Floor SpeechCeremonial2025-12-19

RECOGNIZING UNITED STATES COAST GUARD CWO4 JAMES McINNIS AS DECEMBER 2025 VETERAN OF THE MONTH

TaxesEnvironmentDefenseCrime & JusticeVeterans

Context

On 2025-12-19, Representative Lisa C. McClain (R-MI-9) delivered a floor speech titled "RECOGNIZING UNITED STATES COAST GUARD CWO4 JAMES McINNIS AS DECEMBER 2025 VETERAN OF THE MONTH" in the House. The speech addressed taxes and also covered the environment, defense.

Full Text

RECOGNIZING UNITED STATES COAST GUARD CWO4 JAMES McINNIS AS DECEMBER 2025 VETERAN OF THE MONTH

Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 215 (Friday, December 19, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 215 (Friday, December 19, 2025)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E1238] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] RECOGNIZING UNITED STATES COAST GUARD CWO4 JAMES McINNIS AS DECEMBER 2025 VETERAN OF THE MONTH ______ HON. LISA C. McCLAIN of michigan in the house of representatives Friday, December 19, 2025 Mrs. McCLAIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with profound respect and gratitude to recognize the distinguished service of Chief Warrant Officer 4 James McInnis, United States Coast Guard, as our Veteran of the Month for December 2025 from Michigan's 9th Congressional District. His more than two decades of dedicated service exemplify the highest traditions of our Armed Forces. CWO4 McInnis devoted more than 24 years to honorable service in the United States Coast Guard after enlisting in 1980 and completing basic training in Cape May, New Jersey. He began his career aboard operational cutters in the Great Lakes, supporting essential missions including fisheries enforcement, search and rescue, icebreaking, and aids to navigation. These missions were vital to the safety of mariners and the protection of our waterways. As he advanced through the enlisted ranks, CWO4 McInnis served in increasingly responsible operational and supervisory roles. He supported buoy tending and lighthouse operations throughout the Great Lakes and later coordinated extensive search and rescue efforts across large maritime regions, overseeing thousands of cases while leading and mentoring Coast Guard personnel. Upon promotion to Chief Warrant Officer, Mr. McInnis assumed officer- level responsibilities across multiple Coast Guard missions. He led law enforcement teams supporting international drug interdiction operations aboard United States Navy and allied vessels, deploying to the Caribbean, eastern Pacific, and the Middle East. He also served as an Aids to Navigation Officer in several major ports, supervising cutters and crews responsible for maintaining critical waterways and restoring navigation systems following hurricanes and other emergencies. In the later years of his career, CWO4 McInnis returned to senior sea and staff assignments, conducting offshore buoy tending, environmental response, and complex recovery missions. He concluded his Coast Guard service in the Great Lakes region, overseeing operations, training, and navigation systems while supporting the Coast Guard Auxiliary. Throughout his distinguished career, CWO4 McInnis earned numerous awards, including four Coast Guard Commendation Medals, five Coast Guard Achievement Medals, the Navy Achievement Medal, the 9/11 Medal, two Southwest Asia Campaign Medals, the Kuwait Liberation Medal from Kuwait, six Sea Service Ribbons, three Good Conduct Medals, and both the Expert Pistol Medal and Expert Rifle Medal. Following his retirement in July of 2004, Mr. McInnis continued his commitment to service through education. Using a degree earned while on active duty, he taught in Wisconsin's prison system and later, as Education Director, led the introduction of an associate degree pilot program within state prisons for the first time since 1994. That program has since expanded statewide and continues to provide life- changing educational opportunities. He retired from the Wisconsin Department of Corrections in 2024 and returned to Michigan with his wife, Anne, to enjoy traveling and cheering for the Detroit Lions. Mr. Speaker, Chief Warrant Officer 4 James McInnis' lifetime of service reflects steadfast dedication to our Nation and our communities. His military leadership and postservice contributions have strengthened lives and protected our freedoms, and it is my distinct honor to recognize him as our Veteran of the Month for December 2025. ____________________

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RECOGNIZING UNITED STATES COAST GUARD CWO4 JAMES McINNIS AS DECEMBER 2025 VETERAN OF THE MONTH Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 215 (Friday, December 19, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 215 (Friday, December 19, 2025)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E1238] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] RECOGNIZING UNITED STATES COAST GUARD CWO4 JAMES McINNIS AS DECEMBER 2025 VETERAN OF THE MONTH ______ HON. LISA C. McCLAIN of michigan in the house of representatives Friday, December 19, 2025 Mrs. McCLAIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with profound respect and gratitude to recognize the distinguished service of Chief Warrant Officer 4 James McInnis, United States Coast Guard, as our Veteran of the Month for December 2025 from Michigan's 9th Congressional District. His more than two decades of dedicated service exemplify the highest traditions of our Armed Forces. CWO4 McInnis devoted more than 24 years to honorable service in the United States Coast Guard after enlisting in 1980 and completing basic training in Cape May, New Jersey. He began his career aboard operational cutters in the Great Lakes, supporting essential missions including fisheries enforcement, search and rescue, icebreaking, and aids to navigation. These missions were vital to the safety of mariners and the protection of our waterways. As he advanced through the enlisted ranks, CWO4 McInnis served in increasingly responsible operational and supervisory roles. He supported buoy tending and lighthouse operations throughout the Great Lakes and later coordinated extensive search and rescue efforts across large maritime regions, overseeing thousands of cases while leading and mentoring Coast Guard personnel. Upon promotion to Chief Warrant Officer, Mr. McInnis assumed officer- level responsibilities across multiple Coast Guard missions. He led law enforcement teams supporting international drug interdiction operations aboard United States Navy and allied vessels, deploying to the Caribbean, eastern Pacific, and the Middle East. He also served as an Aids to Navigation Officer in several major ports, supervising cutters and crews responsible for maintaining critical waterways and restoring navigation systems following hurricanes and other emergencies. In the later years of his career, CWO4 McInnis returned to senior sea and staff assignments, conducting offshore buoy tending, environmental response, and complex recovery missions. He concluded his Coast Guard service in the Great Lakes region, overseeing operations, training, and navigation systems while supporting the Coast Guard Auxiliary. Throughout his distinguished career, CWO4 McInnis earned numerous awards, including four Coast Guard Commendation Medals, five Coast Guard Achievement Medals, the Navy Achievement Medal, the 9/11 Medal, two Southwest Asia Campaign Medals, the Kuwait Liberation Medal from Kuwait, six Sea Service Ribbons, three Good Conduct Medals, and both the Expert Pistol Medal and Expert Rifle Medal. Following his retirement in July of 2004, Mr. McInnis continued his commitment to service through education. Using a degree earned while on active duty, he taught in Wisconsin's prison system and later, as Education Director, led the introduction of an associate degree pilot program within state prisons for the first time since 1994. That program has since expanded statewide and continues to provide life- changing educational opportunities. He retired from the Wisconsin Department of Corrections in 2024 and returned to Michigan with his wife, Anne, to enjoy traveling and cheering for the Detroit Lions. Mr. Speaker, Chief Warrant Officer 4 James McInnis' lifetime of service reflects steadfast dedication to our Nation and our communities. His military leadership and postservice contributions have strengthened lives and protected our freedoms, and it is my distinct honor to recognize him as our Veteran of the Month for December 2025. ____________________