Sullivan joins bill to create civilian Coast Guard secretary

Three Republican senators have introduced legislation that would place a Senate-confirmed civilian secretary atop the Coast Guard, the service Alaskans rely on for search and rescue across more coastline than the rest of the Lower 48 combined.

Sens. Dan Sullivan of Alaska, Rick Scott of Florida and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama introduced the Coast Guard Leadership Modernization Act. Civilian oversight of the Coast Guard now defaults to the secretary of Homeland Security. The bill would create the post in statute, mirroring the service secretaries for the Army, Navy and Air Force. The president would nominate the secretary and the Senate would confirm. The measure would also create an undersecretary, and it would bar a former active-duty officer from the top job until seven years after leaving the service. The new Coast Guard secretary would report directly to the secretary of Homeland Security, with no intermediate layer of authority. The bill is numbered S. 5069.

"We rely on our brave Coast Guardsmen to monitor and defend vast maritime borders, execute life-saving search-and-rescue operations, respond to international crises, and support Department of War missions," Sullivan said.

Scott said Congress should pass the bill "immediately so President Trump can make his nomination, and the Senate can get to work on confirmation."

Not a new idea

The idea is not new. The Coast Guard's own Force Design 2028 report, released in May 2025, committed to seeking legislation for a service secretary within Homeland Security. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem endorsed the position in September 2025. Earlier bills in the 119th Congress carried similar language.

A skeptical take

Not everyone sees a gain. Chuck Hill's CG Blog, which covers the service, argued that the new secretary would still report to Homeland Security. By that account, the bill shifts reporting lines more than it adds ships, crews or money.