With the partial government shutdown approaching its fourth week, the Boat Owners Association of the United States (BoatU.S.) is asking boaters to contact their members of Congress. The boaters’ advocacy group is supporting a bipartisan bill that will fund the United States Coast Guard (USCG), so service members will get paid for their work. USCG employees have not received a paycheck since January 15, leaving many USCG families unable to pay their bills.
Citing concerns about boating safety, including search-and-rescue operations and support for aids-to-navigation, BoatU.S. urged Congress to pay USCG employees so they can “focus on their missions and help ensure the safety of recreational boaters.”
BoatU.S. said it would be fitting for Congress to “take action to ensure the well-being of thousands of USCG professionals who have continued to perform critical missions regardless of their own financial uncertainty.”
The organization set up a webpage that allows boaters to easily contact their Congressional representatives and express support for the bipartisan bill.
You can read the full BoatU.S. statement here.
