2004

December 10, 2004 

Saxton: Humvee Armoring Programs Not Yet Complete (link)

“We have ramped up production of armored Humvees 30-fold since the terrorist insurgents began attacking our patrols with IEDs in the summer of 2003,” Saxton said, referring to the use of roadside bombs known as improvised explosive devices. “Seventy-five percent of the Humvees in theater are now armored, and every month more armored Humvees or kits to upgrade vehicles already deployed are shipped out to the troops.”

December 7, 2004 

Hunter Statement on Final Passage of the Intelligence Reform Bill (pdf)

“My obligation as a conferee on this bill was to protect our troops by ensuring that the chain of command in combat intelligence was protected. We succeeded.”

November 17, 2004 

Hunter Statement on Status of U.S. Forces (pdf)

“As this committee knows, it’s not enough to appreciate the military. We also have responsibilities to ensure that our troops are trained, equipped, and prepared for the fights we ask them to undertake. With that in mind, we must continually reassess the needs of our military, both for now and the long term.”

October 12, 2004 

Hunter Named Conferee on Intelligence Reform Legislation (pdf)

“The outcome we reach will affect the security of Americans for generations to come. It is extremely important that we get this right and not just seek to accommodate the election season.”

October 9, 2004 

Statement on Passage of H.R. 4200, The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 (pdf)

"This bill makes clear our dedication to the men and women who wear America's uniform.  We owe them our gratitude for defending our freedom.  The bill ensures that we protect our troops on the battlefield while supporting their needs at home."

October 8, 2004 

Statement on Passage of H.R. 10, The 9/11 Recommendations Implementation Act (pdf)

"Access to real-time intelligence for our troops is as important as the weapons they use in the battlefield. If the military is stripped of their ability to control their own intelligence lines, it can prove to be a deadly mistake. The Senate-passed legislation endangers this intelligence lifeline, but the House stood firm in its commitment to our troops by passing H.R. 10."

October 8, 2004 

Conferees Approve 2005 Defense Authorization Act (pdf)

"This legislation is for the troops. We owe them our gratitude for defending our freedom. The bill ensures that we protect our troops on the battlefield while supporting their needs at home."

October 5, 2004 

Statement on the Rejection of the Military Draft Bill (pdf)

“This overwhelming defeat will hopefully stifle those who seek to spread deliberately false information of an impending draft. We simply do not need a draft. The Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines are meeting their recruitment goals and are still attracting and retaining the people we need to fill all ranks. Our military today is highly qualified because it is comprised of an all volunteer force.

“The President and the Secretary of Defense once again today expressed their opposition to reinstating a draft in any form. The President said that if he were presented with this bill, he would veto it, and Secretary Rumsfeld said he would ‘oppose any proposal to re-institute the draft.”

September 30, 2004 

Committee Unanimously Approves 9/11 Recommendations Implementation Act (pdf)

"As we learned during the course of our recent 9/11 hearings you can’t simply draw an arbitrary line between tactical military intelligence and strategic intelligence,” Chairman Duncan Hunter said.  “While that may make sense in Washington, it doesn’t work on today’s battlefield.  We won’t serve the families of 9/11 victims by depriving our men and women in uniform of the direct intelligence lifeline that currently exists between our troops, spyplanes and satellites. 

"In fact, the Commission’s Vice-Chairman, Lee Hamilton, acknowledged the importance of this point when he stated during one of our hearings: ‘I think the committee has helped us in understanding the importance of the tactical military intelligence. And I think some of our recommendations can be refined.’  And also: ‘I think the questions that are being asked here are helpful to us and causes me to think that we need to refine some of our thinking in this very important area, and we will try to do that.’”

September 21, 2004 

Chairman Hunter on Allegations of a Secret Military Reserve Troop Call-Up After the November Election (pdf)

“The Department of Defense regularly activates reserve troops and units as part of the normal rotational cycle.  Notifications for these rotations have been going on for months in plain view of members of the military, the public and Congress."

July 30, 2004 

Strategic Forces Subcommittee Chairman Everett Reviews Key Missile Defense Programs (pdf)

"I'm very pleased that President Bush and this Congress have carried Reagan's vision to reality."

July 22, 2004 

Strategic Forces Subcommittee Chairman Everett and Ranking Member Reyes Urge Quick Resolution of Recurring Security Breaches at Los Alamos National Laboratory  (pdf)

"Exercising our oversight responsibilities, the subcommittee visited Los Alamos in January specifically to get an update on laboratory security practices following revelations of security breaches late last year.  We are deeply concerned that those efforts taken earlier this year have apparently been ineffective in addressing serious security violations."

July 22, 2004

Strategic Forces Subcommittee Hearing on the Development of a Space Cadre - Opening Statement of Chairman Everett (pdf).

"The development of a Space Cadre was a major thrust in the findings of the Space Commission’s 2001 report.  The report emphasized the need to create and maintain a highly trained and experienced cadre of space professionals who could master highly complex technology, as well as develop new tactics and doctrines for space operations in the future."

July 22, 2004

Full Committee Hearing on the Report of the Commission to Assess the Threat to the U.S. from Electromagnetic Pulse Attack - Opening Statement of Chairman Hunter (pdf).

"Since the Cold War, several trends have forced us to think about E-M-P in a new way. The proliferation of nuclear weapons and the rise of new nuclear powers with small nuclear arsenals have forced us to think about E-M-P as an asymmetric threat in its own right."

July 21, 2004

Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee Hearing on Small Business Innovation and Technology - Opening Statement of Chairman Weldon (pdf).

"In the new defense era, it has become imperative that small, innovative companies are afforded adequate opportunity to make their innovations available to the defense acquisition system."

July 21, 2004

Full Committee Hearing on Army Transformation -- Part Two - Opening Statement of Chairman Hunter (pdf).

"We must move from an Army designed to resist the Soviets, to a force tailored to win the kinds of wars we have in Iraq and Afghanistan, against enemies who ignore the international laws of warfare and amidst civilians who have a wide range of attitudes towards the United States."

July 20, 2004

Readiness Subcommittee Hearing on Depot Maintenance -- Capacity and Resources for Future Work- Opening Statement of Chairman Hefley (pdf).

"The military services are currently planning the rotation for OIF 3 and OEF 6 – the question the subcommittee wants to investigate today is at what pace, and when, equipment that is undergoing high usage rates in austere conditions will return in order to receive the necessary depot maintenance."

July 20, 2004

Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee Hearing on the Personnel Status of the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) - Opening Statement of Chairman Saxton (pdf).

"...SOCOM is this nation's single best weapon in the Global War on Terror."

July 8, 2004

Full Committee Hearing on the Impacts of Defense Offsets - Opening Statement of Chairman Hunter (pdf).

"...this committee seeks a defense industrial base policy that is responsible to the taxpayer, good for the prime contractors, good for the subcontractors, and provides a national defense industrial base capable of sustaining our military and our national strategy."

July 7, 2004

Full Committee Hearing on the Iraq/Afghanistan Troop Rotation Plan - Opening Statement of Chairman Hunter (pdf).

"It's a given that the Army and Marine Corps are under stress because of deployments, but we want to know more about the measures being taken to preserve what I would call the 'elasticity of the force'-- that is the ability to recover sufficiently from one commitment before committing to another."

June 28, 2004

Statement by Chairman Hunter and Committee Members Reyes and Calvert on Iraqi Sovereignty (pdf)

"What we saw was the best of America - young men and women fighting in tough, difficult circumstances for the American mission, bringing freedom to another people.  Our troops are holding firm and there is a lesson for all Americans - we too should hold firm and see this stand-up of the new Iraq through to a successful conclusion."

June 23, 2004

Full Committee Hearing on the U.S. Global Defense Posture - Opening Statement of Chairman Hunter  (pdf)

"...these troop movements signify a change in U.S. defense posture that is as significant as the one we experienced after the Spanish-American War, when the United States became a global power."

June 22, 2004

Full Committee Hearing on Iraq Transition to Sovereignty - Opening Statement of Chairman Hunter  (pdf)

"Established democracies can be very strong in the face of terrorism, but Iraq's democracy is still in the conceptual stages and could be derailed by terrorists if we - or the Iraqis - surrender to terror."

June 17, 2004

Full Committee Hearing on the Impacts of Defense Trade Offsets - Opening Remarks of Chairman Hunter (pdf)  / attachment (pdf)

"We must find that balance of fair and free defense trade where the U.S. prime contractors are not at a competitive disadvantage and yet are not required to leverage away someone else's market in order to compete in the global defense trade."

June 17, 2004

Full Committee Hearing on the Training of Iraqi Security Forces - Opening Remarks of Chairman Hunter (pdf)

"Through this on-the-job training and equipment upgrades, the Iraqis will be able to assume more and more security responsibilities on the ground."

June 16, 2004

Full Committee Hearing on the Report of the United States - China Economic and Security Review Commission - Opening Remarks of Chairman Hunter (pdf)

"Trade can help advance U.S. national security interests; but it can also endanger them if it proliferates dangerous technology or undermines our strategic independence."

June 16, 2004

Full Committee Hearing on the Status of Forces in Iraq After June 30 - Opening Remarks of Chairman Hunter (pdf)

"June 30th is a milestone on the road to a stable, democratic and secure Iraq in which Iraqis decide the future of their own country...Already, roughly 60 percent of the Iraqi government has been turned over to Iraqi control."

June 15, 2004

Full Committee Hearing on the Strategic Implications of U.S. Troop Withdrawals from Korea - Opening Remarks of Chairman Hunter (pdf)

"...rather than reducing its commitment, the United States is tailoring its forces more towards using our particular strengths to offset North Korean advantages."

June 14, 2004

Full Committee Mark-up of H.Res. 640, Resolution of Inquiry Concerning Abu Ghraib Prison -  Opening Remarks of Chairman Hunter (pdf)

"When you add up the hearings, briefings, documentation, and press reports that this committee has reviewed, we've probably spent more time on Abu Ghraib than on any other topic this year.  More importantly, we took proactive action in the defense authorization bill we passed last month."

June 3, 2004

Statement Regarding Shortfalls in International Export Control System Release: (pdf) / Report:  (pdf)

"It is every man for himself in the export control world right now, but America may end up paying the price.  Unlike during the Cold War, there is inadequate coordination of national export control systems, insufficient information sharing and a total absence of enforcement mechanisms to ensure that participating states are playing by the rules.  Of course, the dangers of proliferation have not evaporated; they have only changed."

May 26, 2004

Statement Regarding Status of Air Force Tankers (pdf)

"The tankers are not only vital to our ability to project air power, but also to our industrial base.  American-built tankers will bolster the U.S. defense industrial base and, for a program of this magnitude, I see no other option than to have them domestically-manufactured."

May 21, 2004

Full Committee Hearing on the Conduct and Support of Operation Iraqi Freedom - Opening Remarks of Chairman Hunter (pdf)

"While the media has been absorbed with the misdeeds of a few MPs, our soldiers turned back an uprising by Moqtada al-Sadr and his Iranian-supported Mahdi brigade...winning the war and building a secure Iraq are immensely more important to the future, and we must not lose sight of that."

May 20, 2004

House Approves Fiscal Year 2005 National Defense Authorization Act  (pdf)

"With armor, ammunition and technology, with pay increases and combat compensation, health care for guard and reservists, better housing for military families, and much more...we give in some small measure our thanks, which will never be adequate, to those who protect us.  This is a defense bill for the troops."

May 19, 2004

          Hunter letter to General Sanchez on Iraqi prisoner hearings.  (pdf)

May 14, 2004

          Click here to view H.R. 4200.  (html)

May 13, 2004

Committee Approves Fiscal Year 2005 Defense Authorization Bill: “Year of the Troops” Legislation Focuses on Force Protection and Personnel Benefits (html) (pdf)

"First and foremost, we fully funded the President's top-line request for the Department of Defense.  Earlier this spring we worked long and hard to ensure that the budget resolution, which binds our legislation, did not cut defense spending in the middle of a war.  Second, this bill authorizes $25 billion in additional supplemental funding to ensure that our troops get all the resources they need to prevail on the battlefield."

May 7, 2004

Hunter statement on Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld (html)

"Simply put, the wheels of Army justice are moving and, as the nation knows, will move much quicker than the domestic justice system.  Now, the Secretary must be allowed to get back to work on the war and the 135,000 troops in Iraq who are serving with honor and courage."

May 6, 2004

Hunter statement on Iraq Resolution (html)

"While these three individuals are now the focus of massive media attention, the 300,000 Americans who have served with courage and honor in Iraq are being ignored...For this reason, our resolution condemning abuses by the few, also commended the actions of the hundreds of thousands of great soldiers."

May 5, 2004

Statement on New Defense Funding Request (html)

"I applaud the Administration for recognizing the needs of our troops.  In my meetings with President Bush and Secretary Rumsfeld they have always expressed the belief I share: we will not hesitate to provide our military personnel with all the tools they need to prevail in Iraq and Afghanistan."

May 4, 2004

Hunter Statement on Treatment of Iraqi Prisoners (html)

"The actions taken to-date show that the military justice system is working.  If the ongoing investigations implicate more individuals they too will be brought to justice."

April 27, 2004

GAO Finds Russia Lacks Plan for Destruction of Poison Gas Stockpile

Release: (pdf) / Report: (pdf)

April 7, 2004

Hunter Says U.S. Has Overwhelming Firepower in Iraq (html)

April 6, 2004

Hunter Statement on Transfer of Power in Iraq (html)

March 30, 2004

House Passes Rogers ROTC Equal Access Legislation (html)

March 18, 2004

HASC Approves Legislation - the committee met last evening to mark-up three bills and a resolution. All were approved by voice vote (html)

March 3, 2004

Chairman Hunter Statement Before the House Committee on Budget (html) (pdf)

February 25, 2004

Chairman Hunter Comments on GAO Report Identifying Needed Improvements in Export Controls (html) (pdf)

2003| Jan | Feb | Mar | April | May | June | July |Sept | Oct |Nov |Dec                   

November  7, 2003

Summary of the Conference Report to Accompany H.R. 1588, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 (html) (pdf)  

September 8, 2003

Statement Regarding War on Terrorism Funding Request (html) (pdf)

"Clearly, our safety here at home has been enhanced by aggressive military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and other theaters."

July 25, 2003

Chairman Hunter Announces Approval of Air Force Tanker Lease (html) (pdf)

"...the preference in acquiring major defense systems is through a purchase. However, years of underfunding in our procurement accounts by an average of $50 billion or more, has caused modernization of critical programs by the Department of Defense to be a difficult task."

July 24, 2003

Congressman Hayes Announces Titanium Deal Preserving the Endangered American Titanium Industry (html)

"If the Hayes agreement had not occurred, the U.S. would become increasingly dependent on Russian titanium for our military systems." 

July 23, 2003

Chairman Duncan Hunter's Statement on the Air Force Tanker Lease Proposal (html) (pdf)

July 10, 2003

Press Advisory - Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee field hearing on Air Force Science & Technology (S&T) Programs at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio (html) (pdf)

Chairman Duncan Hunter's Statement at Full Committee Hearing on Operation Iraqi Freedom (html) (pdf)

June 26, 2003

Chairman Hunter's Statement at Full Committee Mark Up of H.R. 1590 (html) (pdf)

June 21, 2003

Chairman Duncan Hunter's Statement on the Death of Former HASC Chairman Bob Stump (html) (pdf)

June 18, 2003

Chairman Duncan Hunter's Statement at Full Committee Hearing on Worldwide U.S. Military Commitments (html) (pdf)

June 12, 2003

Chairman Duncan Hunter's Statement at Full Committee Hearing on Reconstruction and Stabilization Operations in Iraq (html) (pdf)

June 4, 2003

House Approves Resolution Commending All Involved in Operations Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Iraqi Freedom (html) (pdf)  (Bills, Reports, and Publications)

May 27, 2003

House Congressional Delegation Returns from Iraqi Theater of Operations (html) (pdf) 

May 23, 2003

Chairman Duncan Hunter's Statement on Air Force Tanker Decision (html) (pdf)  

May 22, 2003

Chairman Duncan Hunter's Statement at Passage of H.R. 1588,  National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 (html) (pdf)  

May 14, 2003

HASC Approves FY 2004 Defense Authorization Act - Summary of Committee Mark-up (html) (pdf) (Chart of Major Programs)

May 13, 2003

Chairman Duncan Hunter's Opening Statement at Full Committee Mark up on H.R. 1588 the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 (html) (pdf)

May 1, 2003

Chairman Duncan Hunter's Statement on Appointing Rep. Gingrey to Board (html) (pdf)

Chairman Duncan Hunter's Opening Statement at Full Committee Hearing on The Defense Transformation for the 21st Century Act (html) (pdf)

April 8, 2003

Chairman Duncan Hunter and Ranking Member Skelton Suggest Framework for Iraqi War Crimes Trials (html) (pdf)

April 4, 2003

Chairman Duncan Hunter's Opening Statement at Full Committee Hearing on Iraq's Violations of the Law of Armed Conflict. (html) (pdf)

April 1, 2003

Chairman Hunter's Opening Statement at Full Committee Hearing on DOD FY04 Acquisition Program and Policy (html) (pdf)

March 20, 2003

Chairman Hunter's Opening Statement at Full Committee Hearing on Ballistic Missile Defense (html) (pdf)

March 19, 2003

Chairman Hunter Statement on the Iraq Conflict (html) (pdf)

March 18, 2003

Chairman Hunter Statement on the Evolving Situation in Iraq (html) (pdf)

March 12, 2003

Chairman Hunter's Opening Statement at Full Committee Hearing on U.S. Special Operations Command, U.S. Southern Command and U.S. Joint Forces Command (html) (pdf) 

Chairman Hunter's Opening Statement at Full Committee Hearing on U.S. Pacific Command and U.S. Forces Korea (html) (pdf) 

March 4, 2003

Chairman Hunter's Opening Statement at Full Committee Hearing on the U.S. Cooperative Threat Reduction and Non-Proliferation Programs (html) (pdf) 
CTR Fact Sheet (pdf)

February 27, 2003

Chairman Hunter's Opening Statement at Full Committee Hearing on the Air Forces' FY 2004 Budget Request (html) (pdf)

February 26, 2003

Chairman Hunter's Opening Statement at Full Committee Hearing on the Navy's FY 2004 Budget Request (html) (pdf)

February 26, 2003

Chairman Hunter's Opening Statement at Full Committee Hearing on U.S. forward-deployed strategy in the European Theater (html) (pdf)

February 19, 2003

Hunter and Skelton Announce New Committee Assignments (html) (pdf) 

February 14, 2003

Chairman Hunter's Statement on the Latest U.N. Report

"We told Iraq ‘disarm or be disarmed’ and we have their answer. They have failed to comply with this resolution."  (html) (pdf)  
(chart on Iraq's WMD)

February 12, 2003

Chairman Hunter's Statement at Full Committee Hearing on the Army's FY 2004 Budget Request (html) (pdf)

February 11, 2003

Chairman Hunter Announces Hearings Regarding the Realignment of U.S. Forces in Europe

"First, we must examine the alignment of U.S. forces in Europe and, second, the prospects for relocating to areas in Europe with lower basing costs than those presently utilized."  (pdf) (html)  

February 5, 2003

Chairman Hunter's Opening Statement at Full Committee Hearing on the FY 2004 National Defense Authorization Budget Request (html) (pdf)

February 3, 2003

Chairman Hunter's Statement on the FY04 Budget Release

"The bottom line: we are some $70 billion above the last Clinton budget, but well short of where we need to be."  (html) (pdf)

January 28, 2003

Chairman Hunter's Statement on the State of the Union Address

"Make no mistake, this country is prepared to act in concert with our allies or stand alone. But, Iraq will be
disarmed."  (html) (pdf)

January 9, 2003

Chairman Hunter Announces Reorganization of HASC

"After consultation with the members of the House Armed Services Committee, I have decided to reorganize the committee into six subcommittees, each of which shall have focus and jurisdiction over specific military missions or capabilities."  (html)

January 9, 2003

Congressman Duncan Hunter Elected to Chair the HASC

"I am honored by this appointment, and look forward to serving the nation as Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee." (html)

January 9, 2003

Press Conference Introducing Congressman Duncan Hunter as Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee (click microphone to listen)

2001-2002 Press Releases

1999-2000 Press Releases

1996-1998 Press Releases