Senator Ted Cruz Highlights Coast Guard Investment and Nominee Admiral Lundday

Coast Guard's Need for Support

• ⚓ The United States Coast Guard's motto, "Semper Paratus" (Always Ready), is hindered by insufficient financial support, leading to outdated equipment and decrepit facilities.
• ⚠️ Key issues include moldy facilities, outdated technology for combating drug cartels and human traffickers, and a shortage of polar icebreakers compared to China and Russia.

Historic Investment in the Coast Guard

• 💰 A significant investment of $24.6 billion was made through the "one big beautiful bill act," representing the largest appropriation in Coast Guard history.
• 🚢 This funding is allocated for acquiring at least five polar icebreakers, 40 helicopters, and nine patrol cutters, alongside $4 billion for improving shore facilities.

Nomination of Admiral Kevin Lundday

• 🎯 President Trump has nominated Admiral Kevin Lundday to lead the Coast Guard, aiming to reinvigorate efforts to protect America's waters.
• 🌊 Admiral Lundday, currently acting commandant, has managed resource surges to interdict drug runners and human traffickers, contributing to record cocaine seizures.

Combating Naroterrorism and Illegal Immigration

• 📈 The Coast Guard seized nearly 510,000 pounds of cocaine in fiscal year 2025, a record haul significantly above its annual average.
• 🤝 Operation River Wall along the Rio Grande demonstrates efforts to deter illegal immigration and smuggling through deployed watercraft and tactical teams.

Admiral Lundday's Experience

• 🎓 Admiral Lundday, a Coast Guard Academy graduate, has nearly four decades of service, including leadership roles in Coast Guard Cyber Command and the Atlantic Area.