U.S. Representative Mike Gallagher (R-WI), Chairman of the Cyber, Information Technologies, and Innovation Subcommittee, delivered the following opening remarks at a hearing on using military advancements of the past to guide the Department of Defense's technological advancements in the future.
Rep. Gallagher's remarks as prepared for delivery:
Today, we gather not amidst the echoes of past victories, but under the thunder of a future where the defense of freedom requires reforging. Our indulgences in the past have become narrowly scoped to our victories with little tribute paid to the research and development and processes of innovation—much of which is challenging and bureaucracy breaking—that has generated American military supremacy. This hearing is devoted to discussing the lessons of historical futurism in the industrial base and on the battlefield—going Back to the Future to channel the fire of American innovation, a fire forged in the crucible conflict, to ignite the arsenal of democracy anew.
From the rhythmic clang of Liberty Shipyards hammering out vessels faster than the Axis could sink them to the invention of the internet, America has always wielded innovation as its most potent weapon—the most powerful deterrent.
This spirit, this audacious American ingenuity, isn't a museum exhibit; it's the lifeblood of our defense. Today, the landscape of war has shifted, with trenches expanding into the cyber sphere and Chinese hypersonic missiles outrunning our own. These modern challenges demand not just investment, but the same audacious risk and creativity that birthed the Manhattan Project and put man on the moon. To be clear—the stakes are just as high today, as they were then.
Frankly, I am worried that somewhere along the way, we lost our edge. Bureaucracy, risk aversion, and complacency choked our standards of excellence and innovation. We watched as adversaries poured resources into advances energetics, next-generation stealth, and AI, threatening to leave us behind with yesterday's weapons in a future fight.
This hearing is about reclaiming our birthright—asking the experts on battlefield and defense industrial innovation what our history deems necessary, from experiences in our national labs to the front lines, to bring our research and engineering into theater.
We cannot and will not be a nation content to let our adversaries write the next book on the history of military innovation. We must demonstrate the will and freedom to fail fast and learn even faster. It is the responsibility of this subcommittee to oversee the Department of Defense's research and development enterprise—and correct them where necessary.
Our witnesses today are Dr. Andrew Krepinevich, author of The Origins of Victory, Dr. Arthur Herman, author of Freedom's Forged, and COL/Mr. Mark Gunzinger, a co-author of the Defense Department's first transformation strategy, who all bring a wealth of knowledge on historical innovation and how the Department of Defense works—or fails to. I look forward to our discussion and will yield to the Ranking Member, Mr. Khanna, for his opening statement.
