
The FY ’14 Omnibus Appropriations bill agreed to by House and Senate negotiators Monday evening provides a handsome boost to the Coast Guard’s acquisition budget, allowing the service to just about complete its planned build of eight National Security Cutters (NSC) while also adding to the account for the Fast Response Cutter (FRC). The bill provides nearly $1.4 billion for Coast Guard acquisition, a $425 million plus-up to the Obama administration’s request. The bill includes $629 million for construction of…