U.S. Representative Mark Green (R-TN-07) led four members of the House of Representatives seeking answers from the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) regarding its practices for dealing with COSCO Shipping, state-owned shipping company from China that was sanctioned by the federal government earlier this month.
Green, the chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security, on Wednesday led Representatives John Moolenaar (R-MI-02), Carlos Gimenez (R-FL-26), and Dusty Johnson (R-SD) in a letter seeking answers from Admiral Kevin Lunday about how the Coast Guard handles interactions with shipping company, with the congressmen warning COSCO’s vessels, “frequently have Chinese Communist Party (CCP) political commissars embedded amongst their crews.”
One of COSCO’s affiliates was previously sanctioned under the Trump administration in 2019, and on January 7, the company was determined by the Department of Defense to be among, “Chinese military companies,” which reportedly provides commercial services or goods to China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
“As the lead federal agency for maritime security, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) must take decisive action to mitigate,” risks posed by the company, wrote Green and his colleagues. “The USCG must prioritize the integration of both classified and unclassified intelligence, strengthen interagency coordination and collaboration, and leverage advanced technological solutions to enhance its ability to detect and deter emerging threats.”
To that end, Green and his colleagues asked the Coast Guard to explain how service members, “vet the biographic data of foreign mariners,” submitted by the shipping company, and how the information is verified for authenticity.
They additionally asked whether the Coast Guard has implemented specific measures for companies like COSCO, to explain the level and style of automation used to vet foreign vessels, and for the Coast Guard to explain how it coordinates with other agencies.
Green and his colleagues gave the Coast Guard until February 5 to deliver its response, and requested officials brief the lawmakers by February 12.
The letter comes after President Donald Trump dismissed former Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Linda Lee Fagan, who was nominated by President Joe Biden, with a Trump administration official reportedly citing Fagan’s “excessive” focus on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as the principle reason for her departure.
Green recently praised the president for his early executive orders targeting the southern border and national security, saying the administration, “hit the ground running to work with the Trump administration and other Committees of jurisdiction to fulfill our commitments to public safety and the security of the homeland.”
– – –
Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Image “Rep. Mark Green” by Rep. Mark Green.
