On the recordJuly 30, 2020
I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. I rise today to offer an amendment to provide $3 million for the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment in order to continue the JASON scientific advisory group's major contributions to informing national security decisions. This funding will be the 61st year of JASON's activity. This funding is consistent with congressional intent and direction in the fiscal year 2020 appropriations bill to establish the JASON within the office of the Department of Defense. My amendment simply aligns funding for JASON and fiscal year 2021, following efforts by the former Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, Dr. Michael Griffin's attempt last year to abruptly cancel the longstanding JASON group contract. While the Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2020 moved the JASON contract to the Office of the Under Secretary for Acquisition and Sustainment, the funding, unfortunately, did not follow. So I am deeply grateful, Madam Chair of the Appropriations Committee, for allowing this very important amendment to be included in the package.
