Opening Statements

Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX), ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, made the following statement at the Committee's FY21 posture hearing for U.S. Central Command and U.S. Africa Command:

"Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Let me join in welcoming each of our witnesses here today.

"General McKenzie, let me begin by expressing condolences at the loss of two Marines in Iraq within the past couple of days. My understanding is they were working with the Iraqi forces to clear out ISIS from some tunnels in a complex there and have given the ultimate sacrifice to protect us here at home.

"I support the National Defense Strategy. I completely agree and I think it makes sense to put greater emphasis on great power competition. I completely agree with the Chairman that great power competition takes place all over the world. His recent trip, as well as these two maps that are in front of us show Russian and Chinese activity in Africa as one example. It also takes place in the Middle East and South Asia. It occurs all over the world.

"The rest of the story is the job against terrorism is not done yet. They are certainly not finished with us. We cannot wish it away and just presume that if we say peace has broken out they are just going to leave us alone.

"We get focused on different issues as time goes on. I think it is an important reminder that every day there are men and women risking their lives to protect us here at home from the terrorist threat. That's true in Afghanistan, its true in Iraq and Syria, and its true in Africa. It's true in a variety of places around the world.

"So as we talk about great power competition, I don't think we can forget the other issue, and we certainly can't afford to walk away from it. In your two AORs, that is particularly true. "