U.S. Representative Michael Waltz (R-FL), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Readiness, delivered the following opening statement at the subcommittee markup for H.R. 7900 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023. The Subcommittee's mark is available here.
Rep. Waltz's remarks as prepared for delivery:
Thank you, Chairman Garamendi.
Today we advance the Fiscal Year 2023 Readiness subcommittee mark, fulfilling our commitment to readiness and military infrastructure to support training, sustainment, and quality of life for military personnel and their families.
Russia's aggression in the Ukraine, The Chinese Communist Party's continued military buildup, and recent missile launches by North Korea highlight the global threat landscape. These events make clear that we must maintain a high level of readiness today, even as we invest and modernize for the future.
Over the past several months, this subcommittee has hosted events focused on many of the core readiness concerns within our jurisdiction.
I have been clear in those hearings, I am a strong advocate for increased investment in our readiness accounts, and for a higher topline overall.
I remain greatly concerned about the effect of inflation on DOD's buying power, especially as it impacts military construction. There is no doubt that this Administration failed to account for actual inflation, leaving us treading water at best. I look forward to continuing this conversation and working together to address these issues as we approach full committee markup.
But today, I'd like to echo the Chairman's comments, especially about the bipartisanship that has driven the process thus far. I'd also like to thank your staff for working tirelessly the past several months.
Finally, I would like to thank the Members for their active participation and contributions.
Today's mark draws strongly from Member input, as well as from our readiness subcommittee hearings and briefings over the past year.
Provisions contained in this mark reflect that focus and make progress on:
- Resiliency so that we can better protect our installations, assets and people;
- Efforts to ensure weapons systems are ready, sustainable and affordable over time;
- Support for our aging depot infrastructure,
- and the safety of our service men and women, among many others.
I again want to thank the committee Members for their engagement, and for their continued involvement as we work toward enacting another NDAA.
The mark before us is a good product, reflective of the bipartisan nature of this subcommittee's work, and I encourage its adoption.
I yield back.
