Snowe, senators ask review of Coast Guard

WASHINGTON – Leading senators on the Homeland Security and Commerce committees are calling for a congressional review of the Coast Guard, saying they are unhappy with the agency’s failure to move quickly to replace its aging fleet of ships and aircraft.

Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, who heads the Commerce Committee’s subcommittee that oversees the Coast Guard, asked the Governmental Accountability Office on Monday to analyze the Guard’s budget and whether its revised replacement plan is adequate.

The Coast Guard has said it plans to repair and replace its deteriorating aircraft and vessels over 20 to 25 years, stretching out its initial 20-year “Deepwater” program. The Guard is also looking at reducing the number of cutters it will buy.

In a letter to the GAO, Snowe and Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., said the review should also look at how well the Coast Guard is carrying out its non-homeland security duties – which include drug interdiction, search-and-rescues and coastal patrols.

“If we take this tack, the service will continue to be stretched far too thin,” Snowe said.