U.S. Representative Mike Rogers (R-AL), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, delivered the following opening remarks at a hearing on the Department of the Air Force's Fiscal Year 2024 budget request.
Chairman Rogers' remarks as prepared for delivery:
Today we continue our FY24 budget hearings with the Department of the Air Force.
I thank our witnesses for being here and for their service to our nation.
The budget request for the Department of the Air Force is a mixed bag.
First, the good news.
The Space Force benefits from a much-needed 15 percent increase.
I am pleased with the increased investment towards a distributed architecture in space.
We need to transition from large, exquisite satellites in one orbit, to many smaller satellites in a variety of orbits.
This is especially important for missile warning.
Diversification will provide us the resilience needed to mitigate the threats we face from China and other adversaries.
I also want to highlight the General Saltzman's request to make it easier to move Guardians between active and reserve status.
This is exactly the type of innovative approach to warfighting we envisioned when we created the Space Force.
I'm interested in hearing from General Saltzman on the development of the doctrine and training required to ensure the Space Force is postured to fight and win in space.
It's a fundamentally different way of thinking than we have become accustomed to these last decades, but it's critically important.
With respect to the Air Force budget, the President is requesting a meager 2.9 percent increase.
Given today's record rate of inflation, the President's budget effectively cuts the Air Force by nearly 3 percent.
That will make it harder for the Air Force to manage risk in the near term, especially as it focuses investment on long-term modernization.
We should be divesting of capabilities that aren't survivable in a fight against China.
And we should be using the savings to invest in advanced technologies capable of prevailing in that conflict.
And while I support that approach, we should also ask tough questions about how much risk we're absorbing and for how long.
Because the fact is, many of these advanced technologies are still a decade away.
Based on the testimony we've heard from military leaders over the last year, the CCP is unlikely to wait 10 years before they force a conflict with us.
We need to accelerate planned upgrades to our existing fighters, especially the F-35's.
We also need to more quickly field promising new technology, such as unmanned collaborative drones and pair them with our existing fleet to enhance capabilities.
Fielding new capability in the short term is the key to maintaining a credible deterrence.
Unfortunately, the Air Force is missing an opportunity to do that with its tanker acquisition strategy.
Frankly, it's foolish to double down on a platform that has consistently failed to meet basic requirements.
And won't meet them for another five years if we're lucky.
Relying on a tanker that has trouble refueling when it's too cloudy or too sunny is a tremendous risk.
This committee will be conducting rigorous oversight of the tanker program and the Air Force's acquisition strategy.
This committee will also be closely monitoring progress on the modernization of our nuclear triad.
I am pleased the budget continues to fully fund the Sentinel and B-21 programs.
These programs have received strong bipartisan support from Democrats and Republicans in the White House and Congress because we all understand how critical they are to our national security.
I look forward to working with my colleagues to support triad modernization and accelerate the infrastructure needed to support it.
I also look forward to hearing from General Brown on how we can best expedite the fielding of enhanced capability to mitigate near-term risk.
Finally, Secretary Kendall, we are beyond the point of frustration with the continued delay in announcing the final decision on SPACECOM basing.
27 months ago, the Air Force made the right decision to go with Huntsville, Alabama.
12 months ago, the GAO and the DoD IG affirmed that decision.
There is only 1 state that is still protesting and that state came in 5th.
The political games must end.
Your continued handwringing is delaying SPACECOM's full operational capability and undermining our ability to defend this nation.
You need to end this charade and make the announcement.
