Bill Nelson: “we finally have the Coast Guard bill here. I want to urge our colleagues to support the passage of the Coast Guard…”

“we finally have the Coast Guard bill here. I want to urge our colleagues to support the passage of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2018. We have worked on it and passed it through committee. We have been in intensive discussions with the House, and finally, the final product is here. Coast Guard personnel live by the motto ``Always Ready.'' Just last month, I saw firsthand how Coast Guard efforts in protecting life and property followed Hurricane Michael up in the Panhandle of Florida. Coast Guard ships, planes, and helicopters came from across the country to help hundreds of people on the Florida coastline and inland, and the Coast Guard, as always, was there to assist--``Always Ready,'' their motto. In Panama City, the shallow-water response teams provided food, water, and oxygen and ensured the relocation of over 130 nursing home residents, 35 of whom were bedridden, and they saw them to safety and medical care as far away as Pensacola. The Coast Guard also conducted damage assessments to facilitate the reopening of the Florida waterways and ports. This isn't something new; the Coast Guard provided similar efforts to Florida, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico following Hurricanes Irma and Maria last fall. If there is a disaster, aside from the Federal Agency tasked--FEMA-- you can bet your boots that the Coast Guard is going to be there.…”