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GAO and witnesses tell House panel Coast Guard shore infrastructure backlog tops $7 billion; housing and child care projects at risk
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Summary
GAO testified that nearly half of Coast Guard shore infrastructure is beyond service life and the backlog totals at least $7 billion. Members raised specific local projects and asked whether unobligated appropriations could be rescinded under executive action.
Government Accountability Office witnesses told the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee that the Coast Guard's shore infrastructure backlog totals at least $7,000,000,000 and that almost half of shore facilities have exceeded their service life.
"These shore infrastructure backlogs include items ranging from sinkholes at the Coast Guard yard, training facilities at Coast Guard Academy in Cape May, and housing units where service members and their families live," GAO Director Heather McLeod said. She told the committee that deferred maintenance increases long‑term costs and risks to safety, readiness and mission execution.
Members cited widespread housing problems for service members. Representative Carbajal described Coast Guard housing in Santa Barbara as "substandard with mold, collapsing floorboards, and persistent water issues," and asked how the service prioritizes housing projects. Vice Admiral Tom Allen said the Coast Guard is using "Tiger teams" for immediate remediation and that the service's plant value is about $24,700,000,000, with a recommended annual sustainment rate of 2–4 percent that the service is not meeting.
Members also pressed for details about specific, unobligated appropriations and whether they are at risk of rescission under recent executive actions. Allen said he was not familiar with the particular list members cited and asked to follow up on the record. Representative Begich and others emphasized the importance of funding to support homeporting work in Alaska, including pier and housing upgrades tied to operating acquired vessels temporarily assigned to the region.
GAO recommended that the Coast Guard provide Congress with more complete and updated cost estimates, document the trade‑offs it makes when prioritizing projects, employ models to prioritize investments and set baselines and goals to measure maintenance effectiveness. "The Coast Guard could further improve management of its infrastructure with additional action in the following four areas," McLeod said, summarizing GAO's recommendations.
The committee also discussed the effect of continuing resolutions and possible government shutdowns on long‑term procurement and infrastructure projects. McLeod said even short funding disruptions can have long‑lasting effects on federal programs and infrastructure execution.
The hearing produced no formal decisions; GAO said it will continue to follow up on Coast Guard actions to implement its recommendations.
