I hope the Navy and Marine Corps will fully embrace these additional accountability measures and will fully implement the recommendations, including increasing communications with residents regarding their rights and their options.

I hope to hear an update on the planning for both immediate cleanup and long-term solutions.

The progress the Navy and Marine Corps makes towards improving the quality of life for our Sailors, Marines, and their families will undoubtedly help recruitment and retention efforts.

It is difficult to understand why we continue to hear lip service from successive administrations about the importance of our national security interests and keeping our servicemembers safe and prepared and then the budget requests don't…

I am very supportive, as you know, and I have--did it last year as well for the third budget category for the VA for medical care.

So can you specifically, you know, knock down or dispel the concern? Because my understanding is that your application of the use of the TEF is directly consistent with the law.

I look forward to hearing from our witnesses on the progress that has been made towards improving access to mental health resources for our Sailors and Marines.

We must ensure this program is taking care of the Navy's shipbuilding needs now and well into the future, which I know you agree with.

Reverting to fiscal year 2022 levels would mean that Navy and Marine Corps family housing construction would be cut 77 percent from the enacted level.

I am generally pleased with the overall direction of this funding request, but there are certain specific areas that I do wish to cover.

I hope that holds true as we move forward. And I urge my Republican colleges to take a step back and look at the real-world human impact of cutting back to fiscal year 2022 levels.