The Coast Guard Should Be Held Accountable (Rep. Elijah Cummings)

Americans trust the Coast Guard to protect them from emerging threats approaching our homeland from the sea, to rescue them when they are in danger, and to protect the natural resources of our marine environments.  That trust is well-placed.

However, Americans also need to know that that they can trust the Coast Guard’s leaders to manage taxpayer money effectively and efficiently and to provide the tools that the men and women of the Coast Guard need to succeed.

Further, Americans need to know that when a multi-billion contract is signed, the parties to that contract will accomplish its objectives to the best of their abilities.

Our expectations for the Deepwater program are not unreasonable.  We expect it to produce boats that float, planes that fly, and information technology systems that work – meaning that they allow for identification of threats in the maritime domain while protecting sensitive and classified communications and allowing effective control of deployed assets.