Opening Statements

Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX), Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, made the following remarks at the Committee's hearing titled "The Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Budget Request for the Department of Army and the Department of the Air Force."

"Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and let me join in welcoming and thanking our witnesses for being here and for their service.

"I would particularly say that I am grateful that Secretary Wilson allowed herself to be persuaded to return to government service; and would point out that as she leaves government service at the end of next month, she is choosing to be a Texan. And all of you could take a hint with that good judgment when it comes time to do something else.

"I want to commend a couple of things at the beginning, because in some ways I think they are unusual. Number one, I want to commend what at least has seemed to be - from my vantage point - a close working relationship between the Service Secretaries and their respective Service Chiefs. As well as, I think, an unprecedented relationship among the Service Secretaries.

"Now you would think thats the way it always ought to be, and maybe it should, but it's not always the way it's been. I'm sure there are stresses and strains that are not obvious from the outside, but I think that is important. And each of you have participated in that.

"Secondly, I want to commend the Army for first, taking the time to go through each of the programs under your jurisdiction, and to make tough decisions. I may or may not agree with all of the decisions you make. That is irrelevant. But the point, is y'all have been serious about making the changes internally to ensure that the Army is prepared for the challenges coming at us. That includes reorganization, the creation of Army Futures Command, and a number of other decisions. I think that's important. Its something that not only the services, but we need to share as well.

"I agree completely with comments the Chairman has made about the budget. We have, in my estimation, begun to turn things around when it comes to readiness, and modernization, and the other things this committee has focused on in the previous few years. But that job is not done. And I know we will talk more about that. I also agree with the Chairman that we all - and this has to be a joint effort- the Committee and the Services - need to continue to work to, not only track where the money goes, but improve the way that its spent. And I think the very first step was when this Committee put into law several years ago, a requirement that the audit take place. We knew it was not going to have a good outcome, but the point is you've got to find the problems before you can start to solve them. And I think going through program by program, as y'all have done, that sort of intense scrutiny is good and important.

"The last point I want to make is, a few years ago, President George Bush, in a different context, talked about the ‘soft bigotry of low expectations.' Well, I think that kind of applies to some of the work we do too. Because sometimes you hear the excuse, ‘well, that program can't be cut, it it's just too hard,' or ‘that's just how long it takes to get a new program fielded,' or ‘Congress will never go for that,' or all sorts of excuses. With every briefing and hearing we have about the security environment in which we operate and the adversaries which we face, I have a greater sense of urgency that the Congress and the Pentagon need to make the changes necessary so that the country can be defended today and into the future. And I don't think any of those excuses, you know, are going to cut it when, at some point in the future, people look back and judge all of our tenure here.

"So as the Chairman said, well, there's lots of issues to talk about specifically, but I think it's on all of us to push hard and push fast. Because that's the way the challenges are coming at us and they're not going to slow up and wait for us to catch up.

"I yield back."