WASHINGTON – U.S. Congressmen Bart Stupak (D-Menominee) and Steve Kagen (D-Appleton) have raised questions about the awarding of a recent Coast Guard contract and are seeking answers for the people of Marinette, Wisconsin and Menominee, Michigan. On September 26, 2008, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) awarded a contract to Bollinger Shipyards in Mississippi to design and build the first Fast Response Cutter – Sentinel Class patrol boat. Marinette Marine had submitted a significantly lower bid for the contract but, to date, the Coast Guard has provided no explanation for its decision.

"Congressman Kagen and I are seeking assurances that the Coast Guard contract for the Fast Response Cutter was awarded in full compliance with federal procurement guidelines," Stupak said. "Families across the country, and certainly here in the communities of Menominee and Marinette, are facing tough economic times. While receiving answers for the hard working men and women of Marinette Marine is our first priority, this is also about ensuring the Coast Guard is spending our tax dollars wisely and appropriately."

"The taxpayers, which include the fine workforce at Marinette Marine, deserve to know how and why a decision on where to spend their hard earned tax dollars was made," Kagen said. "With the recent economic challenges facing our government, it’s more important than ever that the process of awarding government contracts is transparent."

Stupak and Kagen wrote to the USCG seeking detailed information about the contract award and a full analysis of each bid. They also wrote to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), which has been asked by Marinette Marine to review the Coast Guard’s decision, seeking a thorough review and investigation of the award.

"Determining that the right decision was made by the U.S. Coast Guard is critical to ensuring that the men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard receive the best replacement for the Inland Class patrol boats to fulfill their national and homeland security missions," the congressmen wrote to GAO.

The full text of the letters to the USCG and GAO are available at http://www.house.gov/stupak/FRCleters.pdf