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Today, Rep. Michael Turner (R-OH), Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces, made the following remarks on the Subcommittee's markup. For the text of the mark and to watch the markup click here.

"The Subcommittee meets today to markup H.R. 4909, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017.

I want to thank the Ranking Member and all of the members of the subcommittee for their attendance and participation in the overall process this year.

I’d like to express my sincere thanks to Ms. Sanchez, as well as to her staff, for their support and cooperation in putting this mark together.

Subcommittee Members have been actively engaged on the important issues facing the subcommittee in a bipartisan manner.

This mark addresses the priorities of the Members on both sides.

Throughout this year’s NDAA process the committee has repeatedly heard that the total force is strained as the Services continue to do more with less.

We heard testimony from the service chiefs about lacking capability and capacity to address threats and mission requirements.

We heard that a resurgent Russia, the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), and the fragile security environment in Afghanistan were not accounted for in the Department’s defense strategy.

These new security challenges and missions have kept operations at elevated levels, while the services continued to downsize and cut modernization. Supporting those deployed by robbing the next to deploy.

Last year, General Dempsey warned that the FY16 budget request was at the 'lower ragged edge of manageable risk' in meeting the defense strategy.

Yet, the fiscal year 2017 request provides roughly $18.0 billion less in base budget funding.

Significant cuts were made in modernization, despite the fact that overall commitments have increased and threats have worsened.

In turn, the military services have submitted over $22.0 billion in unfunded requirements for fiscal year 2017 alone.

We are concerned that resources are insufficient to meet the current strategy, much less address emerging threats and requirements, and that we are headed to a 'high risk force.'

So it is within this context that we built this Mark.

Together with the full committee mark, this mark will be a first step to reversing this dangerous situation.

This mark will:

• Authorize multiyear procurement authorities for UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and AH-64 Apache Attack helicopters
• Continue to provide necessary oversight of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program and require the GAO to review current and long-term sustainment strategies.
• Require a comprehensive assessment on the ways to reduce or eliminate shortfalls in capacity for current Army modernization capabilities.
• Require the Secretary of Defense to develop munition strategies for each of the Combatant Commands to better understand critical munition requirements and inventory shortfalls.
• Advance the development and procurement of lighter, stronger and more advanced personal protective equipment systems for military servicemen and women.
• Support an accelerated and streamlined development acquisition strategy to recapitalize high demand, low density JSTARS platforms.
• Stress the importance and need for rapidly developing and fielding needed aircraft survivability equipment for helicopters and tactical aircraft.
• Support and encourage a more streamlined and accelerated approach to fielding vehicle active protection systems to better address emerging threats and,
• Support the National Commission on the Future of the Army’s (NCFA) recommendations in regards to the Army’s Aviation Restructure Initiative.

The subcommittee’s recommendations to the Chairman’s mark will include full funding of most major programs in our jurisdiction.

While through oversight and reform have recommended adjusting under-performing programs.

We have recommended the Chairman include almost $6.0 billion in additional support to address military service unfunded requirements to include:

• UH-60M Black Hawks, LUH-72 Lakotas and AH-64E Apache helicopters
• F-35 Joint Strike Fighters and F-18 Super Hornets
• Critical munitions to address shortfalls in the war reserve
• Aircraft survivability equipment for helicopters and tactical aircraft
• Marine Corps helicopters to include V-22s and AH-1 Viper
• Improved recovery vehicles
• Marine Corps enhanced combat helmets, and
• National Guard and Reserve Component Equipment

We have also recommended realignment of funds within the European Reassurance Initiative to allow the Army to procure the most modernized and upgraded versions of Abrams tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles, which was requested by the Army.

In summary, this is a good Mark that provides necessary oversight, and buys back critical modernization capacity for the military services.

I encourage your support."