Congressman Mike Ezell (R-MS 4)
- The effort by Mississippi’s 4th District Congressman got a boost Thursday when both Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem backed the move.
Mississippi Congressman Mike Ezell (R) is helping lead the charge in the U.S. House of Representatives to create a Secretary of the Coast Guard, the only branch of the U.S. military without a civilian Service Secretary at the helm.
With its nearly 43,000 active-duty personnel, the Coast Guard is also the only branch that is not under the Department of Defense, now known as the Department of War under the Trump Administration. The branch currently falls under Homeland Security. That, too, could change.
Ezell, who represents South Mississippi’s 4th District, is the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee Chairman on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. A provision was included in the Coast Guard Reauthorization Act of 2025 that provides for a Secretary of the Coast Guard.
The bipartisan legislation passed the House in July and provides for other priorities to support the mission of the Coast Guard by strengthening its ability to protect America’s waterways, coastlines, and maritime interests.
“The Coast Guard plays a vital role in safeguarding our nation’s security, supporting economic activity, and responding to natural disasters and emergencies—especially along the Gulf Coast,” Ezell said at the time. “This legislation gives the men and women of the Coast Guard the tools, training, and resources they need to carry out their missions safely and effectively. It not only strengthens our national security but also supports maritime jobs, ensures safe navigation, and protects our natural resources.”
He called the legislation “a win for Mississippi, a win for the Gulf Coast, and a win for the country.”
Ezell’s push for a Secretary of the Coast Guard got a boost Thursday when Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem publicly backed the effort.
In a letter from Hegseth to Noem, the War Secretary said he viewed the creation of a Secretary of the Coast Guard “as a vital step toward strengthening strategic integration and alignment between the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of War.”
“A dedicated Service Secretary would promote appropriate executive accountability and policy guidance for the Coast Guard’s critical mission set, provide clear leadership and advocacy, and ensure that the Service is effectively advancing the priorities of the Secretary of Homeland Security and the President of the United States,” Hegseth added.
Secretary Noem agreed, stating that the Coast Guard is the tip of the spear in the fight to protect America’s Homeland.
“Every day, they are taking down drug smugglers, going toe-to-toe with our adversaries in the Arctic and the Pacific, and saving lives,” Noem said in a statement.
Noem went on to say that having a Secretary of the Coast Guard will be essential for President Donald Trump’s mandate to rebuild the Service into the finest maritime fighting force in the world.
“I emphatically endorse and support Secretary Hegseth’s recommendation and look forward to working with him, President Trump, and Congress to make this a reality,” Noem said.
The Homeland Security Secretary also noted that having a service secretary will better equip the Coast Guard to conduct its already successful joint operations with other branches of the armed forces, particularly as it comes to combatting illicit drug and human trafficking.
“We recognize and deeply value the Department of Homeland Security’s stewardship of the Coast Guard’s multi-mission character and its unique homeland security capabilities,” said Secretary Hegseth in his letter to Secretary Noem. “The Department of War believes that the establishment of a Secretary of the Coast Guard can complement and reinforce these strengths while ensuring that, in times of peace or war, the Service is postured to support the full spectrum of national security operations.”
Traditionally, the Coast Guard has not had an ongoing standardized physical fitness evaluation program. However, with Hegseth’s push to ensure a lethal fighting force across all branches of the U.S. military, a new Secretary of the Coast Guard could seek to better align with the Department of War’s focus on fitness, particularly among those servicemembers who are assigned to work alongside military counterparts in the U.S. Navy or other branches.
Similar legislation to create a Secretary of the Coast Guard has been filed in the U.S. Senate by Senators Rick Scott (R) of Florida and Shelley Moore Capito (R) of West Virginia.
Along with its active-duty personnel, the Coast Guard also reports having over 8,000 reservists and 30,000 auxiliarists who together provide services in over 3.4 million square miles of Exclusive Economic Zones.
