Mark Alford: “I rise in strong support today of H.R. 4016, the Defense appropriations bill before us, not just as a matter of policy…”

“I rise in strong support today of H.R. 4016, the Defense appropriations bill before us, not just as a matter of policy, but as a matter of preparedness. Together, we can ensure that our men and women in uniform and their families have what they need when they need it. Right now, our small-caliber ammunition stockpiles are not where they need to be. This is unacceptable. This bill makes critical investments to fix that, Mr. Chair. It ensures we are getting the necessary rounds back into the magazines of our servicemembers, whether they are training at home or deployed in harm's way. Let's be clear: Asking our troops to be ready to fight tonight without basic tools to complete their mission is a risk that we are not willing to take. This bill prevents that from happening. However, it is not just about restocking. We are also rebuilding; rebuilding our industrial supply base so that we are not relying on adversaries or unstable foreign markets for the things that make our military work.”