James Oberstar: “I don't share the ranking Republican member's pessimistic outlook for this legislation. The Coast Guard reauthorization…”

“I don't share the ranking Republican member's pessimistic outlook for this legislation. The Coast Guard reauthorization has been reported from committee in the other body. It has been hotlined by the Democratic leadership in the other body. They anticipate it will clear those hotline processes shortly and that the other body will be able to, in due course, in relatively short period of time, consider a Coast Guard bill on the floor, and that we can, in fact, anticipate conference with the other body by and before the beginning of summer. I have a very positive and hopeful outlook. Third, as for redesigning and restructuring the Coast Guard, the committee has done that since the 1960s, directing how the structure of the Coast Guard shall be organized. In fact, we do far less structuring in this bill following in that tradition than is done for the U.S. Navy.”