Dan Webster: “You don't have to be washing the doorknobs. It is in the air.”

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

I expect you and Admiral Allan to clearly articulate how you will acquire these vessels and what resources are required to carry out the Coast Guard's polar mission.

To date, we have yet to see such a plan, let alone a cost estimate or a timeline of the first vessel in the fleet.

The United States has relied on the Coast Guard's persistent presence to demonstrate American sovereignty in the Arctic since the United States acquired Alaska in 1867.