Madeleine Bordallo: “I think they are integral to our readiness--our equipment readiness. They are very important.”

I am concerned that in a year where readiness has been cited as the Department's top priority, the Department's budget request falls well short of meeting the total depot maintenance requirement for the Army and the Marine Corps.

The cost of electricity for Puerto Rico residents is nearly twice the national average, while at the same time their GDP per capita and median household income are just half that of the mainland United States.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. And I hope you don't extract this from my 5 minutes, but there is a native of Guam in the audience today, and I am very proud of her.

I am concerned that the Army is standing up a four-star organization with up to three lieutenant generals as deputies without a clearly defined command relationship.