Ranking Member Steve Womack (R-AR) Opening Remarks at Hearing on the President’s DOD Budget Request

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery:

Thank you, Chairman Yarmuth, and thank you, Mr. Secretary, for being here today.

Today, we are here to discuss the President’s budget request for the Department of Defense. This is the agency tasked with keeping the American people safe and defending our values – at home and around the world.

As I have said before, ensuring the safety and security of our nation is the primary responsibility of the federal government. It’s right there in the preamble of the Constitution.

And it’s a responsibility we cannot afford to take lightly – especially at a time when our country faces a historically complex range of threats to our national security.

After several years of funding instability, this administration is taking steps to restore the readiness of our military and provide our troops with the tools and training they need.

With President Trump’s support, Congress passed legislation providing $700 billion for the Department of Defense in fiscal year 2018 and $716 billion in fiscal year 2019.

As a result of these increases, the Department of Defense has been able to rebuild key areas that were neglected under the previous administration, such as procuring new equipment and ensuring military readiness – critical components of a strong defense against some of our biggest adversaries.

The President continues that trend by requesting $750 billion for the national defense budget, approximately a 5-percent increase from the 2019 enacted level. According to the National Defense Strategy Commission, this topline funding level is critical to maintaining the strength of our all-volunteer force and executing the necessary military strategy to keep our country safe.

Conversely, my friends on the other side of the aisle continue to question these investments, expressing concern that there is too much money being directed toward the Department of Defense.

If that’s the case, what number would you recommend? Would you recommend freezing spending or cutting spending, and if so, by how much? Where is your plan?

Let me be clear. The consequences of failing to fully fund our national defense going forward are deadly serious and far-reaching.

A decrease to the national defense budget could lead to fewer investments in new ships, aircrafts, and weapons that ensure our military can safely and effectively implement our national defense strategy. It could also lead to a reduction in training opportunities and lower retention rates.

When these resources are reduced, we are essentially ceding ground to our strategic competitors, allowing countries like China or Russia to gain more access and control throughout the international community.

The fact of the matter is, we have a constitutional responsibility to ensure the safety and security of the American people. To fulfill our duty, we must provide our brave men and women in uniform with the support and resources they need to succeed.

Toward that end, I also believe it’s important to ensure taxpayer dollars are well spent. I commend this administration for completing the first full-scope, department-wide, financial statement audit of the Department of Defense.

Past administrations have made commitments to conduct this type of audit, but the Trump Administration is the first administration to fulfill that promise. This is an important step as we look to improve the efficiencies and effectiveness of this agency, and we look forward to future audits.

I look forward to hearing more from you, Mr. Secretary, about how Congress can support these efforts.

With that, Mr. Chairman, thank you again, and I yield back.

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