Obama budget: Eliminate 1,100 Coast Guard positions, maritime security teams, and anti-terrorism response

Good thing Obama has his priorities straight…now for a few more hoops.

 

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http://wp.me/pbU4v-5VH

 

Obama budget: Eliminate 1,100 Coast Guard positions, maritime security teams, and anti-terrorism response

Posted on June 23, 2010 by creeping

via Asking Coast Guard To Do More With Less Courts Disaster – U.S. Congressman John Mica, hat tip AmSpecBlog

Below are the proposed Obama 2011 Budget cuts to the U.S. Coast Guard and MMS.

· Minerals Management Service (MMS) – Cuts $2 million for environmental reviews

· U.S. Coast Guard – Cuts 1,100 military positions, in addition to ships, aircraft and safety and security teams

· The FY 2011 President's Budget requests $9.86 billion for the Coast Guard – which is a 0.24% decrease from the FY 2010 enacted level of $9.88 billion.

* Coast Guard asset cuts include decommissioning 4 of the service's largest cutters; removing 5 HH-65 helicopters from service; eliminating 5 of 12 Maritime Safety and Security Teams; and reassigning 4 HH-60 helicopters & eliminating their work in drug law enforcement and anti-terrorism response.

Washington, DC – U.S. Rep. John L. Mica (R-FL), the Republican leader of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, today said the Obama Administration was on a collision course with disaster by asking the U.S. Coast Guard to do more with less, even before the disastrous April 20^th oil spill.

At a Congressional hearing today, Mica said it would take a new position of "Second Lieutenant Magician" for the U.S. Coast Guard to comply with the policy that was recommended in the 2011 Obama budget.  In that February document, the Coast Guard budget was targeted for cuts of 1,100 uniformed positions, along with ships, aircraft and helicopters.  Shortly thereafter, on March 31^st, the Obama Administration announced its support for expanding oil drilling in the Gulf and other U.S. waters.

U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee Ranking Member, shared Mica's concern: "I am very concerned about the ability of the Coast Guard to absorb yet another mission at the same time the Administration is proposing to recklessly slash the service's operating budget."

In the hearing before the Subcommittee, the Coast Guard testified they were barely meeting their personnel and asset requirements to conduct their first responder and inspection duties on deepwater rigs and vessels in the Gulf.

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