Joe Wilson

The Subcommittee today will once again focus on the challenges of maintaining an All-Volunteer Force in a budget-constrained environment.

I want to thank, again, all of you for being here and the extraordinary challenges and issues you are facing.

I am concerned though that Secretary Hale has suggested that, as of August, the Department may not be able to pay physicians who provide services to retirees under TRICARE.

I have the privilege of representing Fort Jackson. I have represented Parris Island so I have seen firsthand the opportunities provided for young people.

These programs are vital to maintaining the readiness of the military.

It is a challenge for the Services to manage these programs without a timely budget.

There will be reductions and it will affect the daily lives of our service members and their families.

The subcommittee today will, once again, focus on the challenges of maintaining an All-Volunteer Force in a budget-constrained environment.

Madam Chair and colleagues, thank you for the opportunity to be here today. I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to speak before you.

I then gave those students an opportunity to see if any of them had a question. The most interesting question that I received that day was a young woman from China, and her question was, Congressman, will you all be able to pay us back?

I thank you for your time and I hope that we will begin to look at some radical ways to change the direction of our country.

Our budget process is unfortunately broken. This baseline budgeting is not working.

Like this little family that is living beyond their means, we are going to have to get America back living within our means.

I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to speak before you. I would like to first thank Chairman Paul Ryan for his leadership on this committee.

I represent the 2nd Congressional District of South Carolina, which includes the Army's base at Fort Jackson in Columbia.

These dedicated individuals should not be subjected to political games.

There is no excuse as far as I am concerned, in an environment such as Y-12, one of the most sensitive sites in this Nation, to have equipment inoperable and not treat it as a critical priority to get it back on line as quickly as possible.

And for the protection of the American people, again, the new technologies we have should be used to their highest and best use.

It seems to me that with the breaches that occurred, that there should have been terminations.

I appreciate your raising that because I am very grateful the Savannah River Site is in the district that I represent, in Aiken and Barnwell County.

The United States should be engaged in strengthening democratic institutions in Venezuela, and supporting free and fair elections.

The subcommittee will continue to press for sound U.S. policy on Cuba, one that is committed to a real and meaningful democratic transition.

I will seek to promote energy independence and economic growth by seeking to promote and strengthen U.S. trade relations with Mexico.

I believe it is in the U.S. national interest to promote a safer and more secure region.

The perpetrators of these acts across Europe and elsewhere largely are individuals or members of groups who are deeply hostile to democracy and pluralism.