During two days of Committee debate on the Homeland Security legislation, Senator Collins, along with Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK) made the case that the Coast Guard's mission of search and rescue operations is especially important to Maine, Alaska, and other coastal states.
"In Maine, the Coast Guard is called upon for nearly 300 search and rescue missions per year. Whether people are on the water to earn a living or for recreation, it is imperative that there be someone out there in case of emergency, and the best people for that job are the men and women of the Coast Guard," said Senator Collins. Late last week, along with Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK), Senator Collins released a letter to Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman, Senator Joseph Lieberman, stating her concerns about the impact of the Administration's proposal to transfer the Coast Guard to the new Department of Homeland Security, a concern she also raised last Monday in a meeting with President Bush.
This morning, Senator Collins led a 10 to 7 Committee vote to accept her provisions that there will be no reductions in funding or personnel for the Coast Guard's traditional, non-homeland security duties. The bill now states that the "Secretary [of the Department of Homeland Security] may not make any substantial or significant change to any of the non-homeland security missions of the Coast Guard, or to the capabilities of the Coast Guard to carry out" its missions.
"Since October of 1999, more than 14 lives have been lost off the coast of Maine. Since 1994, nationally, 536 fisherman have died at sea. It's clear that as important as our homeland security needs are, we cannot abandon the traditional, vital missions of the Coast Guard," the Senator Said. ###