ROA attends U.S. Coast Guard hearings

ROA attended three Congressional hearings about the U.S. Coast Guard this past month.

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation held a hearing February 25th about the U.S. Coast Guard budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 and Commandant Admiral Thad Allen testified. The Commandant also testified at a March 17th hearing before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security also regarding the U.S. Coast Guard's FY-11 budget request.

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a hearing the following day to consider the nomination of Vice Admiral Robert Papp as the next Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard. Admiral Thad Allen will retire this May. Congressional members from both houses are concerned about the budget and a couple issues that were focused on include the cuts in the number of Maritime Safety and Security Teams (MSST) and the continuing problems with the Deepwater program.