Statement: GAO Finds Coast Guard Violated Legal Obligations, Obstructed Congressional Oversight
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 22, 2026
Brian Purchia, brian@protectourdefenders.com
If you would like to interview Josh Connolly, senior vice president of Protect Our Defenders, please respond directly or contact brian@protectourdefenders.com.
Protect Our Defenders calls on Congress to hold the Coast Guard accountable after GAO finds years of missing and delayed Coast Guard reports
Washington, DC – A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that the U.S. Coast Guard repeatedly failed to comply with the law to submit complete and timely reports to Congress on sexual assault and sexual harassment. According to GAO, required data was routinely omitted, and multiple annual reports were not issued until years after statutory deadlines – significantly delaying congressional oversight.
Accurate and timely reporting to Congress is a legal requirement and a cornerstone of effective oversight for sexual assault prevention and response in the military. The GAO’s findings show that the Coast Guard has repeatedly fallen short of this responsibility, withholding required information and delaying reports for years. These failures undermine Congress’s ability to conduct oversight and raise serious concerns about leadership accountability within the service.
These reporting failures do not exist in isolation. They come amid high-profile cases – such as Fort Hood and Stockin – that exposed profound breakdowns in military leadership and accountability, alongside recent policy changes that have weakened survivor protections across the armed forces. Those changes include eliminating independent prosecutors and senior military legal officials, pausing or canceling Sexual Assault Prevention and Response training, issuing guidance that discourages reporting by requiring corroboration, and cutting victim services. Together, these actions erode trust and further weaken the military’s ability to prevent and respond to sexual assault within the ranks.
Protect Our Defenders Senior Vice President, Josh Connolly, former Chief of Staff to Rep. Jackie Speier, released the following statement:
“This is not complicated. Congress and Coast Guard leadership must act to bring the service into full compliance with the law and ensure transparency going forward. Women who choose to serve their country in the Coast Guard deserve an institution that protects them as fiercely as they protect our shores. Survivors who come forward despite enormous personal and professional risk deserve more than incomplete data sets and years-delayed reports – they deserve immediate action, accountability, and meaningful change. These are not abstract compliance failures – they are betrayals of the people who have already sacrificed the most.
“The GAO found that the Coast Guard is failing to meet clear, legally mandated reporting requirements set by Congress. Submitting complete and timely reports is the bare minimum, and falling short of that standard is simply unacceptable. Sexual assault is a crime, and accurate, timely reporting is essential to supporting survivors, ensuring accountability, and enabling meaningful congressional oversight.
“These failures have real consequences for readiness, recruitment, and trust in leadership. Missing data and incomplete reports raise serious questions about whether the service understands the scope of the problem, is effectively evaluating its policies, or is taking meaningful action to prevent future harm. Without reliable information, oversight breaks down, and accountability is impossible.”
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