Katie Britt

The U.S. Coast Guard will officially establish its new training center at Birmingham-Southern College later this week, U.S. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., announced Tuesday during a budget hearing with Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.

Britt, who chairs the Homeland Security appropriations subcommittee, said she will be on the 192-acre campus on Friday with Admiral Kevin Lunday to mark the milestone.

The Coast Guard announced earlier this year that it required a modern training facility to help achieve its goal of growing the force by 15,000 members.

So, it acquired the BSC campus, which ceased operations in 2024.

“To fulfill its mission, increased training capacity is needed now more than ever,” Britt said during the hearing.

“It is paramount we provide resources to train cadets, build vessels, and procure air assets.”

Mullin told Britt that training all Coast Guard members on a variety of skills is essential because it is a small branch.

“When we are able to invest in their continuing training and be able to see that they have the skills and the tools needed to deliver on the threats that face America and our waterways every single day is vitally important,” Mullin said.

Britt also referenced another Department of Homeland Security training center in Alabama, expressing disappointment over proposed funding cuts.

The National Computer Forensics Institute in Hoover trains local and state law enforcement on combating cybercrimes.

President Donald Trump’s budget request for fiscal year 2027 proposes cutting the center’s funding by nearly $27 million.

“I don’t need to tell you, Mr. Secretary, that computer crimes are only becoming more sophisticated, and that we need more points of security by state and local officials, not fewer,” Britt said.

The institute operates under the U.S. Secret Service and equips law enforcement with tools to investigate cybercrime, financial fraud and online exploitation.

Tuesday’s hearing came as Senate Republicans are attempting to get about $70 billion in funding approved for immigration enforcement and Border Patrol through the rest of Trump’s term.

Republicans are moving forward with a legislative process that allows them to fund those agencies without Democratic support, after continued refusal from the group as it demands major reforms.

Following Britt’s conversation with Mullin, Democrats pointedly questioned the new DHS Secretary over his leadership of the department since March.

Sen. Chris Murphy, D- Calif., the top Democrat on the subcommittee, opened his remarks with an explanation of why funding negotiations for the department have stalled in 2026.

“The reason why Democrats and Republicans were not able to find agreement on the underlying DHS appropriations bill is because never before in the history of our nation has a federal agency been run so far off the rails as the Department of Homeland Security,” Murphy said.

Murphy accused the department of violating 96 court orders and asked Mullin if the department would comply.

The secretary did not directly answer.

“If we didn’t think courts were politicized, I would probably be able to answer that,” Mullin said.

“But we see courts over and over again that use their bench for their political opinion, not just the rule of law.”

Democrats also questioned Mullin about conditions inside a New Jersey detention center which has been the subject of a growing controversy following reports that detainees have been beaten and gassed by guards.

Tuesday was the first time Mullin has testified before Congress since his confirmation in March.

He is scheduled to testify before the House Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday.