| Today, Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA), Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness, made the following remarks on the hearing titled “The Marine Corps’ 2017 Operations and Maintenance Budget Request and Readiness Posture.” To view hearing testimony click here. "Good morning. Thank you all for being here today for our Readiness subcommittee hearing on the Marine Corps’ 2017 Operations and Maintenance Budget Request and Readiness Posture. This is the third of four hearings on the services’ budget requests and readiness postures. Recently the Marine Corps Commandant, General Bob Neller spoke at the Atlantic Council and said, 'As a force in readiness, it’s critical to our identity that we are ready.' Today, I look forward to hearing how the Marine Corps’ budget request enables a readiness recovery plan and where we continue to take risks; calculated in terms of both risk to the force and risk to the mission. I would like to welcome all of our members and the distinguished panel of senior Marine Corps leaders present today. This morning we have with us: • General John M. Paxton, Jr., USMC Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps • Lieutenant General Glenn M. Walters, USMC Deputy Commandant for Programs and Resources, U.S. Marine Corps • Major General Vincent A. Coglianese, USMC Assistant Deputy Commandant for Installations and Logistics (Plans), U.S. Marine Corps Thank you all for testifying today and we look forward to your thoughts and insights on these important issues. The purpose of this hearing is to clarify the Marine Corps’ choices for its budget requests, to address funding priorities and mitigation strategies, and to gather more detail on the current and future impacts of these decisions on operations, maintenance, training, and modernization. Most importantly, does the Marine Corps have the resources it requires in order to improve its state of readiness? This morning we want to get at the heart of the responsibility the Congress has placed on the Marine Corps and that is to serve as our nation’s force in readiness, and as General Neller has appropriately interpreted, he says 'this means that our bags are always packed, Marines are ready to go and our gear is prepared, and we have to be able to fight when we get where we’re going.' Once again, I want to thank our witnesses for participating in our hearing this morning and I look forward to discussing these important topics." | 
