Pay Our Coast Guard Parity Act of 2019

Madam Speaker, I rise today to address the unfortunate position the brave members of our Coast Guard were put in due to the recent shutdown. Even while they operated without pay, these courageous men and women continued to serve our country and I would like to highlight some of their stories.

On January 12th, a Coast Guard aircrew responded to two surfers in distress off the Oregon Coast who had been pushed by the surf into a cliffside cove. Once on scene, the crew was able to hoist the surfers out of the water and get them to safety. On Christmas Eve of last year, the Coast Guard interdicted a migrant boat off the coast of the Dominican Republic. Onboard, the crews found 100 kilograms of cocaine heading for the United States. On January 6th, the Coast Guard Cutter Vigilant assisted the Haitian government in stopping a small boat dangerously overloaded with 70 Haitian migrants. The Coast Guard worked jointly with Haiti to stop the illegal immigration and maintain the safety of life at sea, something they regularly work with international partners to accomplish.

These are just a few examples of the great work our Coast Guard does every day to protect the people in and around our waterways as well as in our country. Yet unlike the other branches in our armed forces who selflessly serve this country, our Coast Guard men and women were not getting compensated for their work during the shutdown. In 2013, Congress passed the Pay Our Military Act before a shutdown began to make sure members in the armed forces were able to collect their paychecks. I emphasize that this was done before the 2013 shutdown because we just went a little over a month in one and even with introduced legislation to make sure our Coast Guard got paid, we didn't act on it.

There were 41,000 Active Duty Coast Guard members, 6,200 reservists, and 8,500 civilian personnel affected by the shutdown. It is estimated that 31 percent of Active Duty members do not have the savings needed to cover one month's worth of expenses. Moreover, some 13 percent do not have any emergency savings at all. This is not to mention the other benefits the Service members were missing out on like child care programs, death benefits, housing allowances, and required travel costs. Meanwhile, the negative impact on recruiting and retention of members due to the instability will likely have lasting effects long after the shutdown.

My state is home to U.S. Coast Guard Base Kodiak, the largest Coast Guard base in the nation. From there, they coordinate a multitude of operations in the waters around Alaska, including north in the Arctic. They patrol our waters to ensure the proper adherence of fishing laws and regulations, coordinate search and rescue efforts, help establish and maintain aids to navigation, and conduct other missions to help save lives and strengthen national security. As the United States' only surface presence in the Arctic, their mission to ensure safe maritime activity and safeguard national security has gained importance due to the growing presence of Russia and China in the region. This mission is sure to only become even more significant as these foreign powers continue to expand their influence.

Madam Speaker, I could go on about the many great things our Coast Guard does for both the state of Alaska and the United States as a whole, but I believe it is well understood in this chamber and across the country. With the threat of another shutdown in the near future, I fear that the members of our Coast Guard will be put in the same position again. That is why I urge we move to immediately bring up and pass H.R. 367, the Pay Our Coast Guard Parity Act of 2019, to make sure they are compensated moving forward. Meanwhile, I call on all members in Congress to come to the table and work with the Administration so that we can make a long-term agreement that is beneficial for all federal employees and prevent another shutdown.