Sec. 1017. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON RECAPITALIZATION FOR THE NAVY AND COAST GUARD

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## SEC. 1017 SENSE OF CONGRESS ON RECAPITALIZATION FOR THE NAVY AND COAST GUARD ###

(a)Findings Congress makes the following findings: ####

(1)More than 70 percent of the world’s surface is comprised of navigable oceans. ####

(2)More than 80 percent of the population of the world lives within 100 miles of an ocean. ####

(3)More than 90 percent of the world’s commerce traverses an ocean. ####

(4)The national security of the United States is inextricably linked to the maintenance of global freedom of access for both the strategic and commercial interests of the United States. ####

(5)To maintain that freedom of access the sea services of the United States, composed of the Navy, the Marine Corps, and the Coast Guard, must be sufficiently positioned as rotationally globally deployable forces with the capability to decisively defend United States citizens, homeland, and interests abroad from direct or asymmetric attack and must be comprised of sufficient vessels to maintain global freedom of action. ####

(6)To achieve appropriate capabilities to ensure national security, the Government of the United States must continue to recapitalize the fleets of the Navy and Coast Guard and must continue to conduct vital maintenance and repair of existing vessels to ensure such vessels meet service life goals. ###

(b)Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— ####

(1)the sea services of the United States should be funded and maintained to provide the broad spectrum of capabilities required to protect the national security of the United States; ####

(2)such capabilities should include— #####

(A)the ability to project United States power rapidly anywhere on the globe without the need for host nation basing permission or long and potentially vulnerable logistics supply lines; #####

(B)the ability to land and recover maritime forces from the sea for direct combat action, to evacuate United States citizens from hostile situations, and to provide humanitarian assistance where needed; #####

(C)the ability to operate from the subsurface with overpowering conventional combat power, as well as strategic deterrence; and #####

(D)the ability to operate in collaboration with United States maritime partners in the common interest of preventing piracy at sea and maintaining the commercial sea lanes available for global commerce; ####

(3)the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of the Navy, should maintain the recapitalization plans for the Navy as a priority in all future force structure decisions; and ####

(4)the Secretary of Homeland Security should maintain the recapitalization plans for the Coast Guard as a priority in all future force structure decisions.