Three Republican senators introduced legislation on Wednesday to create a dedicated civilian Secretary of the Coast Guard, a move intended to align the service’s leadership structure with the other branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.
The Coast Guard Leadership Modernization Act, sponsored by Sens. Rick Scott of Florida, Dan Sullivan of Alaska, and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, would amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish the Senate-confirmed role.
Currently, the Coast Guard operates under the Department of Homeland Security without its own service secretary, leaving the Secretary of Homeland Security to handle direct oversight.
Under the proposed bill, the President would nominate a civilian Secretary of the Coast Guard, who would report directly to the Secretary of Homeland Security. The legislation also creates an Under Secretary position and mandates that the Commandant of the Coast Guard report directly to the new service secretary.
To ensure civilian control, the draft text restricts anyone who has served as an active-duty commissioned officer within the past seven years from holding the top post.
Supporters of the measure argue that the absence of a dedicated secretary creates operational delays for a service tasked with monitoring 95,000 miles of coastline and 3.4 million square nautical miles of the U.S. exclusive economic zone.
“The Coast Guard has a unique and highly specialized mission to protect our country from threats posed by smugglers, drug traffickers, terrorists, and other lawbreakers, and it deserves a service secretary to oversee and coordinate its operations, just like every other branch of the military,” Scott said in a statement accompanying the bill’s introduction. He urged Congress to pass the legislation promptly so the president could submit a nomination for Senate confirmation.
If passed, the law would update Titles 10 and 14 of the U.S. Code to shift administrative authority, military advice protocols, and general supervision parameters from the Homeland Security head directly to the newly formed office.
Senator Tuberville pointed to overall military parity as a primary motive for the push. “Having a permanent Coast Guard Secretary will make the organization even more effective and enhance our national security,” Tuberville said.
Senator Sullivan noted the agency’s broad scope in regions like his home state of Alaska, which features more coastline than the rest of the continental United States combined. “We rely on our brave Coast Guardsmen to monitor and defend vast maritime borders, execute life-saving search-and-rescue operations, respond to international crises, and support Department of War missions,” Sullivan said.
The bill was formally read twice in the Senate and referred to committee for initial consideration.
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