While DHS Funding Looms, the Largest Coast Guard Unit on the East Coast Sits in Limbo on Staten Island

U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Jetta Disco

Every branch of the U.S. Military is currently operating with the security of a full-year budget. Every branch, that is, except one. As we approach the February 13th funding deadline, the United States Coast Guard finds itself in a familiar, yet exhausting, position: the outlier. While the Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Marines are shielded by the Department of Defense budget, the Coast Guard remains tethered to the Department of Homeland Security. In the world of federal appropriations, this has proven to be a systemic vulnerability.

The root of this issue is a historical quirk that has seen the service move from the Treasury to Transportation, and finally to Homeland Security in 2003. While this placement aligns with the service’s law enforcement and port security missions, it forces the Coast Guard to compete for funding within the most politicized department in Washington. When Congress enters a high-stakes debate over immigration or border policy, the Coast Guard’s payroll becomes an unintended bargaining chip. This creates a pay gap where the Coast Guard is the only branch of the Armed Forces required to work without a paycheck during a DHS lapse.

For the members of Sector New York, the nation’s largest operational field command, headquartered right here on Staten Island, this is a direct threat to their household stability. Staten Island is currently ranked as one of the highest cost-of-living military housing areas in the country. A single missed paycheck for an E-5 Petty Officer, whose $5,070 monthly housing allowance is the only thing keeping a roof over their family’s head in the NYC market, is a financial crisis. These families are forced to rely on interest-free loans or community food pantries while their active-duty members continue to perform life-saving missions in our harbor.

Because of it’s essential mission and military status, Coast Guard members are required to report for duty regardless of whether a budget has been signed. Even during a total government shutdown, the crews based at Fort Wadsworth and across the harbor are out breaking ice, conducting search and rescue operations, and securing the Port of New York and New Jersey. This port is an economic colossus that generates over $163 billion in annual business activity and supports 580,000 regional jobs. We are currently the only nation in the world that asks its military to maintain national security and maritime commerce while their own bank accounts are at zero. This undermines recruitment, retention, and the fundamental promise of service.

For us at Five Borough Veterans, we know it’s time to move past the cycle of two-week band-aids and “innovative solutions” that rely on shifting unspent funds. We are currently in active discussions with members of Congress to ensure that Coast Guard Continuity is protected going forward. Our goal is to ensure the Coast Guard is never again impacted by government shutdowns or funding lapses, providing the same stability and peace of mind that every other branch of the military already receives. Either through permanent continuing appropriations or a fundamental shift in how the service is funded, the goal must be parity, ensuring that those who protect our coastlines are never treated as an administrative afterthought.

Contact Your Representatives

We need you to contact your Congressmember today and urge them to support a permanent "Coast Guard Continuity" measure to ensure our Staten Island service members never face a pay lapse again. You can find your representative and their contact information by entering your zip code at the link below.

In Service,

The Five Borough Veterans Team