Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Scott DesJarlais (R-MI), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, delivered the following remarks at a Strategic Forces subcommittee hearing on the activities of national security space programs.
Rep. DesJarlais' opening remarks as prepared for delivery:
The Strategic Forces subcommittee meets today to receive testimony on the policies and programs related to national security space activities.
Good afternoon to our witnesses and thank you for joining us today. Before us we have:
• Ms. Andrea Yaffe, the Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy within the Office of the Secretary of Defense
• Dr. Chris Scolese, the Director of the National Reconnaissance Office
• Vice Admiral Frank Whitworth, the Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
• Major General Stephen Purdy, the Acting Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration
We appreciate your time today and your service.
Unfortunately, we still do not have the programmatic details for the President’s budget request for fiscal year 2026 but the topline number did give some hints.
The space systems and people provided by the organizations you all represent are foundational to the security of our nation and the joint force.
This is why it is so important that we have to ability to fight and win in space.
It’s not enough to simply provide important information like missile warning, PNT, and nuclear command and control in all stages of conflict.
Now we must be able to hold at risk the CCP kill web that enables space-based targeting and tracking of our terrestrial forces and extends the range and accuracy of their weapons.
Our ability to break this kill web will determine the success or failure of the joint force and its objectives in the INDOPACIFIC.
That requires having the right systems in a relevant timeline.
I want to associate myself with Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Smith who have been calling attention to not only how we buy things and the broken acquisition processes, but also the people doing the acquiring.
Specifically, regarding the Space Force, they have raised concerns with how those acquisition professionals are developed, trained, and given opportunities to advance in their careers.
As we work to make sure we are developing a force that can fight and win in space, we must also make sure that the platforms they will need to break those kill webs are delivered on time and on budget.
That starts with having highly trained acquisition professionals.
Every Guardian supports the warfighting mission.
This means that time spent at Space Systems Command figuring out how to bring more nontraditional companies into the mix is just as important as time spent at Delta 9 conducting orbital warfare.
This subcommittee is proudly where the Space Force got its start.
We will – in a bipartisan way – continue to push to make sure that it stays the course and achieves that original vision of improving space acquisitions.
I look forward to hearing updates today from our witnesses on some of your programs and how you are working to speed up that acquisition timeline so that we can deliver needed systems to the force.
Major General Purdy, I’m glad to see that you aren’t standing still, despite serving in an acting capacity.
Your recent announcement of a new acquisition plan for a follow-on to the Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program, or GSSAP, that calls for more commercially developed technology and diversifies the supplier base is just the type of innovation we need.
Dr. Scolese, the NRO’s rapid deployment of its proliferated constellation of more than 150 satellites over the past two years has not only given you the largest government constellation but has been a great example of how we can move quickly.
Vice Admiral Whitworth, the recent awarding of task orders for commercial imagery analysis on your Luno A program, and the funding of the Luno B program focused on commercial AI, are exactly the kind of commercial integration we need to stay ahead of our adversaries.
Finally, Ms. Yaffe all these efforts are underpinned by our policies in space.
How your office is planning for the increased testing, training, and changing operational norms to support these new systems and warfighting doctrine will be incredibly important.
With that I now recognize the Ranking Member, Mr. Moulton, for his opening remarks.
