Opening Statements

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Mike Rogers (R-AL), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, delivered the following opening remarks at the committee’s markup of legislation to invest $150 billion to modernize the American military, revitalize the defense industrial base, and improve the quality of life for servicemembers.

Chairman Roger's remarks as prepared for delivery: 

Today we mark up our recommendations for reconciliation pursuant to the concurrent resolution on the FY 25 budget. 

This is a historic day. 

Never before has HASC had the opportunity to use reconciliation to make a generational investment in our national security. 

But we do today. 

The bill before us provides $150 billion in mandatory funding to modernize our military, revitalize the defense industrial base, and improve the quality of life for our servicemembers. 

The time for this level of investment is long overdue. 

It’s clear we are no longer deterring our adversaries.

The threats we face today from China, Russia, Iran, North Korea and others are much more serious and challenging then we ever faced. 

China is outpacing us in the development and deployment of critical capabilities needed to succeed on future battlefields.

We’ve let our defense industrial base atrophy to the point where I fear we could no longer sustain a prolonged conflict.  

And it all stems from chronic underinvestment in our national security. 

Defense spending is not keeping up with inflation.  

In fact, we are currently at the lowest level of defense spending as a percentage of GDP since before World War II.

That’s unacceptable. 

And it must change. 

If we want to restore American deterrence and ensure peace through strength, we must get back to at least 4 percent of GDP. 

Today we start toward that goal. 

The $150 billion in mandatory funding we are providing today will;

•    Expand benefits and significantly improve housing for our servicemembers and their families;

•    Build new infrastructure and expand capacity in our public and private shipyards, military depots, munitions plants, nuclear facilities, and supply chains throughout the defense industrial base;

•    Expand domestic production and refining of rare earth and critical minerals vital to our defense supply chain;

•    Construct new battle force ships, fighter aircraft, and ground systems;

•    Develop and deploy the capability we need for the Golden Dome missile defense shield;

•    Restore America’s arsenal of munitions, from small caliber ammunition, to hypersonic missiles and long-range torpedoes; 

•    Fund military exercises and spare parts to ensure we can fight tonight;

•    Build the infrastructure and capability we need to successfully conduct military operations in the Western Pacific; and 

•    Fund DoD’s support of border activities, because border security is national security. 

There’s one more thing this bill does that I think is very important.

It forces the department to start building the future of American defense now.

It invests billions to accelerate deployment of new, low cost, attritable, autonomous systems.

These unmanned air, surface, and underwater systems are the key to victory on future battlefields. 

I am pleased we are making such a significant investment in them today. 

This bill will begin implementing President Trump’s Peace through Strength Agenda.

It will go a long way toward restoring American deterrence and building the ready, capable, and lethal fighting force President Trump promised. 

I urge all Members to support it. 

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