Testimony: Coast Guard Shore Infrastructure Project Backlogs
Description
Opening Statement by Heather MacLeod, Director, GAO's Homeland Security and Justice team to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation. The Coast Guard faces a growing backlog of shore infrastructure projects that will cost at least $7 billion to address as of June 2024, according to Coast Guard data. Years of deferred maintenance have contributed to the backlog's growth, according to Coast Guard officials.
In 2019, GAO made six recommendations to help the Coast Guard better manage its shore infrastructure by improving its condition assessments and its budget-related data reporting, among other things. As of February 2025, the Coast Guard has fully addressed two of those recommendations and taken steps toward addressing three of them. Fully addressing all six of GAO's 2019 recommendations could help the Coast Guard more efficiently manage existing resources, including to reduce costs and position the Coast Guard and Congress with better information to address shore infrastructure challenges.
In 2019, GAO made six recommendations to help the Coast Guard better manage its shore infrastructure by improving its condition assessments and its budget-related data reporting, among other things. As of February 2025, the Coast Guard has fully addressed two of those recommendations and taken steps toward addressing three of them. Fully addressing all six of GAO's 2019 recommendations could help the Coast Guard more efficiently manage existing resources, including to reduce costs and position the Coast Guard and Congress with better information to address shore infrastructure challenges.