Courtney-Blumenthal Provision to Support Coast Guard Museum Passes House | Congressman Joe Courtney
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Courtney-Blumenthal Provision to Support Coast Guard Museum Passes House

December 10, 2015

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Joe Courtney today hailed House passage of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2015 (H.R. 4188), which includes language supporting the National Coast Guard Museum. Working with Senator Richard Blumenthal, Courtney secured a change to federal law that expands the support the Coast Guard can provide for the development, construction and installation of exhibits and displays for the service’s artifacts at the museums. The measure passed the House by voice vote, and awaits consideration in the Senate.

“Eastern Connecticut is proud of its deep connection to our Coast Guard and excited to be the home of the planned National Coast Guard Museum in New London – the service’s first major national museum in its history,” said Courtney. “With nationwide fundraising efforts underway to design and build the new museum, I am committed to ensuring that Congress do all it can to support this worthy project. I am proud to have worked with Senator Blumenthal to secure a targeted change to federal law that ensures that the Coast Guard can provide its full support to making the rich treasure of artifacts for oldest maritime fleet available both to the American people and the world. This is a huge boost to national effort to create the long overdue museum, and sends a powerful signal that this effort has strong backing of the Congress, the federal government and the Coast Guard.”

Watch Representative Courtney’s remarks on the House Floor in favor of the Coast Guard Authorization bill here

Under a federal law passed in 2004, the Coast Guard is prohibited from using its federal funding to support the design and construction of the museum. While a national private fundraising campaign is underway today to raise the funds necessary, the language of current law also limits the ability for the Coast Guard to support efforts to preserve and display artifacts from its 225-year history at the museum. Section 219 of the bill amends the 2004 law to ensure that the Coast Guard can provide funding for “the design, fabrication, and installation of exhibits or displays in which such artifacts are included.”

Courtney is a co-chair of the bipartisan House Coast Guard Caucus.