RealClearPolitics By Mac Thornberry The ISIS attack on Paris has been a wake-up call for the world. A network of terrorists exploited weaknesses in Western intelligence networks, border controls, and law enforcement to savagely attack soft targets and inflict devastating casualties. To protect America, Congress has rightly acted on one of these weaknesses and strengthened the screening of Syrian r... Read More »
Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, made the following opening remarks at the full committee hearing titled "U.S. Strategy for Syria and Iraq and its Implications for the Region:” "The Committee meets today to hear testimony from the Secretary and the Chairman on our strategy against ISIS and the implications for the Middle East. Today is the first hearing w... Read More »
Today, Rep. Randy Forbes (R-VA), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces, made the following opening statement on the hearing, "Acquisition Efficiency and the Future Navy Force:" "Today the subcommittee meets to discuss Navy shipbuilding plans and to discuss opportunities to procure the platforms we need at lower costs to the Department and the American taxpayer. Our panel t... Read More »
Today, Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL), Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, made the following remarks on the hearing titled "Russian Arms Control Cheating: Violation of the INF Treaty and the Administration’s Responses One Year Later:" "I’d like to welcome everyone to this joint hearing of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces and the House Foreign A... Read More »
Today the House Armed Services Committee will hearing from Ashton Carter, Secretary of Defense, and General Dunford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in an open hearing. Yesterday, Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, laid out what he would like to hear from them with CNN's Wolf Blitzer. Watch the segment here. To watch today's hearing, starting at 10 A... Read More »
Secretary Of Defense Ashton Carter and General Joseph Dunford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will testify tomorrow about the President’s strategy to take on ISIS. President Obama has had more Secretaries of Defense than any other Commander-In-Chief in the modern era. As Secretary Carter prepares to face Congress, how do his predecessors think the President’s strategy is working out? We Ca... Read More »
Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, made the following statement after the President signed the FY16 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) into law. The bill authorizes the pay and benefits our troops have earned and deserve; creates a new portable retirement system for uniformed military; begins reforming the Pentagon to restore agility; gives the Presi... Read More »
Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX) and Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, made the following statement on the investigation into airstrikes on a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan. “We have been briefed by General Campbell on his investigation into this troubling incident. We appreciate his candor with us as he examines what went... Read More »
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry (R-TX) released the following schedule featuring (5) hearings the week of November 30 - December 4, 2015. Tuesday, December 1, 2015 "U.S. Strategy for Syria and Iraq and its Implications for the Region" Full Committee (10:00 AM - 2118 RHOB - Open) Washington, D.C. Witnesses: The Honorable Ashton B. Carter Secretary of Defense General Joseph F.... Read More »
POST By Jim Sensenbrenner In a recent Post op-ed, Gregory B. Craig, former White House counsel, and Cliff Sloan, former special envoy for Guantanamo closure, argued that President Obama has the legal authority to ignore the law and transfer some of the world’s most dangerous terrorists to the United States. I sincerely hope that, as former Obama administration officials, they are not laying the gr... Read More »
Today, Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC), Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities, made the following remarks on the hearing titled "Advancing the Science and Acceptance of Autonomy for Future Defense Systems:" "I am pleased to welcome everyone here for today’s hearing on advancing the science and acceptance of autonomy for future defense systems. The military n... Read More »
***UPDATE***House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry (R-TX) released the following schedule featuring (2) hearings the week of November 16-20, 2015. Wednesday, November 18, 2015 "Outside Views on the Strategy for Iraq and Syria" Full Committee (1:00 PM - 2118 RHOB - Open) Washington, D.C. Witnesses: Mr. John McLaughlin Former Acting Director of Central Intelligence Ambassador Ryan C... Read More »
Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, commented on the White House's decision to delay sending Congress a plan to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay: "Once again, the President has been forced to confront the hard reality of Islamic terrorism and admit that closing the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay isn't as easy as it sounds on the campaign ... Read More »
Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement on the Office of Personnel Management, Department of Homeland Security and Office of Management and Budget’s last minute decision not to testify before a classified briefing to the Committee. The briefing, scheduled for 10:00 AM this morning, is intended to cover the massive OPM data breach. ... Read More »
