S-5069-119
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Sponsored by Rick Scott (R-FL)
What it does
This bill would create a new Senate-confirmed civilian position — Secretary of the Coast Guard — appointed by the President, who would report directly to the Secretary of Homeland Security. It would also create an Under Secretary of the Coast Guard. The Commandant of the Coast Guard, currently the top Coast Guard official, would be repositioned to report to the new Secretary of the Coast Guard rather than directly to the Secretary of Homeland Security, mirroring the civilian leadership structure used by the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
Who benefits
Coast Guard personnel who may gain a dedicated civilian advocate within the federal bureaucracy. Defense and homeland security policymakers who prefer a unified civilian-military leadership model across all armed services. Contractors and industries regulated by the Coast Guard (maritime shipping, fishing, offshore energy) who would have a new senior civilian point of contact. The President and Senate, who would gain an additional confirmed appointee with oversight authority over the Coast Guard.
Who is hurt
The Commandant of the Coast Guard, whose direct line of authority to the Secretary of Homeland Security would be reduced by an intervening civilian layer. The Secretary of Homeland Security, who would lose direct supervisory control over the Commandant. Taxpayers who would bear the cost of a new Cabinet-level office and associated staff. Existing Coast Guard civilian and military staff who may face organizational disruption during the transition.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that the Coast Guard is the only U.S. armed service without a dedicated civilian secretary, creating an asymmetry in leadership accountability compared to the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Space Force — each of which has a Senate-confirmed civilian secretary. They contend that a dedicated Secretary of the Coast Guard would give the service a stronger voice in budget negotiations and national security planning, potentially addressing longstanding concerns about Coast Guard underfunding relative to other military branches.
Opponents argue
Opponents argue that adding a new civilian layer between the Commandant and the Secretary of Homeland Security would slow decision-making in an agency responsible for time-sensitive maritime safety, drug interdiction, and national security missions. They contend that the Coast Guard's existing structure — embedded within DHS rather than the Department of Defense — reflects its unique dual law enforcement and military role, and that grafting a military-branch-style secretariat onto it may create bureaucratic redundancy without improving operational effectiveness.