22 May 2003
Text: Coast Guard Asks for Shore Authority to Counter Terrorists
(Seeks powers to make arrests, use local law enforcement, agency's
chief says) (2130)
The Bush administration has asked Congress to permit the U.S. Coast
Guard to make arrests on shore to help the agency meet new
terrorism-related security challenges.
Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thomas Collins said the enhanced law
enforcement authority provisions in the Coast Guard authorization bill
for fiscal year 2004 would also allow the agency to use state and
local law enforcement agencies in enforcing security zones around
ports and critical coastal infrastructure such as nuclear power plants
and refineries.
In May 22 testimony before a House of Representatives Transportation
and Infrastructure subcommittee, he said that the $6,655 million bill
would relax the current requirement that Coast Guard units fire
warning shots in all situations before they deliver disabling fire
against vessels refusing to stop when ordered. Collins said that in
some instances it may be dangerous or impractical to fire warning
shots.
In addition, the bill would give the agency mandate to prohibit
maritime use of electronic devices that interfere with critical
communication and navigation systems, he said.
In response to a question Collins commented on a report by the
congressional General Accounting Office (GAO) that said some Coast
Guard responsibilities other than maritime security have suffered as a
result of the agency's increased vigilance against the terrorist
threat after the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Collins did not question the GAO's contention but said his agency is
trying to make up for reduced drug interdiction and fisheries
enforcement activities through resource allocation based on perceived
risk of illegal activities and local, state and international
partnerships. For example, he said, in the Caribbean U.S. Coast Guard
units cooperate with Dutch, French and British law enforcement
vessels.
Collins said that, ultimately, the Coast Guard will "get back to
better balance" between different parts of its mission when it builds
greater capacity.
"We are not there yet," he said but added he is encouraged by the
budget trend toward increasing Coast Guard resources.
The GAO report said that Coast Guard resources devoted to fisheries
enforcement and drug interdiction dropped "sharply" after the
September 11 events and "remain substantially below historic levels."
It said that homeland security and military demands make it "unlikely"
that the agency, in the short run, can increase efforts in areas other
than security.
But Collins said GAO should have used in its assessment the period
directly preceding the events of September 11, 2001, rather than the
years 1998 through 2000. Compared to pre-September 11 levels, Collins
said, Coast Guard resources spent on drug interdiction and fisheries
enforcement are down by no more than 5-20 percent.
He promised to submit to Congress by the end of 2003 a strategic
blueprint that would lay out the agency's priorities and chart actions
necessary to balance the use of resources among various Coast Guard
missions.
Following is the text of Collin's testimony as prepared for delivery:
(begin text)
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
UNITED STATES COAST GUARD
STATEMENT OF ADMIRAL THOMAS H. COLLINS
ON THE
COAST GUARD & MARITIME TRANSPORTATION ACT OF 2003
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON COAST GUARD AND MARITIME TRANSPORTATION
COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 22, 2003
Introduction
Good morning, Mr. Chairman and distinguished members of the
Subcommittee. Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today
to discuss the Coast Guard's Fiscal Year 2004 Authorization Bill. The
bill is an important step toward enhancing our ability to serve the
American people and meet the myriad of challenges we face in this new
century.
The Coast Guard remains the world's premier maritime, multi-mission,
military force. We are the lead Federal agency for Maritime Homeland
Security. We enforce our nation's maritime laws and treaties; we
protect human life at sea through search and rescue and maritime
safety; we are guardians of the marine environment; and we defend
freedom throughout the world, from our own shores to the faraway
shores of the Persian Gulf. We are proud to be America's shield of
freedom.
To this end we continue seeking to improve the tools we have available
to perform our missions. In this spirit, we have submitted to Congress
our 2004 Authorization Bill. It represents a significant team effort
on the part of the Coast Guard, the Department of Homeland Security,
our former home, the Department of Transportation, and the
Administration. We believe it is well designed to help the Coast Guard
accomplish its many missions.
I would like to highlight some of the important Coast Guard missions
and how our proposed authorization bill will help fulfill those
missions:
Maritime Homeland Security
The President has clearly indicated that protecting the homeland is
free government's number one priority, and the Coast Guard has a
critical role iii that effort. The Coast Guard's continuing homeland
security mission is to protect the U.S. Maritime Domain and the U.S.
Marine Transportation System by denying their use anal exploitation by
terrorists.
Threats to the security of the United States extend beyond overt
terrorism. Countering illegal drug and contraband smuggling,
preventing illegal immigration via maritime routes, preserving living
marine resources from foreign encroachment, and preventing
environmental damage and responding to spills of oil and hazardous
substances are all critical elements of national and economic
security.
In response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks on our nation, the Coast
Guard quickly refocused our homeland security missions by establishing
new port security zones, placing Sea Marshals on inbound merchant
ships, conducting additional patrols off America's coasts,
establishing Maritime Safety and Security Teams to protect major
ports, and implementing new procedures to monitor vessel and crew
movements within ports and coastal approaches.
The authorization bill submitted to Congress by Secretary Ridge is
aligned with the President's National Strategy for Homeland Security
and will enhance our abilities to accomplish the broad range of
maritime homeland security missions. Some examples of proposed
changes:
-- Changing the current statutory mandate requiring warning shots as a
condition precedent to the delivery of disabling fire in all
situations against vessels that refuse to stop when ordered. This
change will reduce the danger to third parties in situations where
warning shots may pose a danger to innocent bystanders. This provision
would also extend the authority to use warning shots and disabling
fire against noncompliant vessels from DOD {Department of Defense]
aircraft carrying Coast Guard members.
-- Especially critical to our homeland security efforts are the
enhanced law enforcement authorities. These provisions would increase
our law enforcement authority ashore and allow the Coast Guard to use
state and local law enforcement agencies to enforce Coast Guard
security zones. The authorities will help protect America by
leveraging scarce resources and partnering with local law enforcement,
and have been carefully considered by all elements of the
Administration. I hope you will consider including these important
provisions in the final bill.
Every provision of the proposed authorization bill reflects a careful
balance between our safety and security missions, protecting our
citizens and their rights, and promoting the needs of our service
members. In addition to enhancing our maritime homeland security
missions, the authorization bill reflects my priorities as Commandant
- Readiness, People, and Stewardship.
Readiness
Readiness means being capable, competent, and vigilant in all of our
mission areas. It means being ready now, even as we build our
capabilities for the future. Our Authorization bill enhances Coast
Guard readiness in several ways:
-- Increased law enforcement authority ashore would allow a Coast
Guard member who detects a violation of Federal law to arrest the
suspect, instead of having to rely on other Federal, State or local
law enforcement authorities. This change would also give explicit
authority for appropriate Coast Guard members to carry firearms in
performance of their official duties.
-- Amending the statutory prohibition on acceptance of voluntary
services would allow personnel from non-governmental maritime
organizations to assign personnel to the Coast Guard to engage in
"exchange tours" enhancing readiness by significantly increasing
cooperation and understanding between the Coast Guard and maritime
industry.
-- Allowing the Coast Guard to require communications equipment on
certain types of vessels and allowing us to prohibit maritime use of
electronic devices that interfere with critical communications and
navigation systems would greatly improve vessel safety and security in
certain maritime sectors.
The Integrated Deepwater System (IDS) is an integral part of every
element of the Coast Guard's maritime homeland security (MHS) strategy
and in balancing our non-MHS missions. MHS necessitates pushing
America's maritime borders outward, away from ports and waterways so
layered, maritime operations can be implemented. IDS provides a
network-centric system of Command, Control, Communications, Computers,
Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) that is critical
for enhancing maritime domain awareness. Through common systems and
technologies, common operational concepts, and a common logistics
base, new and modernized IDS assets and equipment will provide
increased capabilities, multi-mission readiness and availability, and
interoperability with the Department of Defense and other Department
of Homeland Security agencies.
President Bush has asserted that our aging assets and infrastructure
must be re-capitalized. Based on the organization's current capacity
levels and the required capabilities immediately needed for Homeland
Security and the other missions the American public expects, the
continued funding of Deepwater is imperative and the Coast Guard's
highest capital priority.
People
My priority is the Coast Guard's people, who, every single day
accomplish the Coast Guard's many critical missions. We must continue
to attract, develop, retain, and deploy a diverse, highly capable and
flexible workforce. We must also emphasize training, education and
professional development, and constantly improve the quality of life
of our employees. Our Authorization bill supports the Coast Guard's
people in several ways:
-- Critical skills training bonuses for enlisted personnel will allow
us to encourage enlisted members to enter critical skill specialties
where we have experienced shortages such as Electricians Mate,
Machinery Technician, and Telecommunications Specialist.
-- Increases to the authorized number of officers allowed on active
duty reflects the growth of the Coast Guard and will allow us to
better carry out all our traditional missions and successfully respond
to the demands of maritime homeland security.
-- Improving housing authorities will allow us to enhance the quality
and quantity of housing available to our members and their families.
Stewardship
Stewardship is embracing innovation, technology, and effective
management practices to achieve measurable outcomes. It is striving to
be the best managed and best led organization in the federal
government. I t is creating a culture of innovation and process change
to enhance productivity and reduce workload while driving toward
quality outcomes. Our Authorization bill supports stewardship in
several ways:
-- Additional authority for travel card management that will reduce
delinquencies with Federal contractor-issued travel charge cards and
will correct an oversight which gave this same authority to DoD last
year, but inadvertently excluded the Coast Guard.
-- New authority for Coast Guard nonappropriated fund activities such
as the Coast Guard Exchange System and our morale, welfare and
recreation programs that will make those programs more efficient by
allowing them to enter into contracts with the Coast Guard and other
Federal agencies. This same authority was given to Department of
Defense programs in 1996.
-- Changes to the law regarding the property of Coast Guard Auxiliary
units, exempting Auxiliary elements from taxation, and designating as
Federal property for liability purposes, property owned by Auxiliary
elements. This change will reduce financial burdens on Auxiliary units
and encourage donations to the Auxiliary by making those donations tax
deductible. The proposal will also remove the threat of liability to
the Auxiliary from owning property, all of which is used for the
safety and protection of the American public.
-- Modifications to the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 ("OPA 90") will
allow us to improve environmental stewardship in several significant
ways, and I hope you will consider including these important
provisions in the final bill.
Conclusion
The Coast Guard faces many challenges. Among these are executing our
homeland security missions, maintaining a high level of performance of
our traditional missions, such as search and rescue and fisheries
enforcement, and retaining and expanding our skilled workforce to
execute these varied and complex missions. Our Authorization Bill
builds upon the existing foundation and will help the Coast Guard
maintain operational excellence across all mission areas to meet
America's future maritime safety and security needs.
Operational excellence depends upon Readiness, People, and Stewardship
of resources. The Coast Guard always strives towards operational
excellence. This is no less than what the American people expect and
deserve. I, along with the men and women of the Coast Guard, am
honored to work with Congress to meet the challenges and fulfill the
expectations of the American people.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify before you today. I will be
happy to answer any questions you may have.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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