Kane County Reporter

Senator Don DeWitte recognized the birthday of the US Coast Guard, saying, "Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton lobbied Congress for the funding, which was signed into law by President George Washington as the Tariff Act." He made the statement in an Aug. 4 Facebook post.

"The United States Coast Guard's birthday is August 4th, which marks the day in 1790 when Congress authorized the construction of 10 cutter sailing vessels to patrol the coastline, enforce tariffs, and protect revenue," said Donald Dewitte, State Senator 33rd District, according to Facebook. "Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton lobbied Congress for the funding, which was signed into law by President George Washington as the Tariff Act."

According to DeWitte, the US Coast Guard is under the US Department of Homeland Security and was established on Aug. 4, 1790. This is confirmed by the US Coast Guard’s history overview website. On that day, the first Congress authorized the construction of 10 vessels to enforce tariff and trade laws and to prevent smuggling. It is a military force and federal law enforcement agency, according to the US Coast Guard History Program.

Screenshot of Sen. Don De Witte's Aug 4 Facebook post | Senator Don DeWitte Facebook page

DeWitte noted that as Secretary of State, Alexander Hamilton was strongly in favor of tariffs. The first national tariff act became law on July 4, 1789, subjecting imported goods to a 5% ad-valorem tax, with some items having specific taxes regardless of their value. As Secretary of the Treasury, Hamilton advocated for protective tariffs; however, according to "Two Centuries of Tariffs" by John M. Dobson available from the International Trade Commission Library’s website, the nation was not enthusiastic about using high taxes to stimulate manufacturing.

Before 1915, what is now known as the US Coast Guard was called Revenue Cutter Service. That year it merged with the US Life-Saving Service to create one service aimed at protecting US economic interests, the environment, and public safety. According to Military.com, besides enforcing tariff and trade laws and preventing smuggling while protecting federal revenue collection, this multi-mission maritime service also aids mariners in distress.

DeWitte has represented Illinois’ 33rd senate district since his appointment in 2018. Before that, he served as mayor of St. Charles from 2005 to 2013 and as an alderman between 1993 and 2005. He also served on the Regional Transportation Authority Board between 2013 and 2018 representing Kane County according to his official senate biography.