Rep. Garamendi Leads Bay Area Members in Demanding Answers Over Coast Guard Mare Island Contract
VALLEJO, CA — Today, Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA-08), Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness and a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee led a letter demanding that the Coast Guard explain why the administration chose to award a contract to a higher bidder rather than Mare Island Dry Dock.
“Despite reportedly bidding a million dollars less than the eventual winner of the USCG Healy bid, Mare Island Dry Dock did not receive the $10 million contract. This raises serious questions about how taxpayer dollars are being spent,” said Congressman John Garamendi. “I’m using every tool at my disposal to understand this decision made by the Coast Guard, the Navy, and the entire Trump administration to fight for our community. I have been a steadfast advocate for Mare Island for years because it is critical to our local economy and national security—and I will never stop fighting for this community.”
"I am deeply alarmed by the potential closure of Mare Island Dry Dock and the resulting layoffs of skilled workers who have long supported our nation's maritime economy and security," said Congresswoman Lateefah Simon. Any closure delivers a serious economic blow to Solano County and the broader Bay Area, eliminating good-paying jobs and weakening the skilled workforce our region has built over generations. I stand with Congressman Garamendi in demanding that the Coast Guard provide additional documentation on their decision and explain how putting Mare Island workers out of a job is beneficial to our country's maritime security."
Read the full letter HERE:
The letter was also signed by Rep. Lateefah Simon (D-CA-12), Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA-02), Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA-11), Rep. Josh Harder (D-CA-09) and Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA-04).
Last week, the Coast Guard failed to award Mare Island Dry Dock the contract to repair the icebreaker Healy, the Coast Guard’s largest vessel, despite Mare Island Dry Dock’s prior successful work on the Healy and its more competitive price, $1.5 million less than the winning bidder. The Healy contract would have directly supported 150 local jobs, keeping workers employed for three to four months and bringing critical economic development to the region.
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