Turner Opening Statement at Fy22 Ndaa Markup

Washington, DC, September 1, 2021
U.S. Representative Mike Turner (R-OH), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, delivered opening remarks at the FY22 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) markup.
Rep. Turner's remarks as prepared below:
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to first start by thanking Chairman Jim Cooper for his approach this year toward the work of the Subcommittee and for the Strategic Forces mark we have reported for consideration here today. Our work together and resulting final product has been incredibly bipartisan, and we have conducted our oversight with several timely hearings with substantive witnesses. Chairman Cooper, thank you for that. I'd also like to personally thank the subcommittees' majority and minority PSMs—specifically, Maria Vastola, Grant Schneider, Ryan Tully, Whitney Verrett, and Zach Taylor.
I would also like to thank Chairman Smith for having conducted a number of bipartisan, classified briefings necessary for compiling this year's bill as well as Ranking Member Rogers, a past Strategic Forces Subcommittee Chairman, whose legacy has helped shape some of the initiatives in this mark. Thank you, both.
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. Also, Russia's nuclear program has undergone significant modernization of all three legs of its triad, including the development of brand-new weapon 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. I am confident that this mark, and ultimately the full Fiscal Year 2022 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 evolving 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. In this mark, we continue to ensure the newest branch of armed forces has the resources it needs to maintain our space advantage.
With that, I again thank the Chairman for your leadership in putting together this mark and I look forward to addressing other important issues here at the full committee.