{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/bipartisan-bicoastal-group-of-lawmakers-calls-on-coast-guard-to-keep-facilities-open", "Bipartisan, Bicoastal Group of Lawmakers Calls on Coast Guard to Keep Facilities Open", "2014-11-18", "2014", "2014-11", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Ron Wyden", "W000779", "www.wyden.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "South Carolina Congressional Members Join Oregon Lawmakers in Urging Coast Guard to Reverse Course \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tTuesday, November 18, 2014\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C. \u2013 In a continued effort to ensure the safety of residents living and working in coastal areas, members of Congress from South Carolina today joined Oregon lawmakers in calling on the U.S. Coast Guard to keep facilities in Oregon and South Carolina from closing next month.\r\nSenators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Tim Scott, R-S.C., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Representatives Kurt Schrader, D-Ore., Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., Mark Sanford, R-S.C., and Tom Rice, R-S.C., signed the letter urging the Coast Guard to reverse its abrupt announcement from October that it would close facilities in Newport, Oregon and Charleston, South Carolina. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., chairman of the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, also signed the letter.\r\n\u201cWe believe that the United States Coast Guard\u2019s decision to close air facilities in Newport, Oregon and Charleston, South Carolina would needlessly endanger mariners in our respective states and we urge you to prevent the Coast Guard from doing so,\u201d the lawmakers wrote in the letter.\r\nWhile the Coast Guard claims that it will still be able to meet the national standard of a two-hour search-and-rescue response time, the lawmakers argue that fewer assets could lengthen response times and threaten the safety of local mariners.\u00a0\r\n\u201cWhile we strongly support efforts to spend federal dollars more efficiently, we cannot support budget cuts that needlessly jeopardize the lives of our constituents.\u00a0 We therefore urge you to reevaluate the Coast Guard\u2019s decision and to prevent the Coast Guard from closing these air facilities,\u201d they wrote.\r\nIn response to previous calls from Oregon and South Carolina lawmakers, the Coast Guard announced it would delay the December 1 closure of the Newport and Charleston facilities until December 15. Newport houses National Oceanic and Atmospheric vessels and Oregon\u2019s largest commercial fishing fleet, in addition to research vessels from Oregon State University. Charleston is one of the nation\u2019s busiest cargo ports, and is home to a robust tourism industry as well as large shrimp, crab and oyster fleets.\r\nRead the full letter here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/bipartisan-bicoastal-group-of-lawmakers-calls-on-coast-guard-to-keep-facilities-open"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5041159931570292, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}