5. Department of Homeland Security · Minor

Consider shifting the Arctic mission from the Coast Guard to the Navy

Partially done

Printed page 156 5. Department of Homeland Security

“Consideration should be given to shifting the Arctic mission to the Navy. Either way, the Arctic mission should be closely coordinated with our Canadian, Danish, and other allies.”

What has happened

Nov 19, 2025 Partially done
The second half of the Quote is being delivered while the first is not. The Arctic mission stayed with the Coast Guard and was reinforced: the presidential memorandum of 2025-10-08 authorized construction of up to four Arctic Security Cutters abroad specifically because "the United States Coast Guard's fleet of icebreakers and Arctic-capable vessels remains insufficient", and directed the Coast Guard, through the Secretary of Homeland Security, to plan the phasing. On 2025-11-19 DHS hosted an Icebreaker Collaboration Effort (ICE Pact) ministerial with Canada and Finland, the three governments committing to grow their icebreaker fleets so that the Coast Guard "can defend our interests in the Arctic" - the close coordination with Canadian and other allies the Quote's second sentence asks for. EO 14269 section 18 separately requires the Secretary of War, with Transportation, Homeland Security and the Commandant, to produce an Arctic waterways strategy. Nothing considers shifting the mission to the Navy.
- DHS: DHS hosts Icebreaker Collaboration Effort (ICE Pact) Ministerial Meeting to advance Arctic security
  Primary Executive branch Nov 19, 2025
- Presidential Memorandum: Construction of Arctic Security Cutters
  Primary Executive branch Oct 8, 2025
- Executive Order 14269: Restoring America's Maritime Dominance
  Primary Executive branch Apr 9, 2025

Research log

What was searched, and what didn’t count as evidence

Research notes

A two-object ask - “Consider shifting the Arctic mission to the Navy. Either way, the Arctic mission should be closely coordinated with our Canadian, Danish, and other allies” - and one object is delivered, which makes it partial.

Denmark is not a party to the ICE Pact; Canada and Finland are, which satisfies “Canadian … and other allies” but not the Quote’s full list. That is noted rather than treated as a failure of the limb.

The transfer half has moved the other way: every instrument in the window invests in the Coast Guard’s Arctic capability rather than examining a handover.

Action: transfer
Object: Coast Guard Arctic mission
ID: 401