Budget deal includes $5 million for National Coast Guard Museum

The budget deal approved by Congress and the White House to fund the government until Sept. 30 includes $5 million to help build a National Coast Guard Museum in New London, Connecticut.

The Coast Guard was prohibited from using federal funds for the museum until the passage of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2016 was passed.

"With the momentum provided by this important development, we will be moving forward with the design and approval process to create a lasting tribute to the heroic men and women of the United States Coast Guard," Richard Grahn, president and CEO of the National Coast Guard Museum Association, said in a statement.

The Coast Guard is the only branch of the armed forces that doesn’t have its own national museum.

"Museum fundraisers are hoping to secure $30 million from the federal government. That's in addition to about $50 million in private donations, of which they've raised $9 million so far. The state has committed up to $20 million for the construction of a pedestrian bridge to provide safe access to the museum," the association said in a post on Facebook.

Rep. Joe Courtney of Connecticut said the federal funding "is a huge boost to the national effort to create the long overdue museum and sends a powerful signal that this effort has strong backing of the Congress, the federal government and the Coast Guard."

"The Coast Guard occupies a special place in eastern Connecticut and our region is proud to be the future home of the National Coast Guard Museum," Courtney said in a statement. "With nationwide fundraising efforts already underway to design and build the new museum, I am committed to ensuring that Congress do all it can to support this worthy project."