WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, made the following opening statement, as prepared for delivery, at the Full Committee's hearing entitled, "Security Challenges in Europe and Posture for Inter-state Competition with Russia." For testimony and other information and to watch the hearing click here.
Today, Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, made the following opening statement, as prepared for delivery, at the Full Committee's hearing entitled, "Security Challenges in Europe and Posture for Inter-state Competition with Russia." For testimony and other information and to watch the hearing click here.
"The Committee welcomes General Scaparrotti back today to testify on the threats and posture in the European Command's area of responsibility. There he faces the full range of security challenges, from Russia's constant modernization of its nuclear weapons and delivery systems to the hybrid and political warfare it wages against the U.S. and others. Its tactics extend, as we have been reminded this week, to targeted assassination.
I think that it is clear that the U.S. has neglected both ends of the warfare spectrum in recent years and much in between. But the recent budget agreement and the new National Defense Strategy and Nuclear Posture Review give us the chance to begin to do better.
We must do better across-the-board. It is not enough to advocate for a more robust cyber response to Russia's attempts to meddle in our elections but waiver on our response to their renewed nuclear or territorial ambitions. Likewise, we cannot build up our missile defenses and nuclear deterrent but leave significant cyber intrusions unanswered.
It is essential, in my view, that we face all of these challenges with clear-eyed objectivity and not allow domestic politics to color our view or affect our actions. The United States and our allies and our interests are threatened by the full range of Russian capability and by its increasing belligerence. Our job is to address them in the military sphere in order to protect our nation's security, nothing more or less."
