Dan Webster: “Thank you very much.”

At the same time, our nation has two operational icebreakers, one of which is dedicated to the Service's Antarctic mission in support of the National Science Foundation and is operating well past its intended service life.

Admiral Fagan, during your address on the state of the Coast Guard, you rightly recognized your Service's funding challenges.

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

Today, the subcommittee will receive testimony from the Coast Guard's icebreaking recapitalization efforts and the ability of the Service to meet its icebreaking and polar region responsibilities.