WASHINGTON--Ahead of Tuesday's House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation hearing, “Review of the Coast Guard’s Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Request,” the Defense Credit Union Council wrote to committee leaders stressing the urgent need for full-year, uninterrupted appropriations for the United States Coast Guard and permanent statutory protections to ensure servicemembers receive pay during funding lapses.
“Coast Guard servicemembers should never have to question whether they will be paid while continuing to execute critical national security missions,” said Anthony Hernandez, DCUC president/CEO, Ret. USAF Colonel. “This is a structural gap that Congress has the authority, and responsibility, to permanently fix. Mission readiness depends on financial readiness. When servicemembers are forced to worry about basic household stability because of preventable funding gaps, it directly affects focus, morale, and operational effectiveness. Congress must act to ensure Coast Guard pay is never subject to shutdown-driven uncertainty.”
DCUC reiterated its support for legislative solutions such as the Pay Our Coast Guard Parity Act and broader servicemember pay protections, noting that Coast Guard personnel should receive the same financial certainty afforded to their Department of Defense counterparts.
“While DCUC member credit unions stand ready to support servicemembers during times of financial stress, emergency assistance should never substitute for the federal government meeting its basic obligation to pay those in uniform,” wrote Jason Stverak, DCUC chief advocacy officer.