Coast Guard

The Challenge

Washington State relies on the men and women of the Coast Guard. From the commercial ports that power

Senator Murray secured funding for the nation's first marine "SWAT" team (shown above) to protect the Puget Sound from terrorist attacks and other threats. (More Coast Guard Photos)

our economy, to our fishing industry, recreational boaters and ferry passengers, we depend on the Coast Guard to ensure our safety and protect our environment.

Senator Murray is a strong advocate for the Coast Guard and for Washington State’s Coast Guard facilities. Through her position on the Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee, Murray boosted the Coast Guard’s budget by 10 percent in Fiscal Year 2002 and brought important new assets to Western Washington.

Since September 11th 2001, the Coast Guard has assumed new Homeland Security duties. Murray has provided the funding and oversight to ensure the Coast Guard can meet these new challenges while still performing its traditional roles (search & rescue, fisheries enforcement, etc).

In 2002, Murray chaired four hearings to examine:

Readiness: How the Coast Guard will maintain its core missions while meeting the new homeland security challenges (February 2002)
Cargo Security (March 2002)
Port Security: Murray held two field hearings in Seattle on port security. (April and July 2002)

Full story

Recent News Releases

5/11/2007
PHOTO: Helping Tacoma Lead the Way on High-Tech Security Advances

3/14/2007
PORT SECURITY: Murray Includes Full Funding for Port Security Grants in '08 Budget

3/13/2007
Murray Statement on Passage of 9/11 Recommendations

3/9/2007
Murray Delves Into Washington State's National Security Priorities During Questioning of Homeland Security Secretary

9/29/2006
Murray Announces Approval of Homeland Security Funds for Washington State Security Needs