WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, on Monday recognized the first federal funding – $5 million – for the National Coast Guard Museum in New London within the new appropriations bill to fund the federal government through September. In the Appropriations Committee, Murphy first succeeded in including the provision in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2017, which passed the committee last May and served as the basis for the DHS portion of the current funding bill. Murphy worked to support U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal and U.S. Representative Joe Courtney in eliminating the ban on federal funds within the Coast Guard Authorization Act, which was signed into law last year.

“As soon as we were cleared to pursue federal funding for the National Coast Guard Museum, I set out on the Appropriations Committee to make this $5 million a reality. This first wave of federal support will enable the Coast Guard to put its more than 225 years of history on display in New London soon,” said Murphy. 

Murphy added, “I’m concerned by some of the broader spending priorities in the overall funding bill and will continue to closely review it.”

The federal money will be used for initial appraising, cataloguing, and organizing the existing collection of artifacts. Specifically, it will support refurbishing artifacts currently owned by U.S. Coast Guard, such as Fresnel lenses, uniforms, textiles, boats, and other equipment, and will help halt deterioration and prepare them for display.

###