July 25, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 126 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E990-E991]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 COAST GUARD AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2019

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 24, 2019

  Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I thank you as well as Chairman Maloney, 
Ranking Member Graves, and Ranking Member Gibbs, for your leadership.
  I rise in support of H.R. 3409, and applaud the inclusion of Title 
VIII, the Coast Guard Academy Improvement Act.
  I have been honored to work closely with Chairman DeFazio and 
Chairman Bennie Thompson, the Chairman of the Homeland Security 
Committee, as well as with Congressman Joe Courtney, to address the 
troubling issues that have arisen at the Coast Guard Academy.
  As Chairman of the Coast Guard Subcommittee from 2007 through 2010, I 
convened a series of hearings to push the Academy to ensure that its 
cadet corps reflects the diversity of the nation it is being prepared 
to serve. And progress has been made.
  However, the recent Equity Scorecard evaluation has found profoundly 
troubling trends at the Academy.
  Specifically, the review found that, ``Black/African/American cadets 
have been consistently less likely to graduate than the all-cadet 
average'' and, ``Of particular urgency is Black/African-American 
cadets' disproportionately high share of disciplinary sanctions.''
  Then, in December 2018, the Inspector General of the Department of 
Homeland Security issued a report finding that a Lieutenant Commander 
on the faculty of the Academy, ``was retaliated against on the basis of 
her complaints, in violation of the Military Whistleblower Protection 
Act.''
  Chairman Thompson, Congressman Courtney, and I are continuing to 
conduct oversight

[[Page E991]]

of the Academy's response to the Equity Scorecard findings, and we are 
investigating numerous disparities and shortcomings in how the Academy 
handles allegations of harassment and bullying.
  However, one thing is already abundantly clear: Business as usual is 
simply not an option.
  For that reason, in June, I was honored to join Chairman Thompson in 
introducing H.R. 3488, the Coast Guard Academy Improvement Act.
  I appreciate the thoughtful revisions that have been made to that 
bill's text through close collaboration with the Transportation 
Committee and I thank Chairman DeFazio for including those revisions in 
the Coast Guard Authorization Act before us.
  These provisions will require urgently needed assessments of and 
improvements in the Academy's outreach processes and institutional 
structures to foster expanded diversity.
  I urge all Members to vote in favor of the Coast Guard Authorization 
Act.

                          ____________________