WASHINGTON, D.C.—Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, issued the following statement today following the announcement of Vice Admiral Robert J. Papp Jr.’s nomination to become the next Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard. Vice Admiral Papp, if approved by the U.S. Senate, would become the 24th Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, replacing Admiral Thad Allen in May 2010.

“I am pleased to hear the administration’s announcement of Vice Admiral Papp’s nomination to be the next Commandant of our U.S. Coast Guard,” said Chairman Rockefeller. “If approved, he will relieve a man who has been a great leader of the Coast Guard and for our nation. Protecting America’s waters is crucial to our national security, and I look forward to discussing with Vice Admiral Papp his qualifications for such an important job.”

###