Jake Ellzey: “Today, I rise in strong support of this bill as a member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. I commend Chairman…”

“Today, I rise in strong support of this bill as a member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. I commend Chairman Calvert and his team behind us for legislation that makes investments in our national defense. This bill invests in technology, innovation, and people with an eye on tomorrow while sustaining today's important platforms, such as the F-35 strike fighter. If we prioritize social issues over lethality, our enemies will take note. Our colleagues across the aisle seem to prioritize shaking a fist at Mother Nature over standing strong against our enemies. Make no mistake: This bill comes at a time of global conflict. Today seems a lot more like June 1938 than June 2024. In the Middle East, Iran is sponsoring Houthis to shut down commerce in the Red Sea, which directly affects prices here at home. They are sponsoring, training, funding, and directing Hamas and Hezbollah in conflict with our good friends in Israel. On the European Continent, for the first time since World War II and the formation of both NATO and the U.N., Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine foreshadows more imperial expansion and the desire to reconstitute the Soviet Union. On the Korean Peninsula, we are technically still at war. Finally, China is waging cyber warfare and chemical warfare here in our own homes and on our own border.…”