Our ports are owned by local governments who are responsible for the ports. It is the Coast Guard and Customs that provide security. The federal government will never outsource our security.

Water keepers patrol local waterways and prosecute polluters. Essentially, they act as the community's coast guard.

Our National Guard, as I think everybody knows, has provided about 40 percent of the boots on the ground in Iraq and in the conflict against Islamofascism. They went into that battle, being called up for their national security service, short of equipment.

As the Senator from Vermont was kind enough to note, I did have the experience of being commander in chief of our National Guard in Missouri for 8 years.

The Coast Guard has long been known as the armed service that gets more done for less.

The operations of the federal government will be most extensive and important in times of war and danger; those of the state governments, in times of peace and security.