Oregon’s Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced that the Senate has passed legislation ensuring that the Newport Coast Guard rescue helicopter will continue to operate at least through 2017. “Losing the Newport Coast Guard helicopter would put lives at risk all along the Oregon coast,” said Merkley. “In the cold waters off our shores, people in harm’s way don’t have the luxury of waiting an hour or more for rescue. The Newport community deserves tremendous credit for their tenacity and determination in fighting for the helicopter and keeping their residents and visitors safe. I’m pleased the Senate has acted to keep the Newport helicopter in place, and I’ll keep fighting to make sure the Newport helicopter will always be there as a lifesaving resource.”
“The Newport helicopter is a literal life-saver that I’m fighting hard to keep as a vital protection for the Oregon Coast’s residents and visitors,” Wyden said. “Making sure this helicopter facility stays open for another two years provides time to find a long-term solution for Newport’s safety and the safety of all those on the coast.”
Due to budget cuts, the Coast Guard threatened in 2014 to close the Newport air facility, which handles half of the emergency response calls on the Central Oregon coast. The prohibition on the closure of any Coast Guard facility for two additional years until January 1, 2018, negotiated by the Oregon Congressional delegation, was included in the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2015. The bill also authorizes Coast Guard and Federal Maritime Commission funding levels for two years, and includes provisions to improve Coast Guard mission effectiveness, help modernize the Service’s aging vessels and other assets, and reform U.S. maritime transportation laws.
In addition, Merkley and Wyden secured funding for the Newport Coast Guard helicopter in the fiscal year 2016 spending bill that passed Congress. Merkley is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Newport is home to one of Oregon’s three deep draft ports, the state’s largest grossing commercial fishing fleet, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Pacific Operations Center, Oregon State University research personnel and vessels, and a robust recreational and sport fishing industry that is critical to the local economy.
