Political Quotes

“I would first like to commend Chairman Thornberry, Ranking Member Smith, and the committee staff who have worked many long nights on the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018. While there are very real questions about the top line number, and I believe it would be inappropriate and reckless to have any additional funding come off the backs of nondefense spending, this is an important step forward in rebuilding our military readiness. This bill includes additional operations and maintenance funding to support more combat training center rotations and needed investment in the facilities sustainment, restoration, and modernization accounts, providing more training opportunities and better maintenance facilities to live, work, and operate in. However, readiness cannot be bought back in a year, and these targeted investments must continue. Furthermore, the bill provides authorities to right-size civilian personnel shortfalls that have stressed maintenance backlogs at our shipyards and our depots. It also will make more effective the Department's Quarterly Readiness Report and raise the minor military construction threshold and clarify unspecified projects to provide additional flexibility to the Department.…”