Dan Webster: “The Federal Government does not know better than the people on land, on the docks or in the water.”

Given these immense resources, it should come as no surprise that adversaries, including Russia and China, are working to assert themselves in the region.

However, this committee is well aware also of the aging infrastructure and workforce shortages and insufficient budget that has operationally constrained the Coast Guard for--more than just this year--many years.

At the same time, we are here to examine what investments must be made into the Coast Guard's most valuable resource: its people.

August 4th marked the 234th birthday of the Coast Guard, and the Service is celebrating that birthday tonight here at the Capitol.