House T&I Committee approves Graves’ Coast Guard bill

The U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee on March 20 approved a bipartisan bill sponsored earlier this month by U.S. Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO) to reauthorize U.S. Coast Guard funding.

The Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2024, H.R. 7659, which Rep. Graves sponsored on March 13 with lead original cosponsor U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA), would authorize and amend authorities, programs, and statutes administered by the Coast Guard, according to the congressional record bill summary.

“This bipartisan bill provides the men and women of the Coast Guard with the authorities and resources they need to carry out their missions, which are critical to ensuring maritime safety, enforcing United States laws at sea, and protecting our nation’s borders,” said Rep. Graves, who chairs the House T&I Committee. 

For example, the congressman said that H.R. 7659 “provides for additional air and sea assets, prioritizes much-needed shoreside infrastructure improvements, enables the Coast Guard to address recruiting and manpower challenges, and helps increase the pool of qualified United States merchant mariners.”

Additionally, the bill would bolster sexual assault and harassment protections for Coast Guard members and ensure greater accountability and transparency in the Coast Guard, according to a bill summary provided by the congressman’s staff.

“Finally, the bill holds the Coast Guard accountable for its past failures to protect the members of the service from sexual assault and sexual harassment by promoting greater transparency and strengthening protections for service members,” Rep. Graves said.

T&I Committee Ranking Member Larsen pointed out that the committee’s action on H.R. 7659 marks an important step toward ensuring the continued success of the Coast Guard.

“The bipartisan Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2024 improves the lives of service members by investing in housing, childcare, and facilities, and addresses the service’s shoreside infrastructure backlog,” he said. “Importantly, it also fights sexual violence by holding the Coast Guard accountable for its sexual assault and harassment mitigation and prevention efforts.”

The measure now heads to the full U.S. House of Representatives for action.