Press Releases

Armed Services Chairman Mac Thornberry (R-TX), together with 33 other majority members of the Committee, today sent a "views and estimates" letter to the House Budget Committee. The letter is an annual requirement as part of the budget process. The letter is attached alt="(NULL)". In the letter, Thornberry says:

"In sum, we believe that an adequate national defense requires significantly more funding... We also recognize that the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 set a level of base funding for FY17, as well as a minimum estimate of OCO funding to meet additional base requirements and fund current operations. At an absolute minimum, we must enforce the agreement that Congress and the President reached and fully fund those levels…

"Last year's budget request, and House Budget Resolution both identified the level for funding necessary to support FY17 base requirements as approximately $574 billion. Therefore, the consensus was that the FY17 base requirements would be supported through a combination of base funding and OCO funding."

Chairman Thornberry went on to say:

"We understand the challenges of the current fiscal environment. For FY17, we should ensure that the agreement reached last fall is enforced and that adequate funding levels are approved to support the minimum base requirements this year. We should also recognize that the BBA was passed before the Paris attacks by ISIL. Operational needs have only increased. The choices we must make to secure a 21st century American military are difficult, but with sequestration upon us again next year and with the wide ranging threats we face, the choices will not get easier. Our nation's security will depend on how we lead and how we define our agenda."