Gluesenkamp Perez Visits Coast Guard Stations at Cape Disappointment and Astoria

April 9, 2026

CAPE DISAPPOINTMENT —  Yesterday, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, and Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard Kevin Lunday visited Cape Disappointment Motor Lifeboat School, and Air Station Astoria to support the Coast Guard’s mission and better understand its resource needs.

The visit comes at a critical time for the Coast Guard, which recently lost one of their own in the first fatality in the line of duty in more than a generation. The Coast Guard has also been without federal funding over 50 days in the ongoing partial government shutdown-as civilian employees go without pay critical services like daycare are under extreme duress. 

“It was an incredible privilege to meet these patriots. They are the people we want in the water during an emergency and I came away reminded again how fortunate we are to have brave, competent people like this looking out for us. Our corner of the world has some of the most dangerous, and highly trafficked water so this is very personal to me,” Gluesenkamp Perez said.

Gluesenkamp Perez added:  “For far too long the Coast Guard has been treated without the same respect or resources as other branches of the military. In the aftermath of the death of Petty Officer 2nd Class Tyler Jaggers, I am asking for answers. We need to understand the circumstances of his death and take steps to make sure it never happens again. I’m grateful that Secretary Mullin agrees with me about the urgency of this and made a visit here to these coast guard stations a priority in the days since he was sworn in as the new leader of DHS.”

Last month, Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd ClassTyler Jaggers passed away due to injuries sustained during a rescue mission off the coast of Cape Flattery. The Coast Guard said it was the first guard fatality in the line of duty in recent memory, and an investigation into the cause is underway.

Cape Disappointment is the largest Coast Guard station along the Northwest Coast and the oldest search and rescue station in the region. It’s home to multiple search and rescue boats, in an area known for rough surf and shipwrecks.

The station’s primary mission includes providing search and rescue to commercial and recreational mariners within 50 nautical miles of the Columbia River entrance and upriver to Puget Island. The guard also provides a maritime law enforcement presence near the approaches to the Columbia River.

Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez has voted to reopen the Department of Homeland Security multiple times since funding lapsed on February 14, 2026. 

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