Obama Coast Guard Budget Courts Disaster

February 26, 2010

By Herald Staff

PRESS RELEASE FROM CONGRESSMAN LOBIONDO’S OFFICE:

Washington, DC – Republican leaders of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee today called cuts to the Coast Guard budget proposed by the Obama Administration a recipe for disaster, and cautioned that these actions would undermine U.S. port and maritime security.

The FY 2011 budget proposal reviewed today by the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee slashes more than 1,100 positions, reduces Coast Guard, maritime and security assets, and decommissions five recently refurbished helicopters.

“It’s outrageous that the Administration would propose cutting the Coast Guard budget to this degree when it is our first line of national defense and maritime security,â€