Congressional leaders reached a bipartisan agreement on legislation named after Rep. Howard Coble (R-N.C.) to authorize $8.7 billion in funding for the U.S. Coast Guard on Monday.
Republican and Democratic leaders from the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee announced the Howard Coble Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act.
“Day in and day out, the dedicated men and women of the Coast Guard enforce U.S. law on our waterways and the high seas, protecting the lives of those at sea, and securing our borders against illegal drug and human trafficking,” the committees wrote in a combined statement. “This bipartisan, bicameral measure helps ensure that the service has the necessary tools to carry out its important missions, and also recognizes how essential a healthy maritime transportation sector is to our economy, our competiveness and our national security.”
In addition to the funding to the U.S. Coast Guard for fiscal year 2015, the bill supports military pay raises for Coast Guard personnel, funds the Federal Maritime Commission for nearly $25 million for 2015 and will help modernize aging Coast Guard assets.
Coble is Congress’ only Coast Guard veteran. He spent five years in the Coast Guard and more than 20 years as a reservist. The House waived its normal rules against naming legislation after a current member of Congress.
Negotiations on the bill began after the House approved reauthorization in April.