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Opening remarks, as prepared, of Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO) and Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee Chairman Mike Ezell (R-MS) from today’s hearing entitled “The Future of the Coast Guard: Review of Coast Guard Programs and Structure”:

Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves

Thank you, Chairman Ezell for holding today’s hearing, and welcome to our witness, Admiral Lunday. Congratulations on your nomination to be the next Commandant of the Coast Guard. The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure is very glad to host you for your first hearing after being nominated. I hope you are quickly confirmed so that we can get to work. I’m sorry to note that at the same time, we’re losing some good staff from our teams: Commander Justin Nadolny, Commander Nicole Bredariol, and Corey Sites.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t tell you how proud I am of this committee’s jurisdiction over the U.S. Coast Guard – it means a lot to me and the Members of the Committee.  I look forward to working with you to establish a Secretary of the Coast Guard, implement the Force Design 2028 vision, and complete the budget reconciliation process, which will provide historic funding levels for the Coast Guard. 

During my time as Chairman, I have had the privilege of meeting many of the men and women in the Coast Guard who serve our nation, secure our seas and our ports, and conduct life-saving missions. The importance of the Coast Guard to our country’s security cannot be overstated, and I look forward to working with you, Admiral. We must ensure our Service members have every tool at their disposal and everything they need to successfully complete their missions.

Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee Chairman Mike Ezell

As the Coast Guard prepares to undertake significant changes, today the Subcommittee meets to review the Service’s programs and structure. I’d like to welcome our witness, Admiral Kevin Lunday, Acting Commandant of the Coast Guard. Sir, it’s good to see you again. I congratulate you again on your nomination to serve as Commandant of the Coast Guard, and I look forward to working with you closely over the coming years. We certainly enjoyed having you in Mississippi’s Fourth District. It was an honor to host you, and I want to thank you for choosing the Gulf Coast as your first official stop. 

The Coast Guard is preparing to undergo a significant period of change and modernization. At the Coast Guard Academy graduation last month, Secretary Noem announced Force Design 2028, the Trump Administration’s vision for the future of the Coast Guard. As you know, this initiative includes five main points: establish a Service Secretary so that the Coast Guard has the same representation as other military services, as reflected by my bill, H.R. 2546, the Secretary of the Coast Guard Act of 2025; reorganize the Service to streamline processes, better integrate capabilities, and eliminate redundancies; invest in the men and women who serve in the Coast Guard; invest in technology to improve efficiency and capability; and improve and streamline the acquisition process.

Admiral, I was encouraged by your support for this vision and look forward to hearing more about this plan, how the Coast Guard will implement it, what resources you will need, and what changes in authorities the Service will require. As the Coast Guard carries out these efforts, it is the Subcommittee’s expectation that you will work with us and keep us updated as the initiatives move forward. To meet the Trump Administration’s vision, the Coast Guard’s modernization will require substantial resources to prepare the Service to meet the needs of future decades.

Unfortunately, in recent years, the Coast Guard has taken up the motto “do more with less.” After years of underinvestment, the Service is now operating with outdated or inadequate cutters, aircraft, IT systems, and shoreside infrastructure facilities that limit its effectiveness. A recent GAO study confirms what many of us already suspected: we have reached a breaking point. Coast Guard operational hours have fallen by nearly 20 percent since 2017, and mission effectiveness is suffering.

Last month the House approved a budget reconciliation proposal that makes the largest investment in the Coast Guard’s 234-year history. H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, includes $21.2 billion to purchase cutters, aircraft, and shoreside assets. Our investment would reduce the rate at which the service is downsizing, but this investment must be matched with sustained, long-term funding if the Coast Guard is to fully make up recent losses.

Let me be clear, H.R. 1 allows the Coast Guard to carry out its current program of record. It does not fund the growth envisioned by the Administration, nor does it account for any new missions. If the Administration expects to fulfill its vision for the Coast Guard, it must submit a budget that actually supports those goals.

While I am pleased that the President’s proposed Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request provides a modest increase in overall funding, the request is insufficient to sustain the Coast Guard’s current operations, let alone carry out the President’s vision to grow and strengthen the Coast Guard over the long-term.

Admiral, as you know, the Coast Guard currently owes this committee more than 50 legally mandated reports, some of which are years overdue. These reports are not optional. This committee relies on these reports to conduct the oversight that the American people expect of us. Do I have your commitment that going forward, you will work to get us these reports in a timely manner?

Before I end my statement, I want to recognize two individuals. First, the Coast Guard’s House Liaison, Commander Justin Nadolny, whose two-year assignment with the House is coming to an end. Justin has been an enormous asset to Members, staff, and the Coast Guard, working with us to strengthen the Service. I also want to recognize Commander Nicole Bredariol, the Subcommittee’s Coast Guard Fellow. During her two years serving on the Subcommittee, Nicole contributed in countless ways, and her background as an operator and attorney proved invaluable. On behalf of the Subcommittee, thank you both for your service. I wish you fair winds and following seas as you take on your next assignments.

Admiral Lunday, thank you for being here today, and I look forward to our discussion.          

Click here for more information from today’s hearing, including video and witness testimony.