Rob Wittman

By streamlining our Federal permitting processes, the committee can help better connect the more than 23 million Americans with little or no access to broadband to our digital economy.

As cochair of the House Rural Broadband Caucus I have made expanding broadband access in rural areas a top priority.

I believe Congress can and should do more to provide adequate resources to leverage the State's investment to address the issues on I-95.

Adequately funding the Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works Program in directing at least one construction new start designation for navigation are essential to maintaining and advancing the work done by the Port of Virginia to expand and…

We are with you 100 percent on that and the maintenance plan, which is the partner in that sustainment plan as we are going forward.

I want to thank the witnesses for joining us today.

It is nice to talk about building new. It doesn't make the headlines to talk about maintaining what we have.

I want to make sure that at the top of the list for the Navy is that sustainment element of making sure that we are not extending these maintenance availabilities.

If the Navy force structure assessment doesn't support this reduction in aircraft carriers... it seems to be a counter as to why we are finding ourselves on a path to go to nine with early retirement of the Truman.

The latest of 2016 force structure assessment still is a 12-carrier requirement.

I am never happy delivering a ship back to the fleet late.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thanks again for your leadership.

Every combatant commander that I talk to indicates that they are not sufficiently supported by the Navy based on their plans.

I want to talk to you specifically about aircraft carriers.

As we are looking to get to the 479 number and the delivery of KC-46As and the challenges that we're having KC-46As with cameras and booms, we are going to have to keep KC-135s it appears to me longer.

I think that is key and I want to make sure, too, that we are keeping in mind because we talk about time all the time...

One other thing too which lends itself to that is, as we are looking to get to the 479 number and the delivery of KC-46As and the challenges that we're having KC-46As with cameras and booms, we are going to have to keep KC-135s it appears…

He did. I asked him the question specifically, would you quantify significant risk as unacceptable. And he answered in the affirmative.

I want to make sure, too, that we are keeping in mind because we talk about time all the time...

What my element is, is I want some specific definition about the time to completion on corrective action.

Yes, there would be a lot of--a lot of patients in ICU.

Listen, KC-135 is a great aircraft, great maintenance crews there, but you know, we talk about the B-52 being old, KC-135, some of these aircrafts are even older, so there is a whole element there in modernizing and keeping them maintained.

What are you doing with modernization and service life extensions to be able to keep KC-135s available for a longer period of time?

I asked him the question specifically, would you quantify significant risk as unacceptable. And he answered in the affirmative.

Well, General Lyons stated that it was significant risk associated with the OSD CAPE assessment of what the tanker force structure would be numbers-wise.