Cmte Armed Services (R) RSS Articles

Chairmen of Armed Services Committees Release Statement on Withdrawal of Troops from Germany

Sat, 02 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, (R-MS), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and U.S. Representative Mike Rogers, (R-AL), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement in response to the Pentagon's decision to withdraw approximately 5,000 troops from Germany and cancel the planned deployment there of a Long-Range Fires Battalion.

"We are very concerned by the decision to withdraw a U.S. brigade from Germany.

"Germany has stepped up in response to President Trump’s call for greater burden sharing, significantly increasing defense spending and providing seamless access, basing, and overflight for U.S. forces in support of Operation Epic Fury.

"The reality remains that even as allies move toward spending 5% of GDP on defense, translating that investment into the military capability needed to assume primary responsibility for conventional deterrence will take time. Prematurely reducing America’s forward presence in Europe before those capabilities are fully realized risks undermining deterrence and sending the wrong signal to Vladimir Putin.

"Rather than withdrawing forces from the continent altogether, it is in America's interest to maintain a strong deterrent in Europe by moving these 5,000 U.S. forces to the east. Allies there have made substantial investments to host U.S. troops, reducing costs for the U.S. taxpayer while strengthening NATO’s front line to help deter a far more costly conflict from ever beginning.

"Finally, any significant change to the U.S. force posture in Europe warrants a deliberate review process and close coordination with Congress and our allies. We expect the Department to engage with its oversight committees in the days and weeks ahead on this decision and its implications for U.S. deterrence and transatlantic security.”

Rogers: For the First Time in 40 years, We’ve Been Presented a Budget that Accounts for the True Cost of American Deterrence

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL) delivered the following opening statement at a hearing on the Department of Defense FY27 Budget Request, emphasizing the need to fund President Trump's $1.5 trillion budget request.

Chairman Rogers' Statement as Prepared for Delivery:

I welcome our witnesses and thank them for their service to our nation.

We are meeting today to review the Pentagon’s FY27 budget request.

Each year the budget presentation gives us an opportunity to take a hard look at the threats we face and our ability to deter and defeat them. It helps us decide on a level of investment that will actually secure our homeland and protect our interests across the globe.

Here are the facts that underlie this budget request:

We are confronting an unprecedented global threat environment with multiple adversaries working together to undermine our security and that of our allies. They are building alliances and supporting each other with drones, munitions, missile technology, and energy supplies.

China is leading the charge against us.

As you can see from this graphic, 25 years ago, the PLA was a defensive force with little ability to project power beyond their borders.

Today, the PLA is a modernized military force capable of projecting power well into the Pacific.

Their rapid military buildup has delivered thousands of new ships, subs, missiles, and space assets that that severely challenge our ability to safeguard our national security interests in the Indo-Pacific.

China continues to invest heavily in the PLA’s military modernization, announcing another 7 percent increase in defense spending for this year. As a result, they are spending more of their GDP on defense than we are.

In fact, as you can see from this graphic, all of our adversaries are spending more of their GDP on defense than we are.

Meanwhile, our defense spending as a percentage of GDP has steadily fallen since World War II.

That yellow line cutting across the bars represents from 4 to 5 percent of GDP. History has shown that meeting or exceeding that level of investment ensures we can truly deter our adversaries.

That’s also the level of investment we are asking our allies to make.

But for years, we have chosen not to do the same. Since World War II, defense funding has shrunk significantly as a percentage of federal outlays.

Defense spending now accounts for 13 percent of all federal spending. Nondefense spending accounts for over 85 percent.

This underinvestment in our defense has had very real consequences. Our Defense Industrial Base, long the envy of the world, has atrophied significantly. We are no longer capable of manufacturing for our warfighters at scale or speed.

Just look at shipbuilding. China builds 47 percent of the world’s ships. The U.S. builds one tenth of one percent.

We build fewer ships than Croatia and the Netherlands.

Our global munitions stockpiles are low and we lack the capacity to rapidly restock magazine depth. We have very little industrial capacity to mine, refine, or process critical minerals. As a result, many of our defense supply chains are reliant on the very adversaries we seek to deter.

Beyond the impact on our industrial base, inadequate investment in our defense has resulted in a vicious cycle that has pitted sustainment against modernization.

For years, administration after administration has come before us with budgets asking us to decommission weapon systems they admit we still need. Or to cut funding for training, parts, and supplies. Or to put off needed maintenance to the facilities where our servicemembers live and work. Or to reduce the number of military personnel.

These budgets have asked us to make these sacrifices and accept the near-term risk so we could afford to reinvest in military modernization - which is something we also desperately needed to do.

But we in Congress consistently rejected that mutually exclusive choice. Instead, we divided up the limited budget we were given and made a worse choice. We underfunded both sustainment and modernization.

The result is that we don’t have nearly enough munitions, ships, aircraft, or autonomous systems to ensure dominance against every adversary. And the ships and aircraft we do have suffer from unacceptably low mission capable rates. Fortunately, that’s about to change.

The President has requested a historic $1.5 trillion budget for our national defense. For the first time in 40 years, we’ve been presented a budget that accounts for the true cost of American deterrence. This budget fully funds both sustainment and modernization.

It provides a 24 percent increase in operation and maintenance, including a 20 percent increase for core readiness programs, like flight hours and combat exercises.

It includes a 115 percent increase in funding to repair and improve facilities for our servicemembers and their families.

It increases military end strength by 44,000 and provides for a historic pay raise for our servicemembers.

It calls for an unprecedented 76 percent increase in procurement and a 64 percent increase in research and development. This will enable us to truly catch up in our modernization efforts by quickly fielding new munitions, aircraft, ships, land, space, and autonomous systems to replenish and expand our arsenal.

It directly confronts the challenges in our defense industrial base with over $100 billion in investments to revitalize manufacturing, expand domestic and allied critical minerals projects, and secure our supply chains.

Finally, this level of investment gets defense spending back to 4.5 percent of GDP.

That’s where we need to be if we want to truly deter conflict. It also ensures America leads by example as our allies heed the President’s call to increase their defense spending and improve their military readiness.

I would just note that it is critical we do not reduce deterrence as our allies ramp up their own capability. That is something we are paying close attention to on this committee.

Before I close my remarks, I want to highlight the bravery, dedication, and professionalism of our warfighters throughout the conflict with Iran.

Their tremendous work to achieve the very clear military objectives of this operation has given the President the opening he needs to negotiate a true and lasting peace that will ensure Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon.

Mr. Secretary, General Caine, thank you for being here.

I look forward to hearing how this budget request will ensure our military can preserve American deterrence for generations to come.

Rogers: We Must Invest More in Defense to Deter China and North Korea

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL) delivered the following opening statement at a hearing on the U.S. Military Posture and National Security Challenges in the Indo-Pacific Region.

Chairman Rogers' Statement as Prepared for Delivery:

Today, we continue our posture hearings with INDOPACOM and U.S. Forces Korea.

As we meet, our adversaries are deepening their cooperation. China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea are working together to challenge the United States. Recent reports of China and Russia’s support for Iran during Operation Epic Fury are just the latest example of this cooperation.

In his threat environment, President Trump was right to commit to a historic $1.5 trillion defense budget. This investment is essential to rebuild our military and ensure peace through strength. I look forward to working with President Trump and Secretary Hegseth to get it enacted.

In particular, this investment is critical to addressing our most pressing challenge: deterring China in the Indo-Pacific.

Under Xi Jinping, China is pursuing a historic military buildup. It now fields the world’s leading hypersonic missile arsenal. The PLA is on track to exceed 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030.

China is the world’s preeminent shipbuilding nation. And its growing arsenal of conventional long-range strike, cyber, and space capabilities increasingly puts not only U.S. interests in the region at risk, but also the U.S. homeland.

And China is not just building capability, it is demonstrating intent. In a December exercise, the PLA encircled Taiwan and rehearsed operations to isolate and seize the island.

To ensure the Department can deter China through strength, we must:

improve integrated air and missile defenses, including the Guam Defense System;
scale production of innovative, low-cost munitions and attritable unmanned systems;
replenish our munitions stockpiles, especially long-range fires; and
rebuild and modernize U.S. shipbuilding.

Moreover, we need a strong network of alliances and partnerships.

Fortunately, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and Australia are increasing their defense spending and providing critical access and basing that enable our forces to operate throughout the region.

Taiwan, too, has made strides in strengthening its self-defense capabilities and is already spending about 3% of GDP on defense. And like President Trump, the Taiwanese President is also proposing a special budget to bring their defense spending closer to 5% of GDP. I encourage their legislature to pass it as soon as possible.

The stakes are clear for not only Taiwan, but also the United States: a cross-Strait invasion would disrupt the global economy and enable China to dominate the Pacific and its key sea lanes to America’s detriment.

The time is now to strengthen Taiwan’s defenses. I urge the Department to move quickly to execute congressionally-appropriated funds for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative. The recently announced $11 billion U.S. arms sale is a positive step, but we must make use of every available authority to arm Taiwan.That is consistent with the 2026 National Defense Strategy’s call to build a strong denial defense along the First Island Chain.

While China is our pacing challenge, North Korea remains a persistent threat that cannot be ignored. North Korean forces are gaining real-world combat experience fighting for Vladimir Putin against Ukraine. In return, Putin is giving Kim advanced technologies to greatly enhance his military capabilities. North Korea’s advancing cyber, nuclear, and missile arsenals threaten both South Korea and the U.S. homeland.

Therefore, I am encouraged that South Korea is demonstrating a clear commitment to taking on significantly greater responsibility for its own defense. But that progress must not be undermined by a premature reduction of U.S. forces from the Peninsula or a premature transition of wartime operational control.

I want to thank our witnesses for being here and for their service to our nation.

I look forward to hearing how we can work together to ensure our warfighters have what they need to maintain stability and deterrence in the Indo-Pacific.

Kelly: We Can No Longer Afford to Be Complacent About Shipbuilding

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Seapower and Projection Forces (SPF) Subcommittee Chairman Trent Kelly (R-MS) delivered the following remarks at a hearing on Revitalizing Shipbuilding and the Maritime Industrial Base.

Chairman Kelly's Statement as Prepared for Delivery:

Good afternoon, everyone, and thank you for being here for today’s hearing on Revitalizing Shipbuilding and the Maritime Industrial Base.

We are joined today by our colleagues from the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee, and I want to give a special thank you to heir chairman, my good friend and fellow Mississippian Mike Ezell, and Ranking Member Carbajal for being such great partners for Seapower Ranking Member Joe Courtney and myself.

The collaboration between our two subcommittees is more important than ever, given the dire straits in which we find our maritime industrial base.

Years of inconsistent demand from the government and the commercial maritime industry have wreaked havoc on production schedules for government shipbuilding and the domestic supply chain, exactly the kind of structural challenge the SHIPS Act is designed to address through more stable demand signals and long-term investment. Because of that we have seen costs continue to increase.

That is why I am leading the SHIPS Act with my good friend, Congressman Garamendi; I greatly appreciate his collaboration.

Now, as we reorient ourselves back to great power competition, we need the ability to project American power and influence across the farthest reaches of the globe, and we cannot achieve that capability without a thriving shipbuilding and maritime industry.

We can no longer afford to be complacent; we are far behind our near peer competitors when it comes to the pace of getting hulls in the water.

We are far and away better from a qualitative standpoint, but quantity has a value on its own.

There are currently just eighty U.S.-crewed and U.S.-flagged vessels in international commerce, and our military shipbuilding programs are slower and more hampered than those of our near peer competitors and even our allies. We need to take an honest account of what we see in the mirror, and more importantly, put forward a serious, actionable plan to close that gap, which is what the SHIPS Act is intended to do.

Fostering shipbuilding and commercial maritime industry will take action by all parts of government. Along those lines, I want to reiterate the importance of a new sealift program for the Department of the Navy. Procuring used vessels just is not going to cut it. A new construction program for militarily useful sealift can support close follow construction efforts for commercial industry vessels, reinforcing the SHIPS Act’s approach of aligning commercial shipbuilding capacity with national defense requirements.

These committees have also been critical to support for commercial industry through stipend programs that assure access for military needs. But that is not enough.

Critical reforms to defense acquisitions were passed as part of last year’s NDAA, and I was also pleased to see the White House encouraging investment in shipyards, ship building, and ship repair in the Maritime Action Plan that was released in February. But there is still more work to be done to reinvigorate our seagoing sectors, not only in government and industry, but in communities and among the younger generations.

Reviving our commercial and military shipbuilding is a complex challenge, one that we must attack from multiple different angles.

We are also lucky to have a range of perspectives from our witnesses. I know I speak for everyone on the subcommittees when I say that we are eager to hear your suggestions and recommendations and appreciate y’all being here today.

DesJarlais: We Must Do More to Modernize Our Nuclear Arsenal

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Strategic Forces (STR) Subcommittee Chairman Scott DesJarlais (R-TN) delivered the following opening statement at a hearing on the FY27 Budget Request for Nuclear Forces and Atomic Energy Defense Activities.

Chairman DesJarlais' Statement as Prepared for Delivery:

The subcommittee meets today to review the Department’s fiscal year 2027 budget request for nuclear forces and atomic energy defense activities.

Thank you for being with us today.

I want to begin by noting that this hearing will be Admiral Wolfe’s final appearance in uniform before the Strategic Forces subcommittee. After nearly four decades of service to the nation, including eight years as the Director of SSP, he will be retiring later this year. Admiral Wolfe has testified before this subcommittee every year since 2019, and this panel has benefited greatly from his wisdom and counsel.

Thank you Admiral, and we wish you all the best in a well-earned retirement.

Overall, the president’s budget request for fiscal year 2027 reflects a strong commitment to sustaining and modernizing our nuclear deterrent.

In particular, I want to highlight the significant increase it proposes for NNSA’s weapons activities. For many years, NNSA budgets have failed to reflect the true needs of modernizing our stockpile and rebuilding the production infrastructure our nation largely abandoned at the end of the Cold War. I appreciate the serious commitment this budget signals to addressing that challenge and ensuring our nuclear deterrent is supported by both cutting-edge scientific tools and responsive production capabilities.

With respect to the Department’s budget request, I was happy to see support for the execution of nuclear modernization programs, but I continue to question whether we are doing enough – and moving quickly enough – to adjust to the dynamic nuclear threat landscape. While there has been greater recognition that the 2010 modernization plan is necessary but not sufficient to meet the changing security environment, our posture and programs remain largely unaltered, aside from the addition of SLCM-N.

Before concluding, I also want to thank General White for organizing the trip we took last month to see the 91^st Missile Wing at Minot Air Force Base.

This was an invaluable experience, seeing up-close what it means to operate a weapons system deployed in the 1970s with facilities built in the 1960s. Neither the Minuteman missile nor the infrastructure around it was designed to last this long. The fact that the system remains effective today is down to the amazing effort and endurance of those we met – the young missileers, maintainers, and defenders – who work tirelessly, each day, to ensure the most responsive leg of our nuclear triad continues performing its mission and deterring our adversaries.

Their success at keeping a 55 year-old ICBM system alive is impressive, but I think what we’re asking of them is unfair.

We owe them a better product. We must replace Minuteman with Sentinel, and we must ensure that program delivers a solution that takes care of our operators and maintainers – not one that relies on their dedication and perseverance to function. Their mission is challenging enough as it is.

General White, I know you take the same view and appreciate the importance of not lowering the acquisition costs by shifting the burden onto the operational and sustainment communities. It’s the right approach, and we need to stick to it.

Bacon: We're in a New Era of Cyber Warfare

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Cyber, Information Technologies, and Innovation (CITI) Subcommittee Chairman Don Bacon (R-NE) delivered the following opening statement at a hearing on the Cyber Posture of the Department of Defense.

Chairman Bacon's Statement as Prepared for Delivery:

Good afternoon, and welcome to today’s hearing on the cyber posture of the Department of Defense.

Today’s hearing comes at a time of increased cyber activity targeting U.S. infrastructure, including recent campaigns against telecommunications and critical infrastructure networks.

It also comes at a time when cyber operations are being integrated into military operations more than ever before. U.S. Cyber Command has supported recent operations, including Operation Midnight Hammer in Iran and Operation Absolute Resolve in Venezuela.

The Department, with the support of Congress, has continued to develop its cyber forces. Over the past several years:

the Cyber Mission Force has grown and matured;
Cyber Command has received enhanced budget control;
the role of the Assistant Secretary for Cyber Policy has been established and filled; and
the Department has stood up the Department of Defense Cyber Defense Command—DCDC—as a sub-unified command.

This maturation is continuing. Cyber Command has initiated an organizational and force generation reform effort known as “CYBERCOM 2.0”, focused on improving workforce management, training, readiness, and operational effectiveness. This effort is intended to create more defined career paths, enable greater specialization, and improve the Department’s ability to respond to emerging threats.

We look forward to hearing about how these efforts are improving the Department's cyber posture and where challenges remain.

Jackson: Our Intelligence Community Must Be Equipped to Confront Today's Global Threats

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Ronny Jackson (R-TX), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Intelligence and Special Operations, delivered the following opening remarks at a subcommittee hearing on the challenges, priorities, and resourcing for the Defense Intelligence Enterprise in Fiscal Year 2027.

Rep. Jackson’s Statement As Prepared for Delivery:

Today, we will hear from our witnesses on the Defense Intelligence Enterprise, or DIE, and how the DIE is postured for Fiscal Year 2027 and beyond.

This year, I am pleased to include the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, or NGA, with our panel of leaders from the DIE.

The U.S. Intelligence Community comprises 18 organizations, nine of which are elements of the Department of Defense that provide a variety of capabilities supporting national and defense intelligence requirements and missions.

Intelligence enables leaders to make informed decisions, especially in an increasingly complex world.

With threats ranging from those in the Western Hemisphere to non-state actors, proxies, and terrorism around the globe, we also continue to face challenges from China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.

Our warfighters and policymakers depend on validated, actionable intelligence to execute their missions and return home safely.

And the men and women who support the Defense Intelligence Enterprise – civilians and servicemembers alike – need the requisite tools, resources, facilities, and support to deliver on our intelligence requirements.

By ensuring our DIE has what it needs, and our intelligence efforts are synchronized, we increase our warfighters’ lethality, survivability, and capacity to provide for our nation’s defense and counter whatever threats may arise, now and in the future.

This is a challenging task at hand, and one we look forward to working with the Department on.

That is why we are here today – to learn from key representatives of the DIE about our current posture and how we can work together to better support the enterprise.

Understanding each of your roles in these efforts will help us ensure that your organizations have the capabilities and resources needed to accomplish your mission.

Fallon: We Must Keep Our Promise to the Americans Who Choose to Serve

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Pat Fallon (R-TX), Chairman of the Military Personnel Subcommittee, delivered the following opening remarks at a posture hearing on the Military Departments’ personnel chiefs’ perspective on the health and welfare of the force.

Rep. Fallon's Statement as Prepared for Delivery:

I want to welcome everyone to this hearing of the Military Personnel subcommittee.

First and foremost, I want to honor our service members who were killed and wounded in action in the Middle East these past weeks.

Their honorable service will not be forgotten.

Their sacrifice is a reminder that this subcommittee's work is not abstract.

Every policy we examine in this room, how we recruit, how we retain, how we take care of families, either strengthens or weakens the force those men and women serve in.

We owe them our best work.

Today's hearing is about the people who build and sustain our force, not just the numbers, but the policies that determine whether a 22-year-old from Texas decides to enlist, whether a mid-career NCO decides to stay, and whether a military family can actually build a life around service.

The five witnesses before us today are the architects of those decisions across every branch of the military.

Their portfolios touch everything from accessions to assignments to benefits to career development, and the choices made in those lanes will determine the readiness of the force we send into the next fight.

I want to reiterate my appreciation for the hard work and focus that the Services, the recruiters on the ground, this Committee, and the administration have placed into recruiting.

We continue to see record numbers of men and women who want to serve.

But recruiting is only half the equation.

We've made a promise to the young Americans joining our formations, and now we must keep up our end of the bargain.

That means this subcommittee will be pressing hard on quality of life today.

Not as a soft topic, but as a readiness and retention variable.

A service member who can't get a doctor's appointment, whose spouse can't find work after a PCS move, whose child is on a year-long CDC waitlist, is a service member who is doing the math on whether to re-enlist.

These witnesses control the policies that affect that math.

Specifically, I want answers today on dining facilities and barracks.

Are the investments we've made actually showing up in the lived experience of junior enlisted?

On military healthcare, MHS staffing has declined, and I want to understand where that leaves gaps.

On childcare, CDC waitlists remain one of the most consistent complaints I hear from military families, and I want to know what's being done about it.

And on spouse employment, PCS moves cost military spouses' careers, and that cost shows up directly in retention decisions.

The policies and programs these officers oversee profoundly affect whether a service member and their family decide to stay.

That is the subject of this hearing.

But before we get there, I want to thank all of our Service-members: the Active Duty, Reservists, and Guard Members who are serving this nation around the world as we speak, many in harm’s way.

You and your families are really the subject of this hearing, as the policies and regulations controlled by these senior officers profoundly affect your lives and your very decision to stay in service.

DesJarlais: President Trump’s Budget Makes a Critical Investment in Missile Defense

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Scott DesJarlais (R-TN), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, delivered the following opening remarks at a hearing on Department of Defense missile defense and defeat programs.

Chairman DesJarlais’ Statement As Prepared For Delivery:

Good afternoon and welcome to you all – we appreciate you being with us today.

I want to begin by recognizing the service of our air and missile defense operators.

In recent weeks, they have served with great distinction.

Most of all, their courage and proficiency have saved lives.

We salute them.

This is the first subcommittee hearing to be held since the President’s budget request for the upcoming 2027 fiscal year was released.

While we continue to await programmatic details, I was pleased to see the topline levels reflect a strong investment in missile defense capabilities.

Three areas are worth highlighting.

First, the Missile Defense Agency’s budget for research and development would grow substantially to over $12.3 billion – an increase of more than 50% since President Trump took office.

This reflects a renewed focus on MDA’s core mission of advancing technology, which is long overdue.

Second, this budget invests about $23 billion in the production of missile defense interceptors, which makes up almost half of the Department’s broader munitions acceleration initiative.

While conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East have proven the importance of magazine depth, funding for interceptor production has been inadequate for years.

As production lines operated at – or near – minimum sustaining rates, our industrial base withered.

Just two years ago, the previous administration proposed ending production of the Navy’s SM-3 Block “one B” interceptor.

Congress rejected this decision and provided additional funding to continue production, but we were unable to address the root cause: an ever-growing gap between the munitions demands of the modern battlefield and the production capacity we were budgeting for.

President Trump’s 2027 budget represents the first serious effort to course-correct and rebuild our nation’s munitions production capacity – this is critical for our missile defense enterprise.

Third, building upon the historic investment this committee made through last year’s reconciliation bill, the 2027 budget seeks over $17.5 billion for the Golden Dome initiative to protect the homeland from air and missile defense threats.

However, funding for both of these critical initiatives – interceptor procurement and Golden Dome – is part of the Department’s $350 billion mandatory spending request, which depends on the outcome of a broader political process that is less predictable.

As the budget landscape evolves in the weeks and months ahead, I hope our witnesses will continue to work with this committee to convey the importance of this funding and to clearly communicate the consequences that would come with failing to provide it.

I also want to express my appreciation for the Department’s efforts to improve communication with this committee about its Golden Dome plans.

Challenges remain, and “over-classification” will need to be addressed.

However, the increased engagement by General Guetlein and Mr. Berkowitz on this topic is welcome and deserves acknowledgment.

General Gainey, I understand you will be retiring this summer after 36 years in uniform.

We thank you and your family for all that you have done on behalf of our nation.

And, General Guillot – just in case this is the last time we see you – I want to also express our thanks to you for your 37 years of service to this country.

We have enjoyed working with you both and have benefited greatly from your unwavering professionalism and candor.

Bergman: America Must Rebuild Readiness by Maintaining the Force We Already Own

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Jack Bergman (R-MI), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Readiness, delivered the following remarks at a hearing on the posture of U.S. Military Readiness for FY27.

Rep Bergman's Statement as Prepared for Delivery:

I’d like to welcome everyone to today’s hearing.

I particularly want to thank all our esteemed witnesses for accepting our invitation to discuss the plight of our military readiness.

I think that we can all agree that the declining readiness trends are unacceptable.

These trends have been years in the making and are causing aircraft to be cannibalized and ground vehicles to sit idle.

While I look forward to our witnesses’ thoughts, I would like to offer a few ideas as to what we in Congress need to do to make our military more lethal and effective in the near term.

First of all, we need to do the hard work and focus on sustaining the existing fleet.

The sad fact is that we have allowed our military readiness to decline across the board because we are more focused on procuring shiny objects than on holistically managing the day-to-day maintenance necessary to sustain our military.

Secondly, the overall topline requested by the administration in the Fiscal Year 2027 budget request is unprecedented, but absolutely essential to address the plight of our military forces.

For too long, our military has relied on a legacy force structure that has not been maintained to the readiness levels required.

One need not look further than the Joint Strike Fighter program and the readiness levels provided by this exquisite platform.

Cannibalizing our Joint Strike Fighter fleet because we have not provided the basic parts to support this superior platform is not a reasonable long-term solution to maintaining current readiness.

This budget request, with the accompanying reconciliation supplement, will break this cannibalization cycle and put the Joint Strike Fighter on a sustainable path.

Finally, we need to develop a modernization strategy that provides for our ability to maintain legacy assets through their expected service life.

A stark example of this readiness crisis is the state of our amphibious fleet.

The Marine Corps has long championed a naval strategy capable of accelerated national security response, and has consistently advocated for the restoration of a 3.0 amphibious readiness group worldwide presence — a standard the Navy has failed to meet.

Years of neglect, misplaced priorities, and open derision from certain Navy pundits have left less than half of our amphibious ships available for tasking.

That is not a maintenance problem — it is a leadership problem.

This Subcommittee will hold the Navy accountable for restoring these ships to their expected service life.

The Marine Corps should not have to implore its sister service for the platforms it needs to execute America's crisis response mission.

In conclusion, I think any expanded force structure needs to be accompanied by a strategic focus on maintaining the existing forces through their expected service life.

This approach is not only cost-effective but also more rapidly expands our readiness force posture to best meet our ongoing national security challenges.

I thank the witnesses for being here today.

I look forward to your testimony and to working together to address these challenges.

Full Committee Hearing: Department of Defense FY27 Budget Request

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Opening Statement:

Chairman Mike Rogers

Witnesses:

The Honorable Pete Hegseth
Secretary of Defense
Department of Defense

General Dan Caine
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Department of Defense

Live Stream:

Joint SPF Subcommittee and T&I Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee Hearing: Revitalizing Shipbuilding and the Maritime Industrial Base

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 19:30:00 GMT

Opening Statements:

Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee Chairman Trent Kelly

Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee Chairman Mike Ezell

Witnesses:

Mr. Jason Potter
Performing the Duties of Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition
Department of the Navy

The Honorable Stephen Carmel
Administrator, U.S. Maritime Administration
Department of Transportation

Rear Admiral Mike E. Campbell
Director of Systems Integration and Chief Acquisitions Officer, U.S. Coast Guard
Department of Homeland Security

Dr. Eric Labs
Senior Analyst for Naval Forces and Weapons
Congressional Budget Office

Ms. Shelby Oakley
Director of Contracting and National Security Acquisitions
Government Accountability Office

Livestream:

STR Subcommittee Hearing: FY27 Budget Request for Nuclear Forces and Atomic Energy Defense Activities

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 19:00:00 GMT

Opening Statement:

Strategic Forces Subcommittee Chairman Scott DesJarlais

Witnesses:

The Honorable Brandon Williams

Under Secretary for Nuclear Security

United States Department of Energy

The Honorable Dr. Robert Kadlec

Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear Deterrence, Chemical, and Biological Defense Policy and Programs

Office of the Secretary of Defense

General Dale White

Direct Report Portfolio Manager for Critical Major Weapon Systems

Office of the Secretary of Defense

Vice Admiral Johnny Wolfe Jr.

Director, Strategic Systems Programs

United States Navy

Lieutenant General Andrew Gebara

Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration

United States Air Force

Stream the Hearing Live Here:

Full Committee Hearing: U.S. Military Posture and National Security Challenges in the Indo-Pacific Region

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Opening Statement:

Chairman Mike Rogers

Witnesses:

Honorable John Noh

Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs

Office of the Secretary of Defense

Admiral Samuel Paparo, USN

Commander

U.S. Indo-Pacific Command

General Xavier Brunson, USA

Commander

United Nations Command / Combined Forces Command / U.S. Forces Korea

Livestream:

CITI Subcommittee Hearing: Cyber Posture of the Department of Defense

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 19:30:00 GMT

Opening Statement:

Chairman Don Bacon

Witnesses:

The Honorable Katherine Sutton

Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy and Principal Cyber Advisor to the Secretary of Defense

Office of the Secretary of Defense

General Joshua Rudd, USA

Commander, U.S. Cyber Command; Director, National Security Agency/Chief, Central Security Service

U.S. Department of Defense

Livestream:

Full Committee Hearing: Member Day

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Witnesses:
Rep. Nikki Budzinski (IL-13)
Rep. Jim Baird (IN-04)
Rep. Sheri Biggs (SC-03)
Rep. Tom Barrett (MI-07)
Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14)
Rep. Sylvia Garcia (TX-29)
Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34)
Rep. Pablo José Hernández (PR-At Large)
Rep. Marcy Kaptur (OH-09)
Rep. Tim Kennedy (NY-26)
Rep. August Pfluger (TX-11)
Rep. Emily Randall (WA-06)
Rep. Hillary Scholten (MI-03)

Rep. Mary Scanlon (PA-05)
Rep. John James (MI-10)
Rep. Gabe Amo (RI-01)
Rep. Gus M. Bilirakis (FL-12)
Rep. Troy Carter Sr. (LA-02)
Rep. Randy Feenstra (IA-04)
Rep. Tim Kennedy (NY-26)
Rep. Susie Lee (NV-03)
Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03)
Rep. Julie Johnson (TZ-32)
Rep. Dina Titus (NV-01)
Rep. Frank D. Lucas (OK-03)
Rep. Rudy Yakym III (IN-02)

Watch the Stream Live Here:

MLP Subcommittee Hearing: Military Department Personnel Chiefs: Personnel Posture

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 19:00:00 GMT

Rep. Fallon's Opening Statement

Witnesses:

Lieutenant General Brian S. Eifler, USA

Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1

Lieutenant General Caroline Miller, USAF

Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower and Personnel

Vice Admiral Jeffrey Czerewko, USN

Chief of Naval Personnel

Lieutenant General William Bowers, USMC

Deputy Commandant Manpower and Reserve Affairs

Ms. Katharine Kelley, USSF

Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Personnel

Watch the Hearing Live Here:

ISO Subcommittee Hearing: Defense Intelligence Enterprise – Challenges, Priorities, and Resourcing for Fiscal Year 2027

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 19:30:00 GMT

Rep. Jackon's Opening Statement

Witnesses:

The Honorable Bradley D. Hansell

Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence & Security

Office of the Secretary of Defense

General Joshua M. Rudd, USA

Director, National Security Agency

Commander, United States Cyber Command

Lieutenant General Michele Bredenkamp, USA

Director

National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency

Lieutenant General James H. Adams III, USMC

Director

Defense Intelligence Agency

Watch the Hearing Live Here:

FY27 Missile Defense & Missile Defeat Programs and Activities

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 19:00:00 GMT

Rep. DesJarlais' Opening Statement

Witnesses:

The Honorable Marc Berkowitz

Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy

Office of the Secretary of Defense

General Gregory Guillot, USAF

Commander

United States Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command

General Michael Guetlein, USSF

Direct Report Program Manager for Golden Dome for America

Office of the Secretary of Defense

Lieutenant General Heath Collins, USAF

Director

Missile Defense Agency

Lieutenant General Sean Gainey, USA

Commanding General

United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command

Watch the Hearing Live Here:

RDY Subcommittee: Military Readiness for FY27

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 19:30:00 GMT

Opening Statement:

Readiness Subcommittee Chairman Jack Bergman (R-MI)

Witnesses:

General Christopher C. LaNeve
Vice Chief of Staff
United States Army

Admiral James W. Kilby
Vice Chief of Naval Operations
United States Navy

General John Lamontagne
Vice Chief of Staff
United States Air Force

General Bradford J. Gering
Assistant Commandant
United States Marine Corps

General Shawn N. Bratton
Vice Chief of Space Operations
United States Space Force