Turner Opening Statement at Subcommittee on Strategic Forces Markup

Washington, DC, July 28, 2021
U.S. Representative Mike Turner (R-OH), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, delivered the following opening statement at the subcommittee markup for H.R. 4350 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022. The Subcommittee's mark is available here.
Rep. Turner's remarks as prepared for delivery:
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to first start by thanking you for the manner and approach with which you run this Subcommittee. It's been bipartisan, and we've had a number of truly timely hearings with substantive witnesses. So, thank you for that. I'd also like to personally thank the majority subcommittee PSMs, Maria Vastola and Grant Schneider. They do a lot of work behind the scenes and we appreciate their efforts. The same goes for our subcommittee clerk Zach Taylor. I would also like to recognize the outstanding work of the minority staffers, Ryan Tully and Whitney Verrett, both new to the Committee this year and excellent additions to our Strategic Forces team. Thank you all!
The work of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee is vital to our national security. As you know, our portfolio consists of nuclear weapons, missiles, missile defense, and space and our work on these issues is especially important given the threat environment we find ourselves in.
China is undergoing a rapid nuclear build-up that is in many ways unprecedented, while also threatening to the United States and our allies. In fact, earlier this month, a Chinese Communist Party controlled media outlet threatened Japan with a nuclear first strike. Also, Russia's nuclear program has undergone significant modernization, including the development of brand-new weapon systems. Russia has modernized all three legs of their triad, increased the number of their weapons, and deployed a variety of new delivery systems. As Admiral Richard told us earlier this year, we now must deter both of these adversaries at the same time and do it in very different ways. This mark, and ultimately the full NDAA, will help do that.
Additionally, this Subcommittee conducts oversight and budgetary work to protect the Homeland from a rogue North Korean ICBM, as well as the Iranian missile threat. These are just a few issue areas that we address, but they're critical to our national security, and we have worked together in a bipartisan manner to do just that.
We are also continuing the previous good work of this Subcommittee as we work to support the stand up of the Space Force. While I am thankful we finally have a confirmed Secretary of the Air Force, I remain concerned we do not yet have a confirmed Assistant Secretary for Space Acquisition and Integration; however, we will continue to make sure they have the resources they need to maintain our space advantage. With that, I again thank the Chairman for putting together this mark and look forward to addressing other important issues at full committee.