{"id":23395,"date":"2025-11-21T21:29:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-22T02:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/?p=23395"},"modified":"2025-11-24T09:29:56","modified_gmt":"2025-11-24T14:29:56","slug":"hoyle-wyden-merkley-and-carbajal-demand-answers-from-coast-guard-on-sudden-removal-of-newport-rescue-helicopter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.merkley.senate.gov\/es\/hoyle-wyden-merkley-and-carbajal-demand-answers-from-coast-guard-on-sudden-removal-of-newport-rescue-helicopter\/","title":{"rendered":"Hoyle, Wyden, Merkley and Carbajal Demand Answers from Coast Guard on Sudden Removal of Newport Rescue Helicopter"},"content":{"rendered":"

WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, Congresswoman Val Hoyle (OR-04) led a letter with U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, as well as Congressman Salud Carbajal (CA-24), the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, demanding immediate answers from the U.S. Coast Guard regarding its decision to remove a rescue helicopter from the Newport Air Facility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In their letter to Acting Commandant Admiral Kevin E. Lunday, the lawmakers warn that the Coast Guard\u2019s unexplained action, \u201chas created significant uncertainty about the future of the Newport Air Facility and the Coast Guard\u2019s commitment to operating there.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cWe cannot compromise search-and-rescue coverage in Newport, and we need the Coast Guard to make that unequivocally clear,\u201d the lawmakers wrote. \u201cWithout action, this decision will cost lives.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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The letter describes why Newport requires immediate, reliable rescue coverage, noting that, \u201cNewport experiences some of the coldest, roughest water on this stretch of the coastline,\u201d and that past tragedies proved that response times from North Bend, \u201ccould not meet the community\u2019s needs.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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The letter raises alarm that, \u201cthe removal of the helicopter, carried out with no explanation or consultation, has only heightened concern that broader changes may already be underway,\u201d and that the impression is growing, \u201cthat maritime safety and the lives of our fishermen, visitors and coastal residents are not a priority for the Coast Guard.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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The lawmakers stressed that federal law sets strict requirements before the Coast Guard may curtail operations at an air facility, stating that, \u201cfederal law sets clear requirements before the Coast Guard can close or significantly reduce operations\u2026including ensuring sufficient search-and-rescue coverage, conducting public meetings and notifying Congress.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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With Dungeness crab season about to begin in mid-December, the lawmakers emphasized the urgency, writing, \u201cthose crews and their families need to know whether they can count on a timely Coast Guard response if something goes wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The letter requests immediate answers to key questions, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n