Coast Guard commandant says bills going unpaid, urges Congress to fund DHS to end partial shutdown
The United States Coast Guard can't pay its bills, and some personnel are seeing their water and electric utilities shut off, with funding to pay its people could run out as soon as this week.
The Coast Guard is the only United States armed service affected by the partial government shutdown impacting the Department of Homeland Security. As more people are getting ready to get out on the water at home, it's raising some concerns.
The armed service is operating in a crisis—that's the warning from its highest-ranking officer, who says its members need to be fully focused on their demanding missions, not paying their light bill.
From risky air-defying missions to rescue boaters in distress to seizing millions of dollars in drugs from American waterways. The Coast Guard is even supporting the war in Iran.
"The American people depend on us, and we provide a remarkable return on that investment, and we need that investment right now," said Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Kevin E. Lunday.
Lunday says the Department of Homeland Security faces serious funding instability caused by the partial government shutdown.
CBS News' Nicole Sganga sat down exclusively with the admiral and reported that over 6,000 utility bills totaling more than $5 million have gone unpaid.
"In the last few days, station Channel Islands, California, had the power cut off. station, station at Michigan, Fort Huron, had services cut off. Our air station at Barbers Point, Hawaii, had natural gas service cut off," Lunday said. These are stations where our crews are standing by to respond at a moment's notice to any mariner in distress or any threat to the nation. They launch 24/7, 365, and suddenly the lights go out, or they don't have water."
At a budget hearing this week, Admiral Lunday urged Congress to fund DHS and shared stories of coasties delaying medical care, going into debt, and living in financial uncertainty.
"This is needlessly harming our people and hollowing our readiness," he said.
"Americans will die if we're not going to be funding this properly," said Dave Benjamin, co-founder of the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project.
Benjamin teaches the importance of water safety.
"We shouldn't have coast members that are stressed out about rent and electricity and water having to get into a helicopter to go risk their lives to save a boater in distress in the middle of a storm," he said.
The Coast Guard's Great Lakes District said they are not authorized to discuss the lapse in payments.
The exclusive sit-down interview with the admiral will be aired on CBS Mornings on Thursday.
