Rep. Mike Ezell, R-Miss., leaves a meeting of the House Republican Conference at the Capitol Hill Club on Wednesday, July 26, 2023.
Such missions are only increasing for the Coast Guard. DHS announced July 15 that the service had seized a total of 242,244 pounds of cocaine since President Donald Trump took office in January. That amounts to a more than 100% increase in seizures in comparison to the same timeframe in 2024 during the Biden administration, according to DHS.
Ezell, along with Reps. Sam Graves, R-Mo., Rick Larsen, D-Wash., and Salud Carbajal, D-Calif., introduced the Coast Guard Authorization Act July 2, and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee passed the measure July 15, paving the way for the measure to head to the House floor.
One of the most significant provisions in the legislation would establish a civilian secretary of the Coast Guard to align more similarly with the other branches of the military that fall under the Department of Defense. The Coast Guard falls under the jurisdiction of DHS and does not have a top civilian leading the service.
Installing a secretary of the service will "streamline some of this red tape that we've seen over the years that’s slowed progress down" because he or she will report directly to the White House and Congress — eliminating multiple layers of bureaucracy, according to Ezell.
"This person is going to be instrumental in getting things done," Ezell said.
COAST GUARD RESCUES 4 PASSENGERS FROM CAPSIZED BOAT OFF FLORIDA COAST
Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) walks to a luncheon with Senate Republicans at the U.S. Capitol Building on June 01, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
"It’s critical to have a dedicated Secretary for the U.S. Coast Guard working closely with President Trump, our military leaders, and the Department of Homeland Security for a coordinated, successful effort to keep the nation safe," Scott said.
The efforts on Capitol Hill also align with initiatives underway at the Department of Homeland Security to reform the service. In April, the Coast Guard unveiled its new Force Design 2028 plan to revamp the service’s organizational structure, personnel, acquisitions, contracting and technology, in keeping with directives from Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
COAST GUARD AIRLIFTS CRUISE SHIP PASSENGER WHO HAD STROKES 300 MILES OFF HAWAII COAST
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem looks out during an aerial tour on a HC-130J from U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak, Monday, March 17, 2025, in Kodiak, Alaska, U.S.
The proposal aims to beef up the Coast Guard’s force, which currently consists of roughly 43,000 active-duty personnel, and determine which specialties need reinforcement to expand training. The blueprint also calls for a series of changes to better align the Coast Guard with the Department of Defense’s standards for physical fitness, body composition and grooming.
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The Coast Guard, unlike other military services, does not enforce fitness standards unless personnel are attached to boat crews of law enforcement teams.
The initiative comes in response to the Trump administration’s efforts to tackle illegal immigration and drug smuggling, a DHS official familiar with the plan told Fox News Digital in April.
"We've been making changes practically daily in the service to really keep moving forward," the official told Fox News Digital in April. "The goal of 2028 is that the transformation of the service will be complete by 2028."
Diana Stancy is a politics reporter with Fox News Digital covering the White House.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/coast-guard-overhaul-takes-off-amid-trump-administrations-immigration-narcotics-crackdown