106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. CON. RES. 372
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Whereas the Revenue Cutter Service was established in 1790
under the jurisdiction of the Treasury Department;
Whereas the Revenue Cutter Service and the United States
Life-Saving Service were combined in 1915 to form the
Coast Guard;
Whereas in April 1967, the Coast Guard was transferred to
the Department of Transportation where it remains
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today (except when operating as a service in the Navy in
times of war);
Whereas the Coast Guard is comprised of nearly 35,000 ac-
tive personnel and 28,000 reserve personnel;
Whereas the Coast Guard is supported by approximately
35,000 volunteers of the Coast Guard Auxiliary;
Whereas the Coast Guard is the Nation’s premier military,
multimission, maritime service that provides unique, non-
redundant, complimentary capabilities to safeguard
United States national security interests;
Whereas the Coast Guard provides unique services and bene-
fits to the United States through a distinctive blend of
humanitarian, law enforcement, diplomatic, and military
capabilities;
Whereas the five operating roles of the Coast Guard are mar-
itime safety, maritime security, protection of natural re-
sources, maritime mobility, and national defense;
Whereas each year the Coast Guard conducts on average
more than 65,000 search and rescue missions, saving
over 5,000 lives and $1,400,000,000 in property;
Whereas each year the Coast Guard, through its drug inter-
diction efforts, keeps more than $3,000,000,000 worth of
drugs off United States streets;
Whereas the Coast Guard safeguards ocean resources from
degradation by pollution and overuse through marine en-
vironmental protection and fisheries enforcement pro-
grams;
Whereas each year the Coast Guard responds to more than
11,600 hazardous waste spills, inspects approximately
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34,000 United States vessels and 19,400 foreign vessels,
and investigates over 7,400 marine accidents;
Whereas the Coast Guard maintains the largest system of
aids to navigation in the world, with more than 50,000
buoys, fixed markers, and lighthouses;
Whereas the Coast Guard provides critical ice breaking serv-
ices for the Nation’s inland waterways and shipping
channels;
Whereas the Coast Guard is responsible for approximately
18,000 highway and railroad bridges that span navigable
waterways throughout the Nation;
Whereas the Coast Guard plays a leading role in the Nation’s
undocumented migrant interdiction activities;
Whereas the Coast Guard is a military service and a branch
of the Armed Forces, and plays a crucial role in the
President’s strategy of international engagement;
Whereas Coast Guard personnel have fought in every major
military conflict since its inception in 1790; and
Whereas the men and women serving in the Coast Guard em-
body a rich tradition of honor, devotion to duty, and
dedication to service during times of peace and war: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That the Congress—
(1) recognizes the historic significance of the
210th anniversary of the establishment of the Coast
Guard and the indelible contributions of the Coast
Guard to the United States;
(2) commends—
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(A) the Coast Guard’s effectiveness in pro-
tecting the public, the environment, and United
States economic and security interests in the
Nation’s ports and inland waterways, along the
Nation’s coasts, on international waters, and in
any maritime region in which United States in-
terests may be at risk; and
(B) the men and women serving in the
Coast Guard who risk their lives to save others
in danger at sea, enforce the Nation’s treaties
and other laws, protect the marine environment,
ensure a safe and efficient marine transpor-
tation system, and support diplomatic and na-
tional defense interests of the United States
worldwide; and
(3) supports the Coast Guard in its efforts to
remain ‘‘Semper Paratus’’—Always Ready—as it
moves forward to meet the demands of the 21st cen-
tury.
Passed the House of Representatives July 25, 2000.
Attest:
Clerk.