Elise Stefanik

The subcommittee will come to order.

We are very appreciative of the chance to do so given the importance of foreign assistance in today's uncertain and complex world.

This committee is very familiar with how the Pentagon and our men and women in uniform contribute to our national security.

I claim the time in opposition. The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from New York is recognized for 5 minutes.

Higher ed institutions not only open students up to new ideas, but also play a pivotal role in informing the national discourse.

And the reason I am asking this: Because our number one focus is on readiness recovery, how can we address that excess, whether it is training, exercises?

Thank you for noting the importance of programs like SHARP.

How do we, as a government, work together to defend this Nation?

What steps do we need to take in this year's NDAA process to mature Cyber Command?

Adversaries such as China and Russia aggressively leverage and integrate cyber information and communications technologies for geopolitical and economic gain.

Given the current world situation in locations such as North Korea, Ukraine and the Middle East, all members of the Armed Services have an increased potential to be exposed to radiation.

This attack on one of our closest allies, perpetrated by Vladimir Putin, demands a strong and unequivocal response.

The pursuit and potential use of weapons of mass destruction remains a high-consequence threat to our national security.

I am concerned about our long-term counterterrorism strategy and what we are doing to make sure that that is sustainable.

One year ago, before this very committee, General Thomas wisely noted that such dependency has created a force that is, quote, 'largely a facade,' unquote.

It is deeply troubling to see continued dependency on overseas continued [contingency] operations funding [OCO].

The fiscal year 2019 budget request for U.S. Special Operations Command [SOCOM] totals more than $13.6 billion, an approximate 10 percent increase, and the largest request ever submitted.

Today we will examine China's pursuit of emerging and exponential technologies and the resultant impact on U.S. national security.

We also include a new 2-year authority to counter irregular warfare and unconventional threats, such as those being posed by Russia and other adversaries. Before I conclude, I would like to thank Chairman Mac Thornberry for his leadership…

There is a sense of urgency to this. Technology is changing.

I too think it is incredibly important that we receive a briefing in a classified setting regarding cyber threats to our naval ships.

If we are going to retain the best and brightest, we have to make sure we are doing everything we can for their families.

H.R. 282, the Military Residency Choice Act, will give military spouses the choice to establish the same State of residency as the servicemember.

I have introduced several bills that target the strain our military spouses face, especially during times of deployment and relocation.

Thank you, Chairman Arrington and Ranking Member O'Rourke, for the opportunity to testify today before the Veterans Affairs' Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.