Rick Larsen

Thank you, Mr. Chair. And I want to thank the chair and ranking member for having this hearing today.

Have we forgotten our commitment to providing our law enforcement with the tools they need to protect all Americans?

To start on the Polar Security Cutter, how does the anticipated delay of the PSCs impact the 2022 strategy in the Arctic?

The Coast Guard is the lead agency tasked with maritime safety, law enforcement and national security in the Arctic but, with current resources, it cannot meet the demand.

It is time for Congress to fully resource the Coast Guard for all of its missions.

It is incumbent on the Coast Guard and Congress to do everything that we can to ensure cadets are not exposed to sexual assault or harassment at the Academy.

The FAA bill is a great bill, or is it the greatest bill? Frankly, it is the greatest.

There is a need to act.

Congress has a responsibility to address these challenges to ensure the United States remains the gold standard in aviation safety and air transportation.

The House did its job. This committee did its job.

The combined effect of irregular operations [caused] by [controller] staff shortages erodes the margin of safety in the NAS.

The current erosion in the margin of safety in the [National Airspace System] caused by the confluence of these challenges is rendering the current level of safety unsustainable.

Despite this, over the past 3 years, the Coast Guard has failed to reach its 10 percent interdiction goal of known cocaine flow.

Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, also known as IUU fishing, is a serious threat that has vast security, economic, environmental and humanitarian impacts.

The Coast Guard's role in immigration enforcement is to ensure safety and engage in search-and-rescue missions.

The Coast Guard is facing a 3,000-person shortage, which has degraded the mission readiness of the Coast Guard.

My personal preference would be to go with the 2010 recommendations of the bipartisan Simpson-Bowles Commission...

Congress has repeatedly needed to use General Funds to continue federal support for surface transportation

The Highway Trust Fund operated effectively for years based on the 'user-pay' principle

Now, we have the third highest gas tax of any State in the country or so.

Yes, that which legislatures codify, they can decodify.

Thanks. Our Washington State Constitution says gas tax has to be used for transportation.

We cannot have a big-league economy with little-league infrastructure.

We cannot have a big league economy with little league infrastructure.

Cutting investment in infrastructure is not an option.