Pappas Secures New Hampshire Priorities in Coast Guard Reauthorization
This week the House of Representatives approved H.R. 4275, the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025, by an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 399 to 12. This legislation strengthens, supports, and authorizes funding through 2029 for the United States Coast Guard and its critical missions to safeguard our nation’s borders, facilitate maritime commerce, ensure maritime safety, and more.
New Hampshire priorities secured by Pappas in the legislation include an allocation of $18.5 billion for procurement, funding that will be vital for Coast Guard repairs and upgrades, including at the Portsmouth Harbor Station. Pappas has been working alongside the Commander of the Portsmouth Harbor Station and the USCG Acting Commandant, Admiral Kevin E. Lunday, to prioritize these critical repairs. Pappas also worked to ensure the legislation directs the Coast Guard to make publicly available information on the interdiction of illicit drugs at sea, in order to track the quantity of drugs being interdicted in U.S. waters and determine what future steps need to be taken to strengthen interdiction efforts.
“The Coast Guard is a key pillar of our national defense and plays a critical role in ensuring maritime safety and security. I’m glad this reauthorization package includes critical resources I advocated for to support the Coast Guard as it carries out its mission, repair and modernize the Coast Guard’s infrastructure and safety systems, and enhance nationwide drug interdiction efforts,” said Congressman Pappas, member of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation. “This bill delivers for New Hampshire and our Coast Guard, and I urge the Senate to quickly bring it up for a vote so we can reauthorize this critical branch of our armed forces.”
Background:
The Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025 authorizes appropriations for the Service through FY 2029. These authorizations will support Coast Guard operations and the continued recapitalization of its historically underfunded cutter fleet, aviation assets, shoreside facilities, and IT capabilities. The bill modernizes the Coast Guard’s acquisition process, increases transparency and accountability in the Service’s recapitalization efforts, and opens a pathway to the adoption of next-generation autonomous technologies.
The bill also creates greater parity with the other armed services, including the establishment of a Secretary of the Coast Guard and stronger protections for members of the Coast Guard from sexual assault and harassment, based on legislation the T&I Committee introduced last Congress following the Service’s Operation Fouled Anchor.
Furthermore, the legislation strengthens U.S.-Build requirements and improves accountability to better ensure a healthy, robust U.S. shipbuilding industry, while also making changes to maritime safety laws, amending requirements for merchant mariner credentials to facilitate an increase in the pool of qualified U.S. merchant mariners, increasing vessel safety, and improving regulatory processes.