On December 9th, 2013, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin E. Dempsey, sent a letter to then Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) expressing his concern that the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY14 was being allowed "to slip to January." General Dempsey wrote: "I write to urge you to complete the National Defense Authorization Act this year. The authorities contained ... Read More »
Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, today responded to Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid’s claim that consideration of the annual defense authorization bill is a “waste of time.” “Senator Reid’s comment yesterday was deeply disturbing. The first job of the federal government is to defend the country, and whatever political differences we may have on other ... Read More »
Readout: Thornberry Comments on CJCS Roundtable with Armed Services Committee Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, today participated in a classified roundtable discussion with members of the House Armed Services Committee. The session was an opportunity to discuss the Chairman's Risk Assessment, an annual report the CJCS submits to Congress as required by law. Following... Read More »
Readout: Thornberry Comments on CJCS Roundtable with Armed Services Committee Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, today participated in a classified roundtable discussion with members of the House Armed Services Committee. The session was an opportunity to discuss the Chairman's Risk Assessment, an annual report the CJCS submits to Congress as required by law. Following... Read More »
Readout: Thornberry Comments on CJCS Roundtable with Armed Services Committee Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, today participated in a classified roundtable discussion with members of the House Armed Services Committee. The session was an opportunity to discuss the Chairman's Risk Assessment, an annual report the CJCS submits to Congress as required by law. Following... Read More »
Thornberry/Hartzler On Anniversary Of Taliban 5 Transfer Release Endangers Troops Abroad & Families At Home Today, Chairman Thornberry (R-TX) and Rep. Hartzler (R-MO), Chairwoman of the Oversight and Investigation Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee, made the following statement on the anniversary of the release of the 5 Taliban terrorists from Guantanamo Bay:"One year ago, Preside... Read More »
Chairman Thornberry (R-TX), of the House Armed Services Committee, came to "This Week" Sunday this morning to talk defense issues, ISIS and the situation in Iraq. Watch the entire interview below: Read More »
Thornberry On President's Address to Coast Guard Grads Wrong Message to Send to Troops, Allies, & Adversaries Today, Chairman Thornberry (R-TX), of the House Armed Services Committee, made the following statement regarding the President's remarks at the United States Coast Guard Academy's Commencement Ceremony: "Today, President Obama had a chance to talk about the importance of a strong and secu... Read More »
Thornberry & Smith Statement on Iraq Train & Equip Language In The NDAA Chairman Thornberry (R-TX) and Ranking Member Smith (D-WA), of the House Armed Services Committee made the following statement on Iraq Train and Equip Language in the NDAA: "Our commitment to Iraq's sovereignty and stability remains clear. To continue to demonstrate this commitment, our defense bill includes a measure to enco... Read More »
President Promises Military Support... Threatens To Veto Military Funding The Washington Post By Fred Hiatt Editorial page editor May 17, 2015 Read the full article here. LAST WEEK President Obama offered Persian Gulf countries an "ironclad commitment" that the United States will "use all elements of power . . . to deter and confront external aggression" against them. It was just the latest in a ... Read More »
House Passes NDAA 269-151 Today, the House Passed H.R. 1735, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016. Upon passage, Chairman Thornberry (R-TX), of the House Armed Services Committee, made the following statement: "I want to thank all of the Members who worked so hard and contributed so much to this product. The important reforms to the acquisition process, workforce management... Read More »
WaPo: Playing Politics With Defense Spending "National Defense is a Clear Constitutional Responsibility of the Federal Government; Fully Funding it Should Take Priority." -Washington Post Editorial Board May 14, 2015 - Read The Full Editorial Here THERE ISN'T much bipartisan governance left in Washington, but if anything still fits that description, it's probably the annual defense authorization ... Read More »
President's Budget v. NDAA What's the Difference Between the President's Budget & The NDAA? According to The Hill, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is whipping members of her party to vote against the National Defense Authorization Act, a bipartisan bill that has passed for 53 consecutive years and passed committee by a vote of 60-2 (one Democrat and one Republican opposing). Responding ... Read More »
H.R. 1735 FY16 NDAA Comes To The House Floor This week, H.R. 1735, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2016 heads to the House Floor. For a preview of the bill and what is seeks to achieve watch this message from Chairman Thornberry. Tracking the Floor Debate The House Armed Services Committee will maintain a dynamic Floor Tracker for amendments to H.R. 1735 the FY16 NDA... Read More »
