The U.S. Coast Guard will continue to execute its legally mandated operations through the federal government shutdown.
“[Those include] safeguarding national security, protecting life, and preserving property,” Lt. Cmdr. Steve Roth, chief of media relations, wrote in an email Thursday. “Uniformed personnel will continue to maintain essential services to control, secure, and defend the U.S. border and maritime approaches, facilitate commerce vital to economic prosperity, and respond to crises or contingencies. Other activities will be reduced or paused until funding is restored, which will limit our capacity to fully maintain mission readiness.”
Further continued activities include supporting search and rescue, counter drug, alien interdiction and defense readiness operations, Roth said.
“However, during a lapse in appropriation, the Coast Guard reduces or curtails some operations and activities that are not considered excepted functions,” Roth wrote. “In general, this impacts the Service’s ability to execute missions in the following areas: marine environmental response; marine safety; ports, waterways, and coastal security; living marine resources; aids to navigation; and domestic ice operations.”
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Reporter Elijah Sussman can be reached by email at elijah.sussman@peninsuladailynew.com.
