Rogers Opening Statement at Hearing on Fy23 Department of the Army Budget Request

Washington, DC, May 12, 2022
U.S. Representative Mike Rogers (R-AL), Lead Republican of the House Armed Services Committee, delivered the following opening statement at a hearing on the FY23 Department of the Army budget request.
Lead Republican Rogers' remarks as prepared for delivery:
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Secretary Wormuth and General McConville, thank you for being here today and for your service to our nation.
This is our last posture hearing of the year.
Each of these hearings have made one thing very clear –
The President's defense budget is woefully inadequate.
We've heard from General Milley that it fails to keep pace with record inflation.
It's so bad, Deputy Secretary Hicks indicated last week that the Department may need a supplemental in FY22 to deal with it.
We've heard from combatant commanders and service chiefs that the budget falls far short of providing our warfighters the resources they need to carry out their mission.
That's why they've sent Congress $29 billion in unfunded priorities.
We've heard from Admiral Aquilino about the growing threat from China and how that threat is manifesting much quicker than we anticipated.
And we read his 12 42 report that lists over a billion dollars in requirements needed to deter China that didn't make it into this budget.
Finally, we've heard from the leaders of the other services about the unnecessary risks they'll need to absorb if this budget becomes a reality.
Today, we'll hear the tole it's taking on the Army.
Like the leaders of the other services, Secretary Wormuth and General McConville have had to produce a strategy based on a budget number, not a budget number based on a strategy.
The results aren't pretty.
The Army is seeking to slash end strength by 12,000 soldiers.
It's facing cuts of –
  • 7 percent in procurement;
  • 6 percent in research and development; and
  • 41 percent in military construction.
The Army is trying to their best to manage risk by dividing investment between in long term modernization priorities and short-term requirements.
They've been able to target investment in some of the Army's highest modernization priorities, such as long-range precision fires.
There's no question that we need to make investments like these.
Doing so ensures we have at least some capability to deter and defeat China.
But it also means we are making a dangerous gambit that risk in the near-term will be low.
I suspect that may not be the case.
And I suspect that's why General McConville has sent us a list with over $5 billion in unfunded priorities.
The list includes critical vertical lift and ground vehicle modernization programs.
It also includes imperatives like additional stinger missiles.
These capabilities are critical to deter and defeat adversaries in the near term.
Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine highlights just how vital it is that we pass a robust budget that reduces both near and long term risk.
Unfortunately, the President's budget makes these choices mutually exclusive.
And that's unacceptable.
Our warfighters need the training and capability to deter and defeat any adversary, anywhere, at anytime.
I am very concerned the President's budget will leave the Army, and the rest of the services, unprepared to do just that.
I look forward to working with the majority to pass a real defense budget that supports modernization and ensures a credible deterrence.