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US House approves Coast Guard Authorization Act
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Posted on Apr 26 2008
[B]WASHINGTON, D.C.[/B]—By an overwhelming majority, the U.S. House of Representatives passed on Thursday H.R. 2830, the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2007, which included an amendment sponsored by Guam Rep. Madeleine Bordallo that would keep the U.S. Coast Guard from sending vessels homeported on Guam to foreign shipyards for repair, overhauls and maintenance.
Bordallo’s amendment, made part of a Manager’s amendment offered by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chair James Oberstar of Minnesota, changes current law and recognizes Guam as a valid U.S. port for the purposes of repairs, overhaul and maintenance of Coast Guard vessels.
H.R. 2830, passed by a vote of 395-7, reauthorizes key U.S. Coast Guard programs and addresses policy regarding its operations. The U.S. Senate will soon consider, S. 1892, their version of the Coast Guard Reauthorization Act.
“I thank Chairman Oberstar for supporting the Repair American amendment that I sponsored. The amendment protects our national security interests and important jobs on Guam,” said Bordallo.
Current law does not recognize Guam as a U.S. port for the purposes of repairs, overhaul and maintenance of Coast Guard vessels. As a result, the Coast Guard cutter Sequoia is scheduled to soon undergo its first major repair at a foreign port with foreign workers.
Bordallo believes that sending vessels to foreign yards when there is capable U.S. shipyard, like the Guam Shipyard, sets a bad precedent and is bad policy. The decision to send the Sequoia to a foreign yard for repair represents the first time a Coast Guard cutter will have left Guam for a major availability outside of the Guam Shipyard since Bordallo took office in 2003.
“This move jeopardizes American jobs and the critical ship repair capability on Guam. It is in our national security interest to maintain a viable ship repair capability on Guam – the Coast Guard’s actions are contrary to our national security,” Bordallo said on the floor of the House of Representatives Thursday morning. “My amendment would make the law regarding repairs to Coast Guard vessels consistent with changes I sought and Congress made to similar laws affecting repair of Naval vessels. I will continue my work to sustain a strong and critical ship repair capability on Guam.”
