well. 

But I’m concerned about freshwater throughout the Great Lakes 

region. We had a very damaging oil spill in Kalamazoo, which was 

27 

over $1 billion worth of cleanup costs and freshwater, and the fact 

that we don’t have a really good idea how to clean up freshwater 

versus saltwater. 

In the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2015, we were able to 

put in language to assess oil spill response and cleanup activities 

in the Great Lakes. The full report is not due till 2018, but would 

you care to comment as to the work that’s being done there, and 

perhaps some of the concerns that you have in our ability to clean 

up oil in freshwater, particularly in places that can be challenging, 

like the Straits of Mackinac during good weather, and nearly impossible when you have thick ice? 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. Yes. The biggest challenge we face right now, 

and it’s not unique to freshwater, is products like tar sands and bitumen, dilbit. These are products that have the same specific gravity or less than water, which means it sinks. And now this product, 

it sinks, it gets pulled into a water intake, or you shut down a 

water intake that now is the water source, as you mentioned, 40 

million people. 

I cannot state with any degree of reliability that we have the 

technology right now to be able to recover that and mitigate that 

before it would truly cause downstream and environmental harm. 

And that is our highest priority right now when we look at oil spill 

technology and removal technology as well. But this product in particular poses a very unique risk compared to the products that 

we’ve dealt with in the past. 

Senator PETERS. Well, I know that you engage in research now, 

and facilities on the East Coast, and I also believe that you are in 

Michigan in the winter months, and others, drilling. It’s certainly 

my hope that we can continue to work together and perhaps look 

at how we can marshal resources in public-private partnerships as 

well as involving the academic community to do more research on 

oil spill cleanup in the freshwater setting because, unfortunately, 

we’re likely to be confronted with these incidents, and they may increase with time. I hope that we will be active participants with 

you and perhaps even creating a research institute of some sort 

that would be able to give us more information. I believe you would 

be supportive of that effort if we find a way to get the resources 

and build the kinds of partnerships necessary? 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. I would absolutely support that, Senator. 

Senator PETERS. Thank you, Admiral. I appreciate it. 

The CHAIRMAN. Admiral, let me—I’m going to end the hearing 

with a few additional questions. I wanted to—as you and I have 

discussed previously, there have been some concerns in the Alaska 

fishing fleet about the Alternative Safety Compliance Program. 

And I just want to get your continued commitment to work with 

me and my office and the members of our fishing community on 

that. As you know, that’s been a troubling kind of an overhang for 

a number of owners of our vessels, and the Coast Guard has—it 

has been slow to kind of get some of the regs out. We took up some 

legislation this last Congress to kind of push that out further. But 

can I get your commitment on continuing to work with that? That 

is something that I want to make sure—we all want safety, but at 

the same time, a number of my constituents have had concerns 

28 

with that. And we’ve had good cooperation with you. I just want 

to continue that. 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. Senator, yes, and this really begins with 

stakeholder engagement—— 

The CHAIRMAN. Yes. 

Admiral ZUKUNFT.—and whether it’s alternative planning criteria, as you have mentioned. Another issue that we had talked 

about before, were guys operating in remote regions. We just recently, again listening to your constituents, consolidated all of the 

nine regions into one, so you don’t need familiarization in nine different regions to hold a charter license. So, again, all of that done 

through stakeholder engagement, and we will do the same with alternative planning criteria as well. 

The CHAIRMAN. Great. I want to go back to the Arctic. I think 

you’re seeing a theme here on the icebreakers, and the need, 

whether in the Great Lakes, whether in the Arctic. There has been 

a lot of interest—I also serve on the Armed Services Committee— 

a lot of interest with regard to our strategy there. Have you read 

the recent Department of Defense strategy that was produced just 

a couple months ago, updated Arctic strategy? 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. Senator, I have, and I just read, which was 

released today, from the Council on Foreign Relations, the work of 

the Arctic Task Force. And so I really find a lot—you know, nearterm relevancy in the work created by the Arctic Task Force. But 

I have read both of these documents. 

The CHAIRMAN. So I asked this in an Armed Services hearing recently. One of the elements of that new strategy is to conduct— 

kind of to look at our strategic interests in the Arctic, be it resource 

development, be it fisheries, be it protecting the environment, be it 

increased vessel traffic, all of which is happening. Talking about 

the ability to conduct FONOPS, do you think we have the ability 

to conduct Freedom of Navigation Operations in a way commensurate, say, with the Russians if they were trying to shut down the 

shipping lanes in that part of the world? 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. We have a good model to begin with, with 

Canada. They make the same claim with the Northwest Passage, 

our key ally, Canada. Might we be able to approach this rather 

than forcing Freedom of Navigation, but maybe multilaterally or 

bilaterally, that would provide United States access through these 

waters? 

We might want to look at a different model, but my biggest concern right now is the 386,000 square miles that the Coast Guard 

has mapped, our extended continental shelf, half of the 30 percent 

of the world’s natural gas, half of the 13 percent of the unexploited 

oil that we hear about is in the Arctic is actually in our EEZ and 

in our extended continental shelf, 50 percent of those reserves. 

But right now, we have not ratified the Law of the Sea Convention. We do not have a mechanism, if you will, where we can lay 

claim to what is clearly our extended continental shelf at a point 

in time where Russia is now declaring a good portion of the Arctic 

Ocean all the way up to the North Pole. So if we are not up there 

operating, if we are not up there looking out for our sovereign interests, which means we are thereby standing on the sidelines. 

29 

But those are two of my immediate concerns. But I would like 

to at least approach Freedom of Navigation diplomatically first and 

not as a show of force initially. 

The CHAIRMAN. Yes. OK. But it does mention in the new DoD 

strategy to be ready to have the capacity to conduct those if need 

be. 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. Yes, sir. 

The CHAIRMAN. My concern, particularly given what you just 

mentioned about the icebreakers and essentially only having one, 

is that we don’t have that capacity. I think it’s very clear that we 

don’t have that capacity, so that’s going to be a focus of mine to 

make sure that we’re working to enable us to be able to do that. 

Another thing that came out of the NDAA recently was—just 

this last NDAA—was the requirement both from the Secretary of 

Defense in conjunction with the Secretary of Homeland Security for 

the designation of what’s called a strategic Arctic port, and that is 

something that we certainly want the Coast Guard to be part of, 

but if you can look at that, the deadline for that report for the initial designation, is June 21, 2017. That’s just 3 months away. 

So I wanted to highlight that for you, and I know that that’s 

something we’re going to be following very closely both from this 

committee’s perspective and jurisdiction and also from the Armed 

Services jurisdiction. Can I get your commitment to work with the 

Secretary both of Defense and Homeland Security on that legal requirement from the last NDAA? 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. Senator, we are. In fact, we’re already working, that’s been delegated down to Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. 

Coast Guard, and you’re very familiar with the draft work—— 

The CHAIRMAN. Yes. 

Admiral ZUKUNFT.—that the Army Corps has completed. We’re 

very familiar with that as well. I am confident we’ll be able to 

make this deadline. 

The CHAIRMAN. Great. Thank you. Just following up on Senator 

Schatz’s comment when he said just relooking at mission orientation, given our assets. Given the lack of icebreakers that we have, 

and the need, whether it’s up off the coast of Alaska or in the Great 

Lakes near Michigan, does it make sense to have a Coast Guard, 

a heavy icebreaker, go down to Antarctica every year? 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. We have strategic interest in the Arctic. We’re 

part of that treaty. I don’t know what China’s intentions are long 

term in Antarctica. There is a provision to do no exploitation work, 

but what is that going to look like 20, 30 years from now. But if 

we are not a player down there, then we are an observer. And this 

is not the point in time, I think, it’s in our best interest to be distant virtual observers and not key participants in upholding the 

treaty in Antarctica. 

The CHAIRMAN. Let me just conclude my questioning and the 

hearing with the poster board here that I began with, and you 

mentioned it. This is actually from a Coast Guard slide. Some of 

your staff were good enough to show this to me recently. But as 

you noted, Admiral, the United States’ EEZs, 13 separate areas 

spread across nine time zones. You see everything from Alaska, 

which I think is your biggest one certainly, but a whole host of 

areas, Hawaii, the Great Lakes. If we are successful and can budgVerDate Nov 24 2008 08:13 Sep 06, 2017 Jkt 075679 PO 00000 Frm 00033 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6601 S:\GPO\DOCS\26595.TXT JACKIE
30 

et the completion of the acquisition of nine National Security Cutters, 58 Fast Response Cutters, and 24 Offshore Patrol Cutters, 

does that give you enough assets to conduct the mission that, let’s 

face it, that’s about a quarter of the entire globe right there on that 

map? Do you have enough assets to do the job in those areas? You 

have a very broad mission base. 

Admiral ZUKUNFT. Yes. Well, one more, so it’s 25 Offshore Patrol 

Cutters, but not that that would be the tipping point. I can’t project 

what the world, that world, is going to look like in 20 years, but 

in 20 years, we will have built out this fleet of 25 Offshore Patrol 

Cutters. In fact, all that entire fleet will be fully operational and 

capable. 

What is the role of transnational criminal organizations? What 

is our role with China? What is the role of Russia? We were called 

to send cutters over to the Mediterranean. We still face the biggest 

flow of refugees in the world. There could be other nations that fail 

in this hemisphere and we see a mass migration. 

So it is critical. If you have what I call a hot production line 

where you’re already pulling ships off that product line—in fact, 

when we built our seventh National Security Cutter, the Kimball, 

that will christen in Hawaii next year, that’s going to cost less than 

the fourth National Security Cutter. The ninth National Security 

Cutter will cost less than the seventh. 

So there’s an advantage if you have a hot product line and then 

the world around you has changed, you can do that at a very affordable cost rather than going on a hiatus and then think you can 

jumpstart a program where you suddenly realize you need more capacity. 

So in the next decade, as these product lines start to build out, 

we need to look at the world again. Where is the Navy? Is the Navy 

going to have 355 ships? Or do they count some of our ships toward 

their 355? Those are some of the strategic dialogues we need to 

have not just with this committee, but obviously with House and 

Senate Armed Services Committee as well going forward in terms 

of, what is the right fleet mix for our Nation as we look at global 

maritime threats? 

The CHAIRMAN. Well, thank you very much for that comment. 

And I can assure you, as the Chairman here, and I think I can 

speak for the Ranking Member, and both of us serve on the Armed 

Services Committee as well, that we want to work closely with you 

and your team on these critical issues. We also want to work closely with you on the deployment and stationing of these vessels 

where it makes the most strategic sense. If you look at that map, 

I certainly think there is a lot of strategic sense to cover more of 

that territory up in Alaska with the increasing traffic and increasing strategic interests. 

But we look forward to working with you on all of these issues, 

Admiral, and again appreciate your service and those of the entire 

Coast Guard. 

This hearing is adjourned. 

[Whereupon, at 4 p.m., the hearing was adjourned.] 

(31) 

A P P E N D I X 

RESPONSE TO WRITTEN QUESTIONS SUBMITTED BY HON. BILL NELSON TO

ADMIRAL PAUL F. ZUKUNFT

Question 1. One of the perils of climate change is, as the intensity of hurricanes 

and tropical storms increases over time, the damage forces us to divert more and 

more money and effort to repairs, resulting in a vicious cycle that erodes the resilience of coastal communities. We have seen this with Katrina, Rita, Sandy, and with 

Hurricane Matthew last fall, which devastated coastal communities from Florida up 

to North Carolina, claiming at least 47 lives in the United States. What was the 

effect of damage from storms like Matthew on Coast Guard facilities, and how has 

it impacted the ability to do their job? 

Answer. Hurricane Matthew damaged 32 Coast Guard facilities across the Southeast, displacing or impacting operations at 22 units. Significant wind and flooding 

damage, as well as shore erosion was found at Coast Guard locations from Florida 

to Virginia. Coast Guard repair teams made repairs at many of these facilities to 

remove immediate safety hazards and facilitate continued operations. 

The estimated cost to repair Coast Guard infrastructure affected by Hurricane 

Matthew was estimated at $93 million. The $15 million provided by Congress in the 

FY 2017 Consolidated Appropriations Act will address our most urgent needs and 

the remainder will be prioritized within the Service’s Shore Construction Backlog. 

Question 2. My understanding is that the true workhorses of your interdiction 

missions in the Caribbean are your Medium Endurance Cutters. Most of them were 

commissioned over 50 years ago, yet they’re still out there today. The new Offshore 

Patrol Cutters will come on line in the next few years to begin replacing them, but 

you need those Medium Endurance Cutters to keep working until then. How would 

you describe the current situation regarding the reliability and mission readiness 

of the Medium Endurance Cutters fleet, and what challenges are they imposing on 

accomplishing the Coast Guard’s interdiction missions? 

Answer. As the major cutters age, it becomes harder to predict impending component failure. As an example of some reliability challenges we face, the 210′-Medium 

Endurance Cutter (MEC) fleet experienced 107 lost operational days due to unplanned maintenance in 2016 and the 270′-MEC fleet experienced 161 lost operational days. The Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) will replace the Coast Guard’s 210′ 

& 270′ MECs, and will ultimately provide the majority of the Coast Guard’s offshore 

surface capacity, bridging the capabilities of the high-endurance 418′ National Security Cutters and the 154′ Fast Response Cutters. Last year we awarded a contract 

for OPC detail design and construction, and I am pleased to report that this acquisition is on track. 

Question 3. What is the single most important resource the Coast Guard needs 

today, but doesn’t have? 

Answer. I am thankful to Congress and the Administration continuing to address 

the Coast Guard’s most pressing resource needs. The funding provided in the FY 

2017 Consolidated Appropriations Act significantly advanced two of our highest recapitalization priorities: the Offshore Patrol Cutter and a new heavy icebreaker. 

Last year we awarded the contract for the Offshore Patrol Cutter, and we are 

making great progress in our effort to recapitalize our aging Medium Endurance 

Fleet. These ships will be the backbone of our surface fleet for the foreseeable future. 

We have also come a long way towards meeting our goal of a modern fleet of icebreakers, which is critical given the expected increase in mission intensity in the 

Polar Regions. We have made great strides in accelerating the heavy icebreaker acquisition, and the funding provided in FY 2017 will continue that progress. Our collaboration with the Navy is a recipe for success and will leverage the expertise of 

both organizations. 

While these new assets are critical to our operational success, our people are truly 

our most important resource. Over the past few years, we experienced some recruitVerDate Nov 24 2008 08:13 Sep 06, 2017 Jkt 075679 PO 00000 Frm 00035 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6621 S:\GPO\DOCS\26595.TXT JACKIE
32 

ing challenges that have impacted our workforce, but that tide is turning and I am 

confident we have positive momentum to fill our ranks with the workforce we need 

to meet the demands of the 21st century. 

RESPONSE TO WRITTEN QUESTIONS SUBMITTED BY HON. MARIA CANTWELL TO

ADMIRAL PAUL F. ZUKUNFT

Question 1. On March 11, 2015 the TRICARE Operations Manual was amended 

to include language which prohibited active duty family members from enrolling in 

TRICARE Prime Remote if they resided in a Prime Service Area. As a result of this 

change in policy, Coast Guard families stationed southwest Washington and northwest Oregon became ineligible for TRICARE Prime Remote and lost access to their 

Primary Care Manager. A survey conducted by the Sector Columbia River Health 

Services Clinic in October 2016 revealed the following: 

• 30 respondents had family members who had not been assigned a Primary Care 

Manger. 

• 48 respondents had family members who had to wait greater than 30 days for 

a new patient appointment. 

• 62 respondents indicated they had difficulty obtaining a Primary Care Manger. 

In an oversight hearing last year, you committed to me that you would work to 

correct the designation of the Sector Columbia River Health Services Clinic and restore access to TRICARE Prime Remote for families stationed in southwest Washington and northwest Oregon. Please outline specific actions the Coast Guard has 

taken in the year that has lapsed since I initially engaged 

Answer. The Coast Guard is committed to ensuring quality healthcare for our 

workforce and their families. My Chief Medical Officer has visited Sector Columbia 

River and met with members of the command and beneficiaries to discuss their concerns regarding access to healthcare. As a follow on to that meeting, she met with 

senior leaders from the Defense Health Agency (DHA) and shared these concerns. 

Additionally, my Deputy Commandant for Mission Support engaged with VADM 

Bono (DHA) on the possibility of replicating what is done in other similarly remote 

locations. As DHA investigates that possibility, we are continuing to identify alternate solutions that will improve access to quality healthcare for Coast Guard members and their dependants with consideration for negative impacts on the community. 

Question 2. You have the authority and responsibility to ensure the Sector Columbia River Health Services is correctly designated for the services it provides. Currently, the Clinic is incorrectly designated as a military treatment facility with a 

capacity to treat service members from other branches, retirees, and military dependents. The clinic undisputedly meets the criteria within the TRICARE Operations Manual for designation as a ‘‘small government clinic . . . not capable of primary care management functions . . . that only allows active duty enrollment.’’ I 

sent a letter to your office on March 3 asking you to correct the designation. Why 

has the Coast Guard still not corrected the designation? 

Answer. My staff is currently working towards ensuring the clinic’s designation 

accurately represents the medical care offered. 

Question 3. Please provide your specific plan and actions you will take to correct 

the designation of the Sector Columbia River Health Services Clinic. 

Answer. I am committed to ensuring all members and their families receive quality healthcare. My Medical Officer has been actively involved with senior leadership 

from the Defense Health Agency to develop appropriate next steps. Additionally, my 

Deputy Commandant for Mission Support recently discussed with VADM Bono 

(DHA) the possibility of replicating other remote location policies in the Astoria 

area. Moving forward, we will continue to remain closely engaged with District D13 

personnel as a course of action is being developed. 

Question 4. In November last year the Canadian Government granted approval 

for the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain Expansion Project. The expansion will nearly triple capacity of the Trans Mountain Pipeline from 300,000 to 890,000 barrels 

of crude oil per day which will increase tar sands oil tanker traffic along the U.S. 

Pacific Coast a minimum of seven-fold. Please provide the Coast Guard’s plan for 

additional investment in oil spill prevention and response resources that will be 

made in preparation for increased tar sands oil traffic in Puget Sound. 

Answer. The Coast Guard established the Joint Marine Pollution Contingency 

Plan (JCP), a bilateral agreement for planning, preparedness, and responding to 

harmful substance incidents in the contiguous waters along shared marine borders. 

33 

The JCP contains a Canada-U.S. Pacific (CANUSPAC) annex specific to response 

procedures in the Canadian/U.S. Pacific region. The USCG has and will continue 

to utilize this collaborative mechanism to ensure proper planning for potential spills 

to include the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion. 

The Coast Guard directs an Area Committee comprised of federal, state, and local 

agencies as well as federally recognized Indian Tribes in drafting Area Contingency 

Plans capable of removing a worst case discharge and mitigating or preventing a 

substantial threat of such a discharge in U.S. coastal zones. The Area Committee, 

under the direction of the Coast Guard on-scene coordinator, is implementing 

changes in potential worst case discharge scenarios associated with the proposed 

Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion (i.e., transiting tanker ships and catastrophic 

pipeline system failures). To date, the Area Committee serving the Puget Sound 

area is aware of the pipeline expansion and has engaged in preliminary discussions. 

Additionally, Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound is heavily engaged with the Washington Department of Ecology’s Vessel Traffic Safety Assessment (VTRA) subcommittee. The purpose of the VTRA is to evaluate risks posed by infrastructure 

projects affecting the maritime domain. This includes terminal projects related to 

the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. The VTRA is designed to inform tribes, 

local governments, industry and nonprofit groups in Washington State and British 

Columbia on risk management options commensurate with trends in commercial 

vessel traffic. 

Question 5. How many oil spill response organizations have been classified by the 

Coast Guard to clean up tar sands oil? 

Answer. While tar sands (diluted bitumen) may initially float, weathering or sedimentation may eventually cause it to sink. The Coast Guard has classification programs for both floating and nonfloating oils. Currently, the Coast Guard has approved four nonfloating oil spill response organizations (OSROs). Moreover, ten classified oil spill response organizations (OSROs) are capable of responding to floating 

tar sands oil in the state of Washington. 

Question 6. How many of those oil spill response organizations which are classified have assets in Washington state? 

Answer. Two nonfloating oil classified OSROs maintain assets in Washington 

state and are capable of responding to nonfloating tar sands oil. Two additional 

OSROs, with assets in Washington state, have applied for the nonfloating oil classification in Puget Sound and are currently being evaluated by the Coast Guard. 

Question 7. Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca are designated as a 

‘‘High Volume Port Area.’’ Under this designation the Coast Guard must require oil 

shipping companies to stage additional oil spill response, recovery, and oil storage 

infrastructure. What additional assets has the Coast Guard deployed in the Strait 

of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound High Volume Port Area? 

Answer. The Coast Guard’s District 13 now owns two Dynamic Inclined Plane 

(DIP) Skimming Systems which are capable of conducting fast water oil recovery 

and transportable via the Coast Guard Cutter HENRY BLAKE. In addition, two 

OSROs have met the classification standards outlined in the 2016 OSRO Guidelines 

for the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound HVPA, and possess various types 

of equipment to include boom, temporary storage systems, skimmers, response vessels, and response personnel. 

Question 8. The Coast Guard currently calculates an oil spill response organization’s response time compliance using ‘‘best case’’ on-scene weather. This sets up locations such as the outer coast peninsula of Washington state for failure in the 

event of an oil spill. Please provide the weather, environmental, and seasonal data 

the Coast Guard uses to calculate oil spill response time compliance. 

Answer. Oil Spill Removal Organizations (OSROs) are required to meet certain 

response times as per 33 CFR § 154.1045, § 154.1047, § 155.1050, § 155.1052, 

§ 155.5050 and § 155.5052. The regulations set the response times for classification. 

The Coast Guard Response Resource Inventory (RRI) computes response times for 

classification programs by examining the time for resources to arrive on scene from 

the point of notification. 

Question 9. Why does the Coast Guard selectively use certain weather data to calculate response time compliance? 

Answer. The Coast Guard does not model various weather or environmental data 

to calculate oil spill response times. 

The only reference to weather in the vessel and facility response plan regulations 

pertains to equipment, such as boom, identified in a response plan. This equipment 

must be capable of operating in the conditions expected within the geographic area 

in which a vessel and/or facility operates. These conditions vary widely based on the 

location and season. For example, vessels moving from the ocean to a river port 

34 

must identify appropriate equipment designed to meet the criteria for transiting 

oceans, inland waterways, rivers and canals. This equipment may be designed to operate in all of these conditions. 

Lastly, a vessel or facility plan holder must refer to the applicable area contingency plan (ACP) to determine if ice, debris and weather-related visibility are significant factors in evaluating the operability of equipment. 

Question 10. Following the release ‘‘Polar Sea Assessment’’ in January this year 

the Coast Guard recommended to decommission the POLAR SEA and pursue a tailored rolling recapitalization of the POLAR STAR for a period of 7–10 years. A ‘‘rolling recapitalization’’ has never been used by the Coast Guard to extend the service 

life of a vessel. Please provide the Coast Guard’s recapitalization timeline and work 

plan for the POLAR STAR. 

Answer. The Coast Guard has begun evaluating the benefit/cost ratio of a Limited 

Service Life Extension Project (SLEP). A timeline and work plan for a potential 

SLEP of POLAR STAR would follow, as appropriate, once a way ahead is decided. 

Question 11. Please provide how this plan will ensure there is no lapse in U.S. 

icebreaking capacity. 

Answer. A timeline and work plan for a potential SLEP of POLAR STAR would 

follow, as appropriate, once a way ahead is decided. 

Question 12. How will the Coast Guard ensure the vessel will be operational and 

service ready during the ‘‘rolling recapitalization’’ to ensure it can fulfill its seasonal 

obligation for Operation Deep Freeze in Antarctica? 

Answer. The Coast Guard’s commitment to fulfill its seasonal obligation for Operation Deep Freeze in Antarctica will remain the highest priority as we consider our 

plans for POLAR STAR. 

Question 13. The Coast Guard was not mentioned once by name in the Fiscal Year 

2018 Presidential budget blueprint. The Coast Guard’s Human Capital Strategy specifically underscores the critical importance in developing and investing in the Coast 

Guard’s workforce of tomorrow. While recapitalization of the Coast Guard cutter 

fleet is vital to operational success-the men and women of the Coast Guard are the 

service’s most valuable resource. I am concerned that the Coast Guard will not be 

able to invest support services for its workforce given its growing operational demands. How does the Coast Guard plan to expand childcare services for Coast 

Guard families? 

Answer. The Coast Guard is actively advertising the Family Child Care (FCC) 

program as an option for families in need of child care. Additionally, the Coast 

Guard is exploring the feasibility of expanding Coast Guard subsidy eligibility to include service members using Coast Guard Child Development Centers (CDCs). In 

FY 2017, the Coast Guard conducted an internal review to determine if the type 

of programming offered at its CDCs met the needs of the communities where they 

were located. In response, most CDC part-day preschool programs were transitioned 

to full-time services. 

Question 14. Does the Fiscal Year 2018 budget allow for the expansion and establishment of child development centers? 

Answer. The Fiscal Year 2018 budget does not include new funding for the expansion and/or establishment of child development centers. 

Question 15. How much funding has the Coast Guard allocated to childcare support services each year for the last 10 fiscal years? Please separate the funding the 

Coast Guard has allocated for child development centers from the funding the Coast 

Guard has allocated for the childcare subsidy. 

Answer. 

Subsidy CDC 

2008 $1,143,085 $172,088 

2009 $1,739,462 $305,897 

2010 $2,068,245 $251,349 

2011 $2,261,385 $48,835 

2012 $2,526,341 $1,057,009 

2013 $3,887,027 $656,926 

35 

Subsidy CDC 

2014 $4,048,464 $651,450 

2015 $5,723,471 $454,891 

2016 $4,686,895 $716,302 

2017 $3,452,000 *$317,981 

*Partial FY funding for CR period 

Question 16. What is the Coast Guard doing to identify and analyze future locations for establishment of new child development centers? 

Answer. As the service reviews the need for new or expanded CDCs, qualified 

projects become part of our shore facilities requirements list. Currently one such 

project on the list is $12.3M to construct a new facility for Petaluma. 

Question 17. What specific metrics, data, and criteria does the Coast Guard use 

to determine where to establish a child development center? 

Answer. We track utilization trends, child development center waitlist numbers, 

and other community generated data that reflect need. In addition, we track subsidy 

program utilization to identify which locations have the most need for child care 

services. 

Question 18. How much does it cost for the Coast Guard to establish and sustain 

a child development center? 

Answer. The Coast Guard has adopted DoD standard designs for small, medium, 

and large child development center facilities. The Coast Guard estimates a minimum of 128 square foot per child, to include classroom, playground, and common 

areas. Costs to establish and maintain a child development center vary based on location, property, new build versus renovation, established infrastructure, personnel 

costs, facility capacity, security, and other factors. 

Question 19. Please provide how the Coast Guard will continue to allocate funds 

to invest in childcare services to support Coast Guard families. 

Answer. The Coast Guard is currently reviewing its funding practices under the 

Human Capital Strategy to assure that annual program funds are being used most 

efficiently and effectively. 

Question 20. Earlier this year the Coast Guard Cutter STRATTON embarked on 

its first full deployment with its own small unmanned aircraft system to support 

its missions. There has been strong bi-partisan support for unmanned systems 

aboard the National Security Cutter fleet as a way to expand intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance without breaking the budget. Please provide the results 

and operational successes with the small unmanned aircraft system deployed on the 

Coast Guard Cutter STRATTON. 

Answer. The installed sUAS conducted approximately 280 surveillance hours for 

the CGC STRATTON over its inaugural two-month deployment. The highlight of the 

sUAS testing effort was its ability to provide tactical situational awareness via realtime full-motion video during three interdiction events that ultimately seized over 

5,000 lbs of illicit contraband. 

Question 21. Does the Coast Guard currently plan to outfit every deployed National Security Cutter with small unmanned aircraft system? 

Answer. The current sUAS and NSC program baselines include the requirement 

to install shipboard sUAS infrastructure on eight NSCs. 

Question 22. If so, please provide the Coast Guard’s plan and timeline for expanding small unmanned aircraft systems on the entire National Security Cutter fleet. 

Answer. The USCG plans to release an RFP in the fourth quarter of FY 2017 with 

an award targeted for FY 2018 to establish a multi-year Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracting vehicle to identify pricing for installation and price 

of yearly operations. Initial installation schedule will be dependent on NSC availability, delivery schedule, and availability of appropriations. 

Question 23. Does the Coast Guard plan to outfit icebreakers with small unmanned aircraft systems? 

Answer. We are in the process of refining new heavy polar icebreaker operational 

requirements. 

36 

RESPONSE TO WRITTEN QUESTION SUBMITTED BY HON. AMY KLOBUCHAR TO

ADMIRAL PAUL F. ZUKUNFT

Question. Adminiral Zukunft, in Minnesota we see the importance of Coast Guard 

operations on Lake Superior and along the Mississippi river every day. By protecting our borders, combating drug trafficking, safeguarding our environment and 

responding to disasters, the Coast Guard makes life better in Minnesota. We will 

never forget that when the I–35W Bridge tragically collapsed in 2007, Coast 

Guardsmen were among the first responders on the scene to assist in the rescue of 

145 injured survivors and help maintain safety on the water in the following days 

and weeks. As you know, there have been proposals to cut $1.3 billion from the 

Coast Guard’s Fiscal Year 2018 budget. In your response to Ranking Member Nelson’s question, you stated that the Coast Guard has many fixed costs that cannot 

be trimmed so the majority of the cuts would have to come from operations. Can 

you provide examples of the types of operations the Coast Guard currently performs 

in Minnesota that might have to be cut if the proposed budget cut becomes law? 

Answer. The FY 2018 budget increases discretionary funding levels by 2.5 percent 

over the FY 2017 enacted appropriation, which will fully sustain day-to-day operations and planned investments in the Acquisition Construction, & Improvements 

account. 

RESPONSE TO WRITTEN QUESTIONS SUBMITTED BY HON. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL TO

ADMIRAL PAUL F. ZUKUNFT

Question 1. The Coast Guard has played a critical role in our country’s safety and 

security for 227 years. The Coast Guard, however, is the only uniformed service 

without a national museum. The other branches all have museums where Americans and visitors from around the world can learn more about their history and traditions. Thankfully, we’re righting that wrong. Through this committee, we’ve made 

sure Congress finally recognizes the importance of the museum and helps get it off 

the ground—just as it has done for other branches. Plans are now being finalized 

for this museum in New London. The facility, I understand, will also be a training 

center for Coast Guard personnel that can help the Coast Guard fulfill its mission. 

Can you describe the importance of creating a monument to the brave men and 

women of the Coast Guard—something the service has long been denied? 

Answer. As I have testified in the past, the story of the Coast Guard is one that 

needs to be told. We are grateful that the National Coast Guard Museum Association is taking the lead and raising funds to tell that story. 

Question 2. Can you discuss how critical it is that the Federal Government serve 

as a partner on this vital undertaking, just as it has for all the other branches’ museums? 

Answer. I fully support the National Coast Guard Museum project in New London. Close partnership with the National Coast Guard Museum Association is critical to the success of this project, and the Coast Guard continues to make its experts 

and artifact collections available to the Association. 

Question 3. Even with the change in administration—and many worrisome 

changes in priorities—can we get your commitment to work with the City of New 

London, state of Connecticut and other stakeholders to make this museum a reality? 

Answer. I will continue to work with stakeholders to advance the National Coast 

Guard Museum project. The National Coast Guard Museum Association’s plan to 

complete construction by 2022 is dependent upon a number of factors, including its 

ability to raise funds through donations. The Coast Guard is not involved in the construction of the proposed National Coast Guard Museum facility, but will continue 

to make its experts and artifact collections available to the National Coast Guard 

Museum Association to support this effort. 

Question 4. In early March, the Washington Post reported that the Trump administration planned to propose slashing funds for the Coast Guard by $1.3 billion. That 

cut would have been 12 percent of the agency’s budget. In mid-March, the administration released its ‘‘skinny’’ budget. There were no cuts proposed to the budget. 

There was also no mention whatsoever of the Coast Guard in a document ostensibly 

billed as ‘‘a message of American strength, security, and resolve.’’ After the skinny 

budget was released, DHS put out a news release that did mention the Coast 

Guard, saying it ‘‘sustains current funding levels.’’ What impact would a flat funding level have on the Coast Guard? 

Answer. The FY 2018 budget increases discretionary funding levels by 2.5 percent 

(after accounting for rescissions of prior year balances and multi-year funds in the 

FY 2017 baseline) over the FY 2017 enacted appropriation. 

37 

Question 5. Shouldn’t we be increasing our investments in this important agency? 

Answer. The FY 2018 budget increases discretionary funding levels by 2.5 percent 

(after accounting for rescissions of prior year balances and multi-year funds in the 

FY 2017 baseline) over the FY 2017 enacted appropriation. 

Question 6. One area where we must invest includes polar icebreakers. We have 

two of these for the Arctic; Russia reportedly has 20 at least. Does a flat budget 

further cede control of the Arctic to Russia? 

Answer. The acquisition program to deliver a new icebreaker in Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 is well underway. If Congress enacts the President’s request for $19 million 

in 2018, the program will remain on schedule. The $150 million included in Defense 

funding provided in the FY 2017 Consolidated Appropriations Act will also keep us 

on track to award the contract for Detail Design and Construction in 2019. 

RESPONSE TO WRITTEN QUESTIONS SUBMITTED BY HON. BRIAN SCHATZ TO

ADMIRAL PAUL F. ZUKUNFT

Question 1. Admiral Zukunft, in your appearance before the Subcommittee, you 

indicated that you had been working on developing some options for the Coast 

Guard to use cutters and other resources to further our national security interests 

in the East and South China Seas. Could you elaborate on what these policy options 

look like, including if this would include a more routine Coast Guard presence in 

the region? 

Answer. The U.S. Coast Guard’s unique authorities, capabilities, competencies, 

and partnerships enable us to meaningfully engage with our coast guard counterparts in the Asia-Pacific region. In service to DoD and if requested, we can divert 

teams, subject matter experts, and liaison officers to the region, however, if these 

operations were to become routine, the tradeoff would result in reduced presence 

and support for our core homeland security missions. 

Question 2. What are the major obstacles to executing these policy options, including host nation support and interagency consensus on the role of the Coast Guard 

in the region? 

Answer. A cutter deployment to the region reduces the operational availability of 

our most capable asset, the National Security Cutter, and must be weighed against 

the priority to support homeland security missions, including drug and migrant 

interdiction activities that address the southern border priorities of the Administration. 

Question 3. You and I visited Air Station Barbers Point and we saw the need for 

investment in the hangars and other facilities to support the C–130Js the Coast 

Guard needs for long endurance operations in the Western Pacific Can you tell me 

how our Coast Guard bases in Hawaii fit into your strategy for the Western Pacific? 

Answer. Coast Guard facilities in Hawaii serve as the central logistics hub and 

operational launching point for resources located in the region. This enables our assets to reach further into the Western Pacific than a stateside asset. For example, 

Air Station Barbers Point provides the only USCG aviation assets in HI and is responsible for patrolling over 12 million square miles of open ocean, atolls, and islands governed by the U.S. USCG C–130 aircraft additionally patrol as far west as 

Guam and provide additional support to ensure the sanctity of the Micronesian 

EEZ. The Coast Guard presence in Hawaii provides the citizens of Hawaii with the 

same 24/7/365 maritime service as every other U.S. coastal state, while also providing a strategic staging point for Coast Guard presence in the western Pacific. 

Question 4. And what is your plan for investing in the facilities and capabilities 

out there so you have what you need to conduct operations in support of that strategy? 

Answer. The Coast Guard funds necessary infrastructure improvements that are 

required to accommodate a newly acquired asset in advance of the asset’s arrival 

to a given facility. Existing Coast Guard facilities are also prioritized for recapitalization consistent with available funding. 

Question 5. At a minimum, I believe Air Station Barbers Point needs a liquid oxygen facility, propeller shop, spare propeller and engine storage area, and additional 

mission system support equipment to support day-to-day aircraft maintenance on 

any new C–130Js. Does the Coast Guard plan to budget for those improvements to 

keep the delivery of new C–130Js on track to Hawaii? If so, when can we expect 

those improvements to be made? 

Answer. Yes. Facility improvements at Air Station Barbers Point have already 

begun. The Coast Guard recently completed a $5M freshwater rinse facility that 

provides a significant improvement in corrosion prevention for existing fleet of C– 

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130/MH–65 aircraft and a must-have for future C–130Js. Additionally, $20M was 

appropriated in FY16 and planning is in progress to upgrade the Air Station’s electrical supply system. The Coast Guard is planning to address liquid oxygen facilities, propeller shops, spare propeller and engine storage areas, with sufficient time 

for those improvements to be completed before the arrival of new C–130J aircraft. 

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