Coast Guarding

The Senate Appropriations homeland security subcommittee yesterday approved fiscal year 2013 funding legislation totaling $45.2 billion, $1 billion below the previous year's enacted level, according to a subcommittee statement.

Out of that, the spending bill includes the following FY-13 amounts for the Coast Guard:

* The bill provides $10.335 billion, of which $8.913 billion is discretionary spending and $1.423 billion is mandatory spending.  The discretionary level is $20 million above fiscal year 2012 and $307 million and 363 positions above the request (when $254 million is excluded for Overseas Contingency Operations).

* The bill includes funding to support over 41,600 military employees, 250 cutters, 1,800 boats, and 190 aircraft protecting over 95,000 miles of shoreline.  The bill also provides targeted increases above the request to ensure that Coast Guard personnel serving on the front lines have the resources to accomplish their missions in fiscal year 2013 and in the future.  Specific investments include:

–        $620 million for the sixth National Security Cutter;

–        $77 million for long-lead time material for the seventh National Security Cutter;

–        $335 million for six Fast Response Cutters (four above the request);

–        $8 million for initial acquisition planning and design of a new polar icebreaker;

–        $10 million for military housing;

–        $3.1 million for 26 billets to enhance oil spill response capabilities; and

–        $25.2 million to reverse cuts proposed in the request for critical operational assets (one high endurance cutter, three patrol boats, and two air facilities).

Click here to view the prepared testimony of Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Robert Papp during a hearing on his service's FY-13 budget request.