Two members of the region's congressional delegation, Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, and Rep. Scott Peters, D-San Diego, were supposed to attend Thursday's official designation of San Diego as the nation's second largest Coast Guard City.
While Peters attended, Hunter canceled at the last moment.

The designation recognizes San Diego’s commitment to the U.S. Coast Guard, its service members and their families.

Rep. Scott Peters, D-San Diego, who has kept a busy schedule this week, was at the ceremony.

“I’ve been really busy this week," Peters said. "I think we have something every night. We’ve had two town halls and a meeting with a lot of the local activist community. Tonight I’ve got a Biocom event. I think I might see my family tomorrow night. It’s been a busy week but I think appropriately so. It’s an important time.”

Peters was pleased the city's relationship with the USCG was being honored.

"(The Coast Guard) also works really closely with the port and the harbor police, and all the other agencies, to take care of us here. So, it's a great recognition for San Diego to be named a Coast Guard City," Peters said.
Hunter is seen as a strong supporter of the Coast Guard and he did attend a Wednesday night dinner with Adm. Paul Zukunft, Commandant of the Coast Guard.

“I’m sure (Hunter's) heart was here, but he was called away to other business,” Zukunft said.

Locally, Rep. Susan Davis has kept a packed schedule. And while Rep. Darrell Issa wouldn’t appear at a town hall on health care, he did take questions for more than an hour when a group of supporters and protesters appeared at his office.

Congress established the Coast Guard City program in 1998 to recognize cities with military assets of the USCG and their support for personnel stationed there. San Diego has been home to U.S. Coast Guard Air Station San Diego Since 1937.
To date, sixteen cities have been designated by Congress as Coast Guard Cities.