Defense

Chairman Frelinghuysen, I would like to begin by conveying my deep appreciation for your steady leadership of the Defense Subcommittee. Your commitment to this subcommittee’s tradition of cooperative bipartisanship is unwavering and it is a pleasure working with you.

I also would like to express my gratitude to Chairman Rogers, Ranking Member Lowey, and the other Members of the Subcommittee for their efforts. And thank you to the Subcommittee staff and the associate staff for their hard work.

I also want to take this opportunity to mention our subcommittee colleagues who will be leaving the House at the end of the 114^th Congress – Mr. Crenshaw and Mr. Israel. Both have made valuable contributions during their tenure on this Committee and in the House. They will be missed.

Chairman Frelinghuysen, I want to congratulate you on the bipartisan and transparent manner in which you crafted the Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 Defense bill. In your inaugural year as the Chairman of the Defense Subcommittee, you have continued the strong collegial tradition set by our predecessors. Further, you have been an unrelenting advocate for the oversight responsibilities and constitutional prerogative of the Subcommittee – thus our full Committee – in areas of the Department of Defense (DOD) that have lapsed and ignored the import of Article I, Section 9.

I also want to express my gratitude to Chairman Rogers, Ranking Member Lowey, and the other members of the Subcommittee for their efforts. Finally, I would like to thank the Subcommittee staff and the associate staff for their great work.

I would like to thank Chairmen Frelinghuysen and Rogers, Ranking Member Visclosky, Secretary Hagel, General Dempsey, Undersecretary Hale, and the rest of our distinguished guests.

The global environment is growing increasingly volatile, with new threats emerging every day, exemplified by the current events in the Ukraine, Syria, and Venezuela. In the fiscal year 2015 bill, we need to work together to help the Department of Defense address very serious challenges, from ending major combat operations in Afghanistan, to addressing enduring threats from North Korea and Iran, and flashpoints in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.