U.S. Representative Rob Wittman (R-VA), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces, delivered the following opening statement at the full committee markup for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024.
Rep. Wittman's remarks as prepared for delivery:
I want to thank the Chairman for recognizing me.
I am an unapologetic defense hawk. I am not convinced that the topline agreed earlier this year provides for adequate defense funding to meet our national security challenges. But I am also confident that we need to get our domestic house in order. The overall debt agreement enacted earlier this year and the associated appropriation allocations are the right medicine to our rampant government spending. So, as I begin our debate today, I support Chairman Rogers' defense topline proposal and Speaker McCarthy's defense approach to make sure that we rapidly access every programmatic efficiency available.
I am also concerned about the force structure timelines being proposed by the administration. It is obvious that the administration's budget request is not aligned with the Davidson window that suggests a conflict with the Chinese Communist Party could occur in the late 2020s. In the budget request, this strategic misalignment proposed to reduce 801 fighter aircraft but only buying back 345 new F-35A and F-15EX aircraft, over the next five years. As to the Army, they cannot afford the modernization goals proposed to meet even our basic national security tenets.
For these reasons, I supported reporting to the committee a mark that accelerate capabilities that seek to offset Chinese capabilities in the near term, items that will bear fruit in this decade. For example, the mark accelerates F-35 modernization, the recapitalization of the aged E-3 AWACS aircraft and options to leverage the fourth offset offered by collaborative combat aircraft. The mark also aligns funding to support the Next Generation Air Dominance aircraft with its propulsion engine. Finally, the mark sought to accelerate Army modernization to support the required Army force structure. It is time to invest smarter, accelerate procurement and bring to bear the authorities that Congress provided over the last few years.
As to the budget topline, I am reminded of a Rolling Stones song whose lyrics go "you can't always get what you want, but you get what you need." I remain committed to delivering our national security, mandated as an enumerated legislative authority in the constitution. But I also think it is time for us to work smarter, discuss what we want and deliver what we need.
In closing, I want to thank Ranking Member Norcross and his leadership in navigating through these tumultuous times. He is collaborative leader and friend, and I am glad that we have been able deliver this mark to the committee. I urge my colleagues to support.
