Press Releases

U.S. Representative Doug Lamborn (R-CO), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Readiness, delivered opening remarks at the FY22 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) markup.

Rep. Lamborn's remarks as prepared below:

The primary job of the Readiness Subcommittee is to ensure our troops have the resources they need to execute the missions they are assigned, and know I share concerns with many of my colleagues on this committee when it comes to the situation on the ground in Kabul. When Secretary Austin and General Milley came before this committee in June, they dismissed the concerns I raised about the rapid advance of the Taliban and the decision to abandon Bagram Airfield, so I look forward to a robust discussion on the terrible and entirely preventable situation unfolding in Afghanistan. I also look forward to a discussion on the Department's topline. The President's failure to request a budget that kept up with inflation, let alone met the 3-5% recommended growth of the bipartisan National Defense Strategy Commission to maintain deterrence against competitors like Russia and China, will be remedied by this Committee in a bipartisan manner, I believe.

Other amendments considered today will enhance the readiness of the national security enterprise. They build on the issues and themes already reflected in our underlaying mark such as contested logistics challenges with peer and near peer adversaries; resiliency; weapons systems sustainment and affordability; and support for our Organic Industrial Base among others.
I'd like to thank the staff for working tirelessly the past several days and months.

I again want to thank the committee Members for their engagement, and for their continued involvement as we work toward enacting another NDAA.

I look forward to today's debates and voting on the final product.

I yield back.