Nita Lowey: “At the outset, I, too, want to thank Chairwoman Granger, Mr. Frelinghuysen, and Mr. Visclosky for the coordinated…”

“At the outset, I, too, want to thank Chairwoman Granger, Mr. Frelinghuysen, and Mr. Visclosky for the coordinated, collegial approach in producing this very outstanding bill. Of course, the entire staff on both sides of the aisle, I thank them for their important work. We couldn't do it without them, for sure. The bill does reflect the collegial and bipartisan tradition of the Defense Subcommittee, providing ample funding for the needs of our armed services and intelligence community. There are a number of provisions I would like to highlight: Servicemembers receive a 2.6 percent pay raise, although I am concerned their civilian counterparts who work side-by-side with uniformed personnel will not see any increase; $752 million is dedicated to congressionally directed medical research programs that are so critical and lead to breakthroughs on cancer, PTSD, Parkinson's, and more; $8.4 is directed to bolster cybersecurity initiatives, $100 million above the enacted level; and, $500 million, the full amount in the MOU, is invested in the Israeli Missile Defense Cooperative program. The committee has taken its oversight responsibilities seriously to encourage greater efficiency, improve transparency, strengthen communication, and ensure the Department of Defense adheres to congressional direction.…”