Posted on 11/16/2002 7:02:14 AM PST by BellStar
With U.S. senators poised to pass the Homeland Security Bill as soon as next week, the Coast Guard could become part of a new 850,000-member agency as soon as mid-January.
As written, the bill could eventually change the scope of duties the Coast Guard has performed in the Gulf of Mexico since 1918.
But Coast Guard Group Galveston, the command center for Coast Guard activity from Matagorda Bay to Louisiana, doesn’t yet know how becoming part of what would be the largest government agency might effect local operations.
“We’re still in the preliminary stages of the development, and it’s too early to discuss the local impact,” said Coast Guard Lt. Matt Orendorff.
Orendorff said current policy requires all Homeland Security bill inquiries to be directed to the Coast Guard’s national office of public affairs. Inquiries to that office were referred to Commander Jim McPherson, who did not return calls Friday.
The Homeland Security Bill, passed Wednesday by the U.S. House of Representatives and now pending before the Senate, would create a Department of Homeland Security that would incorporate 22 existing federal agencies, including the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the U.S. Customs Service, the U.S. Secret Service and the Coast Guard.
Ninth District U.S. Rep. Nick Lampson, D-Beaumont, who voted against the bill, said the potential effect on the Coast Guard was one of his concerns.
“While I support a Department of Homeland Security, this is one of the glaring problems that came with the bill,” Lampson said.
“Although the bill has the commandant of the Coast Guard report directly to the Secretary of Homeland Security, it allows any or all of the Coast Guard’s Homeland Security missions to be transferred from the Coast Guard.”
Lampson said bureaucracy shouldn’t hinder the Coast Guard. “When the Coast Guard sees a vessel approaching, to hamper their response with bureaucratic nuances is illogical at best and risky at worst,” said Lampson. “The Coast Guard, and the work they do, is immensely important to the 9th District. This is one of the many examples of aspects of the bill not being thought through. It is my hope that in the next Congress we will be able to suggest improvements and that the DHS is a work in progress.”
Mr. Lampson, the Coast Guard is not going to publicize it's operations play book "Loose Lips Sink Ships" and you know it sir. The Galveston County Daily News knows better too. This is irresponsible journalism at best and at worst, well I won't go there. The Coast Guards mission has been fully addressed and is not a problem as this story implies.
Democrat scare tactics were addressed by the voters Nov. 5th with some pretty stunning defeats. I thought we'd seen the last of the scare tactics. This leap into irresponsibility needs to stop. No matter how you try to dress it up giving aid and comfort to our enemies by implying our Coast Guard is not up to the task has a name and we all know what it is.
Gee, the Coast Guard may have to actually stop illegals from entering the country (and lower the democrat voting base) . Gee, can't have that , now can we?
Dumb Democrats. "It's the votes, stupid."
Yeh, right now they bring 'em in, give them to the current INS, they get registered as democrat voters by the end of the week.
The 9th District includes parts of the Houston Ship Channel and is lined by the largest petrochemical industry and one of the largest American Ports. A plumb to say the least. We as you would suspect also have the best of the Coast Guards finest all right here.
Well....I think you're right. Dummie from DU Inc. , no doubt.
He/she has the mind of a child. It's a dead give away.
To me it just proved that they are ineffective in protecting our shores.
It sure gave me the creeps! How often does this sort of thing happen?
I think Homeland taking the Coast Guard is a great idea. That could have been a boat load of Al Quata instead of future democrats. Both are dangerous to America. (I don't know which is worse, really.)
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