ASSATEAGUE ISLAND — Accomack County Supervisors are considering drafting a letter to federal legislators to 'make every attempt necessary" to restore lifeguard services at Assateague Island National Seashore, as beachgoers raise safety concerns heading into the peak of summer.
With local officials now looking for federal government assistance, WBOC spoke with U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) about what can be done to restore funding for seasonal lifeguards.
“We’re writing the FY26 budget, and [we're] in the middle of a reconciliation bill that’s kind of budget tax policy together. I’m gonna do everything I can to make sure the National Park Service has robust funding,” Kaine said.
Kaine pointed to federal budget cuts made by the Trump administration as a driving factor in the loss of lifeguard staffing.
"President Trump is trying to force Congress to pass a tax bill to give dramatically increased tax breaks to the wealthiest. You know, the estate tax — so that if you have 29.9 million, you don't pay a penny of estate tax. And we could use some of that revenue to hire some lifeguards."
Kaine said he fears the lack of funding could lead to bigger issues,
“The likelihood is that something bad is gonna happen, if not in Assateague, somewhere else, because of the absence of lifeguards. And then we’re gonna ask ourselves — why did we do this? Why did we eliminate lifeguards in these National Park Service facilities?”