GAO: Coast Guard Should Address Workforce Recruitment and Retention Challenges
The Coast Guard has struggled for years to recruit and retain a sufficient workforce. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), the non-partisan, fact-based arm of the Congress, has published multiple reports related to the Coast Guard’s workforce including recruitment and retention challenges. Three of these reports published in 2022 and 2023 have resulted in 17 GAO recommendations to address these issues, but as of today, 16 remain open and need to be addressed. Implementing these recommendations is key to the Coast Guard’s ability to recruit and retain the personnel necessary
Legislation Targets US Ship Recycling Reform
Garret Graves (R-La.) will introduce the companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives. The legislation aims to improve the domestic ship recycling industry and promote transparency by requiring reports from Maritime Administration (MARAD) and an audit by the Government Accountability Office. “The Maritime Administration receives millions of dollars in federal funding, but they’ve never reported how the sales money is spent or how the agency awards contracts,” Vitter said. “Ship recycling is an important part of our domestic maritime
W&O Opposes McCain Amendment
. A recent study by the U.S. Maritime Administration cited the “economic importance” of the American shipbuilding and repair industry. Overall, the Jones Act is responsible for more than 480,000 jobs nationwide with an economic impact in excess of $90 billion. In addition, the Government Accountability Office, the independent investigative arm of Congress, said America’s military power is dependent on a strong “shipyard industrial base to support national defense needs.” The amendment would have unforeseen and chilling repercussions on national security and the wholesale
GAO: U.S. Can Do Better on Arctic Policy
The U.S. needs a better strategy to coordinate and prioritize its policies related to the Arctic region, according to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) study out today that was released by Reps. Rick Larsen (WA-02), Tim Bishop (NY-01), John Garamendi (CA-03) and Senator Lisa Murkowski (AK). The GAO study focused on U.S. participation in the Arctic Council, a voluntary body started in 1996 that includes the eight Arctic nations—Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the U.S., as well as indigenous groups and other stakeholders. The State Department leads participation
