March 15, 2017 โ Mexico isnโt going to pay for that wall and neither will the Coast Guard, if a bipartisan group of U.S. senators have their way.
According to reports, the FY 2018 Presidential Budget Request could seek an almost 12 percent cut in the serviceโs budget, apparently in an effort to help pay for increased expenditures elsewhere in the Department of Homeland Security.
A letter sent by Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Gary Peters (D-MI), Patty Murray (D-WA), Roger Wicker (R-MS) and eighteen other senators urges Office of Management and Budget Administrator Mick Mulvaney not to make what could be a $1.3 billion dollar cut to the Coast Guard budget.
The senators note that President Trump has committed to stopping the flow of illegal drugs into the country, protecting its borders, investing in national security, and improving support to armed service members and their families. The Coast Guard plays an outsized role in all these areas and the senators say thatits budget should be increased rather than gutted.
โWe are concerned that the Coast Guard would not be able to maintain maritime presence, respond to individual and national emergencies, and protect our nationโs economic and environmental interests. The proposed reductionโฆ would directly contradict the priorities articulated by the Trump Administration,โ wrote the Senators. โWe urge you to restore the $1.3 billion dollar cut to the Coast Guard budget, which we firmly believe would result in catastrophic negative impacts to the Coast Guard and its critical role in protecting our homeland, our economy and our environment.โ