Kristen McDonald Rivet

HAMPTON TWP, MI – A federal act signed by President Donald Trump Thursday, Dec. 18, calls for a review of the fallout after U.S. Coast Guard services were reduced in the Great Lakes Bay Region as well as across the nation.

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) includes a provision authored by U.S. Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet requiring the U.S. Coast Guard to study the impact of reduced search-and-rescue operations at Coast Guard Station Saginaw River and other stations following the elimination of 24/7 operations last year.

The Coast Guard in 2024 reorganized units across the nation, including a shift of equipment and personnel away from the station on the Saginaw River. As such, the river and the Saginaw Bay are not covered by 24/7 personnel and equipment for search and rescue missions, causing delays and putting additional pressure on local first responders.

“I made a promise to my constituents that I’d work to pass common-sense policy to make our communities stronger,” McDonald Rivet said in a statement. “We’ve brought Republicans and Democrats together around two important solutions for mid-Michigan. These bills will protect the Great Lakes, as well as the economy and jobs that rely on it, and clean up forever chemical pollution on and around military bases.”

The Coast Guard aspect of the NDAA is part of the Great Lakes Icebreaker Act of 2025, which also instructs the Coast Guard to develop a plan to design and build a new icebreaker for the Great Lakes and analyze the effectiveness of the current icebreaking fleet.