Joe Courtney

The first part of the Avionics Modernization Program was on track to be in compliance with FAA and international airspace requirements.

Again, I would like to just go back for a second to the C-130H program.

The 2019 budget request for these programs reflects the challenging balancing act facing Air Force and the Congress.

We are obviously here today on the projection part of our portfolio.

Again, I want to thank you for, again, your commitment to finishing it.

I mean, at some point, we are talking really more about workforce than platforms in terms of this recapitalization program.

Small businesses and small producers are critical to maintaining a broad-based, resilient defense industrial base.

The Procurement Technical Assistance Program provides critical training and in-depth, individualized counseling that small businesses need to compete and succeed in defense contracting.

These kinds of authorities can result in substantial savings; we estimate they may be as much as $5.4 billion for the Block V VIRGINIA Class Submarines Multiyear Procurement.

Lifting the caps in the bipartisan budget agreement obviously is going to hopefully take the handcuffs off.

Congratulations to both of you and congratulations to all three of you for your confirmation.

This is a great hearing and I want to salute both you and the ranking member for the 2016 and 2017 NDAAs.

May I just make one last point to really underscore that? Mr. Speaker, I am on the Armed Services Committee, and we are in the midst of moving forward with a 355-ship Navy. If you look at the force architecture that is going to be in that…

Well, thank you. And, again, that is something that I think a lot of Members might be interested in, following up with OMB to make sure that they do the right thing.

Should our service members who are serving in Niger qualify for IDP?

Some of the work that Representative Courtney has done on the submarine fleet where we have looked at investing

This budget proposes to procure 10 battle force ships in fiscal year 2019, 8 non-battle force ships, and 54 battle force ships over the next 5 years, 11 more than was planned in the fiscal year 2018 budget.

In December 2016, the Department of the Navy produced a new Force Structure Assessment which reviewed and validated military requirements and determined that the Navy our Nation needs is a 355-ship Navy.

If we fail to get this right, and if we fail to get the resources that our military needs to defend and protect us, it doesn't matter how important we think tax cuts are.

We are causing damage, that every time we vote for another continuing resolution, we are doing damage.

If that amendment was removed, we actually step back, Congress steps back from this issue and really allows the Navy to then move forward with a more optimal arrangement.

This is the fourth engagement that we have held on topic since last fall, which is of the highest urgency, given the unacceptable level of fatalities in non-combat settings which occurred in 2017.

I want to congratulate the sponsors of this legislation and also just note that the Elizabeth Dole Foundation is a strong supporter. This is a group that has been formed to help wounded warriors in terms of getting the caregiving help that…

The bottom line is that Congress must address the multiemployer pension crisis, and we must act soon.

It's actually a fairly modest proposal in comparison. But the benefit, obviously, would be to help 10 million-plus Americans who basically paid into their retirements.