Pappas Legislation Included in Bipartisan Coast Guard Reauthorization

Washington D.C.- Today the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure approved two amendments offered by Vice-Chair of the Coast Guard Subcommittee Chris Pappas (NH-01) in the markup of the bipartisan Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2019. The Coast Guard Authorization Act fully funds the Coast Guard for the next two years with more than $11 billion in discretionary funding for each fiscal year, which will allow them to address a backlog created by previous budget cuts. This authorization also includes language, supported by Congressman Pappas, that will ensure the Coast Guard will get paid in the event of another government shutdown.

"The Coast Guard plays an instrumental role in defending our maritime interests, preventing drugs from reaching our shores, and keeping our nation safe," said Congressman Pappas, Vice-Chair of the Coast Guard Subcommittee. "I am proud our committee was able to advance a bipartisan bill that fully funds the work of the Coast Guard in addition to ensuring the 42,000 men and women in the Coast Guard get paid in the event of another government shutdown. I will continue to work with my colleagues to ensure the Coast Guard has the proper support and policies in place to carry out its mission."

Congressman Pappas's first legislation included in the Coast Guard Reauthorization bill, H.R. 2276 – the Fair and Equal Treatment of Women in the Coast Guard Act, seeks to improve recruitment and retention of women in the U.S. Coast Guard to ensure they can continue to attract our nation's best and brightest. This bill stems from a RAND study, commissioned by the U.S. Coast Guard, that identified barriers to attracting, recruiting, and retaining women and recommended ways to improve gender diversity in the service. The second bill Congressman Pappas introduced that was included in the Coast Guard Reauthorization was H.R.3140 – the Commercial Fishing Industry Vessel Clarification Act, which recodifies a portion of U.S. code for commercial fishing vessels, to simplify the code and ease adherence for fishers.