[House Hearing, 118 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.A.S.C. No. 118-69]
MEMBER DAY
__________
COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
__________
HEARING HELD
APRIL 11, 2024
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
______
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
57-567 WASHINGTON : 2025
COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES
One Hundred Eighteenth Congress
MIKE ROGERS, Alabama, Chairman
JOE WILSON, South Carolina ADAM SMITH, Washington
MICHAEL R. TURNER, Ohio JOE COURTNEY, Connecticut
DOUG LAMBORN, Colorado JOHN GARAMENDI, California
ROBERT J. WITTMAN, Virginia, Vice DONALD NORCROSS, New Jersey
Chair RUBEN GALLEGO, Arizona
AUSTIN SCOTT, Georgia SETH MOULTON, Massachusetts
SAM GRAVES, Missouri SALUD O. CARBAJAL, California
ELISE M. STEFANIK, New York RO KHANNA, California
SCOTT DesJARLAIS, Tennessee WILLIAM R. KEATING, Massachusetts
TRENT KELLY, Mississippi ANDY KIM, New Jersey
MIKE GALLAGHER, Wisconsin CHRISSY HOULAHAN, Pennsylvania
MATT GAETZ, Florida ELISSA SLOTKIN, Michigan
DON BACON, Nebraska MIKIE SHERRILL, New Jersey
JIM BANKS, Indiana VERONICA ESCOBAR, Texas
JACK BERGMAN, Michigan JARED F. GOLDEN, Maine
MICHAEL WALTZ, Florida SARA JACOBS, California
LISA C. McCLAIN, Michigan MARILYN STRICKLAND, Washington
RONNY JACKSON, Texas PATRICK RYAN, New York
PAT FALLON, Texas JEFF JACKSON, North Carolina
CARLOS A. GIMENEZ, Florida GABE VASQUEZ, New Mexico
NANCY MACE, South Carolina CHRISTOPHER R. DELUZIO,
BRAD FINSTAD, Minnesota Pennsylvania
DALE W. STRONG, Alabama JILL N. TOKUDA, Hawaii
MORGAN LUTTRELL, Texas DONALD G. DAVIS, North Carolina
JENNIFER A. KIGGANS, Virginia JENNIFER L. McCLELLAN, Virginia
NICK LaLOTA, New York TERRI A. SEWELL, Alabama
JAMES C. MOYLAN, Guam STEVEN HORSFORD, Nevada
MARK ALFORD, Missouri JIMMY PANETTA, California
CORY MILLS, Florida MARC VEASEY, Texas
RICHARD McCORMICK, Georgia
LANCE GOODEN, Texas
Chris Vieson, Staff Director
Taryn Woody, Professional Staff Member
Brian Garrett, Professional Staff Member
Logan Whelchel, Research Assistant
C O N T E N T S
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Page
STATEMENTS PRESENTED BY MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
Rogers, Hon. Mike, a Representative from Alabama, Chairman,
Committee on Armed Services.................................... 1
Smith, Hon. Adam, a Representative from Washington, Ranking
Member, Committee on Armed Services............................ 1
WITNESSES
Budzinski, Nikki, a Representative from Illinois................. 9
James, John, a Representative from Michigan...................... 7
Kilmer, Derek, a Representative from Washington.................. 5
McGovern, James P., a Representative from Massachusetts.......... 6
Moore, Blake D., a Representative from Utah...................... 3
Perez, Marie Gluesenkamp, a Representative from Washington....... 10
Stanton, Greg, a Representative from Arizona..................... 2
APPENDIX
Prepared Statements:
Budzinski, Nikki............................................. 30
James, John.................................................. 28
Kilmer, Derek................................................ 22
McGovern, James P............................................ 27
Moore, Blake D............................................... 17
Perez, Marie Gluesenkamp..................................... 32
Stanton, Greg................................................ 19
Documents Submitted for the Record:
Higgins, Clay, a Representative from Louisiana............... 35
Davis, Danny K., a Representative from Illinois.............. 37
Soto, Darren, a Representative from Florida.................. 39
Phillips, Dean, a Representative from Minnesota.............. 42
Case, Ed, a Representative from Hawaii....................... 43
Sorensen, Eric, a Representative from Illinois............... 45
Griffith, H. Morgan, a Representative from Virginia.......... 46
Crow, Jason, a Representative from Colorado.................. 48
Wexton, Jennifer, a Representative from Virginia............. 50
Costa, Jim, a Representative from California................. 52
Neguse, Joe, a Representative from Colorado.................. 55
Kaptur, Marcy, a Representative from Ohio.................... 57
Levin, Mike, a Representative from California................ 62
Larsen, Rick, a Representative from Washington............... 64
Scott, Robert C. "Bobby", a Representative from Virginia..... 66
Plaskett, Stacey, a Representative from the Virgin Islands... 68
Garcia, Sylvia R., a Representative from Texas............... 71
Witness Responses to Questions Asked During the Hearing:
[There were no Questions submitted during the hearing.]
Questions Submitted by Members Post Hearing:
[There were no Questions submitted after the hearing.]
MEMBER DAY
----------
House of Representatives,
Committee on Armed Services,
Washington, DC, Thursday, April 11, 2024.
The committee met, pursuant to call, at 9:00 a.m., in room
2118, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Mike Rogers [chairman
of the committee] presiding.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. MIKE ROGERS, A REPRESENT-
ATIVE FROM ALABAMA, CHAIRMAN, COMMITTEE ON ARMED
SERVICES
The Chairman. The committee will come to order. Welcome to
our House Armed Services Committee (HASC) Member Day and thank
you for taking time to be here today. We look forward to
hearing from you all on your priorities for the fiscal year
2025 National Defense Authorization Act.
In addition to testimony provided today, several Members
have submitted statements for the record. I ask unanimous
consent that all Members' written statements be made part of
the record. Without objection, so ordered.
The committee will recognize Members giving statement one
at a time in order that they arrive. We limit the testimony to
four minutes today, but we will enter full remarks into the
record.
Thank you all for being here today. With that, I yield to
the Ranking Member for any opening statement he may have.
STATEMENT OF HON. ADAM SMITH, A REPRESENTATIVE FROM
WASHINGTON, RANKING MEMBER, COMMITTEE ON ARMED
SERVICES
Mr. Smith. Just that I thank the Members for coming. This
process of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and
the Armed Services Committee is for the whole House. So, we
work with Members, you know, regardless of if you are on the
committee or not. We understand you have equities interests in
our national security and oversight of Department of Defense
(DOD), and we always look forward to getting those
contributions and incorporating them into the product. So, we
look forward to hearing your ideas.
And with that, I will yield back to the chair.
The Chairman. I thank the Ranking Member.
The chair will now recognize our first witness, Mr. Moore
of Utah. You are recognized.
STATEMENT OF HON. BLAKE MOORE, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF UTAH
Mr. Moore. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
To both of you, it is excellent and a great experience to
be back in your committee room today. Many good experiences
here and I appreciate the work that you all do, as you navigate
tumultuous waters and continue to find a way to build our armed
services. Sincerely, both when I was on committee as off, it is
still just as dedicated to serving that same cause. So,
sincerely, thank you for what you do.
As a former member of this committee, I am honored to have
the opportunity to testify on this year's defense priorities
for the 1st District of Utah and the over 28,000 uniformed and
civilian airmen and workers of Hill Air Force Base, whom I
represent in Congress.
Because it has the rare privilege of being both an
operational active-duty installation with combat-ready F-35
aircraft, while also hosting a major civilian workforce, Hill
Air Force Base serves multiple mission sets that will be
crucial to the warfighter during a potential peer conflict
scenario in the Indo-Pacific.
As more F-35s become operational, opening more hangar space
in the Ogden Air Logistics Complex at Hill to maintain these
fighters will be critical to the future of U.S. air
superiority. However, critical resources, technical expertise,
and man-hours are pulled away from the F-35 program every day
to maintain legacy aircraft, such as the A-10, that do not fit
modern-day operational relevance.
I have worked with committee members and staff on base text
language that would require the Air Force to go through an
annual briefing exercise to determine where A-10 divestiture
delays are occurring, their strategy for maintaining an
aggressive timeline, and how to transition civilian maintainers
towards the F-35 program.
However, organic depot performance is also driven by access
to talent. I'm deeply concerned about the DOD's inability to
hire qualified and skilled military members shortly after they
retire and how this impacts the overall readiness of our armed
forces.
I have supported language both on and off the Armed
Services Committee that would repeal the existing 180-day
waiting period that a military retiree must complete until he
or she can enter a civilian job with the DOD. And today, I
would like to again emphasize how important this change is, as
this committee drafts and considers our next NDAA.
At a time when our depots, arsenals, and shipyards struggle
to keep up with the brutally competitive hiring environments
for the private sector, the federal government needs access to
candidates who possess active security clearances and the
specialized skills required to support our national security
priorities.
Hill Air Force Base and all of Utah is honored to be the
home of the 388th Fighter Wing, the Air Force's first combat-
coded, fifth-generation fighter unit. When I speak to the
leadership at Hill, they remind me that F-35 aircraft have not
consistently been accompanied by equally modern, fifth-
generation weaponry and sensory equipment, which could gravely
impact national security in a conflict scenario.
I look forward to working with members of this committee to
include the language in the NDAA that would require Air Force
to develop an annual service-wide planning initiative to
quickly implement fifth-generation weapons into the F-35
program and a strategy for any needed policy changes to
accomplish this.
Additionally, Hill Air Force Base and surrounding defense
partners are rightfully proud of their work developing the LGM-
35A Sentinel Program, which will replace our aging Minuteman
III intercontinental ballistic missiles and bring nearly 4,000
jobs to northern Utah.
Utahans know that the foundation of strategic deterrence
and the protection of the American homeland is a credible
nuclear force, which is why supporting the Sentinel Program
remains so crucial, given the unstable geopolitical environment
we find ourselves in today. I remain a steadfast advocate for
the program and look forward to working with committee members
to ensure its delivery.
Lastly, I would be remiss not to mention the major quality-
of-life challenges currently facing military servicemembers in
my district. Fueled by pandemic population shift and DOD
programs at Hill, housing costs in northern Utah have exploded,
rising by 27 percent in 2021 alone. At the same time, military
construction (MILCON) backlog and military dormitory crisis
remains a preeminent issue, meaning that lower enlisted airmen
are being forced off base to seek housing they cannot afford.
I have worked with committee members to craft language
requiring the Comptroller General of the United States to
access alternate locality pay formulations that more
appropriately reflect changes to the cost of living, the cost
of housing, and other factors impacting civilian and uniformed
servicemembers to the Department of Defense and the Veteran
Affairs (VA).
Thank you again for this opportunity to testify. I look
forward to working with your teams in securing these priorities
in this year's NDAA. Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Moore can be found in the
Appendix on page 17.]
The Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Moore.
Mr. Stanton, you are recognized.
STATEMENT OF HON. GREG STANTON, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF ARIZONA
Mr. Stanton. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman Rogers, Ranking Member Smith, members of this
committee, thank you so much for the opportunity to testify
today about my priorities and concerns, as the Representative
for Arizona's 4th Congressional District. As you work on
crafting this year's NDAA, I ask you to keep in mind the issues
that will have an impact on those constituents.
Our defense sector is a huge source of pride in Arizona. We
play a vital role in the national security for all Americans.
Arizona has experts in innovation, technology, manufacturing,
and the defense industry supplies a great number of jobs for my
district and state. Overall, the defense industry has an
economic impact of $19 billion, equating to 80,000 jobs. So, I
ask you to continue to invest in these innovative technologies
and production manufacturing.
One of my top priorities before this committee is to
finally bring justice to Arizona's downwinders. Downwinders is
a term for people who were downwind of radioactive pollution
for more than 200 weapons tests done in Arizona between 1945
and 1962.
My bill, House Resolution (H.R.) 4754, the Downwinders
Parity Act, would extend the Radiation Exposure Compensation
Act to communities in northern Arizona and southern Nevada who
were exposed to cancer-causing radiation from atomic weapons
testing.
We, as partners in the federal government, have
responsibility to make amends to downwinders and miners who
were exposed to radiation, but I am profoundly disappointed
that the bipartisan effort to extend Radiation Exposure
Compensation Act (RECA) and expand it to Arizonans was stripped
from the final NDAA bill last year. And I implore HASC to
include RECA as part of this year's NDAA, and welcome the
opportunity to support Representatives Vasquez and Moylan in
their efforts on this committee.
Radioactive fallout doesn't adhere to state boundaries. It
is imperative that we expand eligibility to all impacted
parties, and I hope the expansion will be included in this
year's bill.
As the committee knows, Arizona is getting warmer. Last
year, the State's capital of Phoenix had 133 days with
temperatures at or above 100 degrees. That is harmful to
anyone, but those on our military installations can face even
higher levels of danger.
The Marine Corps station in Yuma, Arizona, right on the
border, is one of the country's hottest military bases. The
heat impacts our recruiting ability and our service readiness.
In fact, almost 3,000 troops experienced heat-related illness
last year, a number that has grown 50 percent in five years. As
you craft this critical bill, I ask you to think of
weatherizing our defense infrastructure and consider
innovations to keep our military men and women cool and safe.
Finally, I want to touch on the importance of keeping
Arizona's/America's data safe. Right now, the DOD purchases
many of its computers and printers from manufacturers in China.
Healthy trade and global consumerism are important. Yet, as we
focus on building our own business and nearshoring our own
technologies, we need to think of the implications of
procurement from our strategic competitors.
This is not just in weapons and manufacturing, but in
personnel equipment. Other agencies have prohibited the
purchase of goods from select companies, starting back in 2007,
believing procuring personnel equipment from a competitor in
this way could be a national security risk. America's defense
systems have some of the most sensitive information in the
world, especially now. As we invest in American semiconductor
manufacturing initiatives, I ask you to consider data
sensitivity as you craft this year's NDAA.
Thank you again, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member, for
allowing me to speak at this Member Day. I appreciate your
great leadership and your attention to these important issues.
Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Stanton can be found in the
Appendix on page 19.]
The Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Stanton.
Mr. Kilmer, you are recognized.
STATEMENT OF HON. DEREK KILMER, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF WASHINGTON
Mr. Kilmer. Thank you, Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member
Smith, for holding this hearing today.
I'm here to discuss three of my legislative priorities
focused on improving infrastructure in and around military
installations, affordable housing for our Nation's veterans and
servicemembers, and lastly, maternal health care for our
servicemembers and their families.
First, I want to touch on the Shipyard Infrastructure
Optimization Program and the Defense Community Infrastructure
Program. I represent Washington State's 6th Congressional
District, home to Naval Base Kitsap in Bremerton. Kitsap is
home to one of the Navy's four public shipyards, the Puget
Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility.
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (PSNS) plays an outsized role for
the Department of Defense's current priority feeder Indo-
Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), in that it is the Navy's only dry
dock on the West Coast capable of performing carrier
maintenance.
As you know, in 2018, the Navy released its 20-year
Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program, or SIOP, to
revitalize and modernize infrastructure at the shipyards,
increase climate resilience, and improve resistance to natural
disasters. The timely execution of SIOP is vital to the Navy's
mission, to the security of the work being done in the yards,
and to our national security. Any delays or shortfalls in
funding for SIOP could result in additional deterioration and
damage to the already substandard facilities, utilities, dry
docks, equipment, and information technology infrastructure at
our public shipyards. PSNS has already faced seismic mitigation
needs, and without robust funding, our shipyards will be unable
to meet current and future demands of the fleet.
Additionally, the Defense Community Infrastructure Program,
DCIP, was created in 2019 to help communities around military
installations address infrastructure deficiencies. It is a
unique program because it allows the Department of Defense to
partner with local communities and share the often expensive
costs of infrastructure upgrades.
So, I appreciate your consideration of my request to
prioritize funding for the SIOP, including continued seismic
mitigation efforts, and my request for authorizing $100 million
for the Defense Community Infrastructure Program to grow this
important program.
Second, I want to bring the VALID Act to your attention.
The VALID Act is bipartisan/bicameral and focuses on affordable
housing, specifically, for our Nation's veterans. One important
way we can honor their sacrifice is by ensuring those who
served can achieve their dream of one day owning a home. VA
Home Loans can offer veterans, active duty servicemembers,
reservists, and guard members advantages over other loan
options, including lower down payments, more favorable interest
rates, and lower closing costs--often saving tens of thousands
of dollars over the life of the loan.
Unfortunately, despite these benefits, overall usage of the
VA Home Loan Program is surprisingly low. Providing a simple
update to the Department of Housing and Urban Development's
existing informed consumer choice disclosure notice will help
close that loop and ensure veterans and servicemembers are
aware of their hard-earned VA Home Loan benefit. Specifically,
the bill would add VA Home Loans to the current disclosure form
lenders provide to prospective homebuyers, which, right now,
only compares conventional and Federal Housing Administration
(FHA) loan options.
Several members of your committee have sponsored the bill,
and it is supported by stakeholder organizations, including the
Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals, Veterans
United Home Loans, the Military Officers Association of
America, the National Association of Realtors, and the Veterans
of Foreign Wars (VFW).
Lastly, I plan to introduce the Midwives for Servicemembers
Act of 2024. This legislation would direct the DOD to develop
and establish a five-year demonstration project designed to
evaluate the cost, quality of care, and impact on maternal and
fetal outcomes of using Certified Professional Midwives and
Certified Midwives under the TRICARE program.
Like the Doula and Lactation Counselors Pilot Program in
the fiscal year 2021 NDAA, this bill aims to expand health care
access, including in districts like mine, which is becoming a
maternity care desert after the Labor and Delivery Unit at
Naval Hospital Bremerton closed. We need to expand and increase
the quality of and access to maternal care nationwide.
So, thank you for your time. Thank you for your leadership
on these issues. I look forward to working with you to move
these critical pieces of legislation forward.
And I yield back. Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Kilmer can be found in the
Appendix on page 22.]
The Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Kilmer.
Mr. McGovern, you are recognized.
STATEMENT OF HON. JAMES P. MCGOVERN, A REPRESENTA-
TIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS
Ms. McGovern. Thank you very much, Chairman Rogers and
Ranking Member Smith, for giving me the opportunity to talk to
you about one of my priorities for the fiscal year 2025
National Defense Authorization Act.
The Wounded Warrior Service Dog Program was created as a $1
million pilot program in the fiscal year 2015 defense
appropriations bill and has seen consistent bipartisan support
to increase funding to its current level of $16 million for
fiscal year 2024.
I want to thank this committee for recognizing the success
of the program in 2020 by including the amendment that I filed
with the late Representative Jackie Walorski in a bipartisan en
bloc amendment, which established the Wounded Warrior Service
Dog Program as a program of record in the fiscal year 2021
NDAA.
Regrettably, the program shifted its primary purpose in
2023. It is no longer a competitive grant program that provides
resources for nonprofits to increase capacity to raise, train,
and place service dogs with eligible veterans and
servicemembers. Instead, the primary goal now is to research
standards for raising service dogs. The new guidelines for
organizations applying for funding do not even consider if the
award would increase capacity to place service dogs with
veterans.
As you well know, so many of our servicemembers and
veterans return home from the battlefield suffering from post-
traumatic stress, traumatic brain injury, and other mental and
physical disabilities.
Over the past decade, I have had the opportunity to spend
time at the National Education for Assistance Dogs Services, or
NEADS, which is located in Princeton, Massachusetts. Like
similar nonprofits, NEADS customizes each dog's training to
serve its future owner. Dogs can be trained to retrieve
medicine from a refrigerator; turn the lights on; scan an empty
house before the owner enters; guard an owner's back in a
public setting, and even wake up an owner from a nightmare.
I have had countless conversations with constituents and
other veterans around the country who tell me that having a
service dog on their support team has saved their lives. They
tell me about how it helped them reintegrate into the social
framework of their families and communities, and often, reduces
their reliance on prescription drugs.
So today, I'm here to ask the committee to include the text
of the bipartisan amendment I submitted last year with
Representatives Fitzpatrick, LaLota, D'Esposito, and Garbarino
that was included in the House-passed 2024 NDAA, which would
clarify the congressional intent of establishing the Wounded
Warriors Service Dog Program. Rather than repurposing these
resources, let's get back to supporting these highly technical
nonprofits, so they can continue to do what they do best--help
our veterans.
Again, thank you, Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Smith,
for your attention.
[The prepared statement of Mr. McGovern can be found in the
Appendix on page 27.]
The Chairman. Thank you, Mr. McGovern.
And, Mr. James, you are recognized.
STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN JAMES, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF MICHIGAN
Mr. James. Thank you, Chairman Rogers. I appreciate your
time and this opportunity to address you.
As I did last year, I'm here again to advocate for
Selfridge Air National Guard Base. Selfridge is home to the
127th Wing, houses the A-10s and the KC-135 tankers--with both
missions being divested in 2027 and 2029, respectively.
We welcome a new KC-46A mission that will come in a few
years, but Selfridge is a fighter base. It has been for over a
century.
Selfridge, the jewel of southeast Michigan, is located next
to Lake St. Clair and in the Great Lakes Region--a northern
border that provides critical security, not just for the United
States, but our allies to the north. It is most critical that
the assets, our most critical assets--the men and women on the
ground--are protected.
This great wing includes six Weapons School graduates, Top
Gun equivalent for the Air Force, and many other pilots,
maintainers, and hundreds of jobs in the area, on the base, and
in the region that would be lost if we do not replace our
fighter mission.
These are things that are difficult to come by. Yet,
despite the Michigan's delegation's best efforts to secure a
future fighter mission for Selfridge, it has alluded us.
Through the work of our Governor, our Senators, our House
Members, and our community, we are confident that we can
welcome an F-15EX mission or an F-35 mission to southeast
Michigan--for a state that has lost three fighter missions in
as many decades; for a state that feels left behind and
disinvested, and for a state that has outsized capacity and
ability to fight and win our Nation's wars, along with
fighters. Selfridge is a prime location to host future armed
reconnaissance platforms. I, personally, can account for that,
as a former Apache pilot myself.
Following the Army's cancellation of the Future Attack
Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) program, I hope that the Army
considers stationing manned attack aircraft in the form of
Apache 64E models at the Army National Guard, Michigan. My hope
is that, in this NDAA, we can help the Army consider a future
attack aircraft mission, because we formally had Cobras before
9/11 in Michigan. Again, Michigan is outsized and has an
outsized role in defense of this Nation, and we have a legacy
of attack and fighter missions.
What we have done so far, we have advocated for fleet
leveling, the process in which the Air Force would temporarily
recapitalize its fighters, like the A-10. Unfortunately, this
idea has received significant pushback from the Air Force--
leaving us with little other options but to seek action in this
NDAA.
We have advocated for increasing capacity for advanced
fighter production. I am concerned that the Air Force is
cancelling the F-15EX production starting next year, when this
is the only other platform available to Joint Strike Fighter.
Our Governor and I don't always agree, but what we do agree
about is the importance of Selfridge. She has worked well with
our state legislature and our delegation, and has transmitted
significant investment in Selfridge in order to enable us to
bring a fighter mission to Selfridge.
As this committee formulates the fiscal year 2025 NDAA, it
is critical that Congress enact a fighter recapitalization
policy that will maintain 25 fighter wings across the National
Guard, to include Selfridge. Congress has a vital role to
ensure that our total force maintains its critical strategic
assets to remain competitive with China and future pacing
threats.
Lastly, as the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee
on Africa, I want to advocate for supporting the critical
mission that Africa Command (AFRICOM) is doing on the continent
by requesting funding for Somalia persistent presence, high-
risk ISR, Enterprise Commaand and Control (C2) Resiliency, and
Commercial Satellite Communications.
Along with these priorities, I hope the committee considers
supporting AFRICOM's objectives with the Combined Joint
Interagency Coordination Group, West Africa. These priorities
will help stem the threats coming from Russia and China and
terrorist organizations like Al-Shabaab. We are seeing China
considering building a naval base in West Africa, which
presents a direct threat to the United States, given its
strategic location in the Atlantic.
I would appreciate your feedback, Mr. Chairman, and I hope
your team can connect with mine on these critical matters to
Michigan and to our Nation.
Thank you, sir.
[The prepared statement of Mr. James can be found in the
Appendix on page 28.]
The Chairman. Thank you, Mr. James.
Ms. Budzinski, you are recognized.
I don't think your microphone is on.
STATEMENT OF HON. NICOLE ``NIKKI'' BUDZINSKI, A REP-
RESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF ILLINOIS
Ms. Budzinski. Sorry.
The Chairman. There you go.
Ms. Budzinski. Thank you very much. That helps.
Good morning, Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Smith.
Thank you for this opportunity to provide testimony before the
House Armed Services Committee as a part of the fiscal year
2025 National Defense Authorization Act, NDAA, Member Day.
I'm here today to advocate for the inclusion of a
bipartisan initiative focused on the safety of our military
members and in support of domestic manufacturing. This
bipartisan provision, crafted in partnership with House
Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Bost, has two major aims.
The first is that it will require the Department of Defense
to issue regulations to the Department of Army to ensure all
boots are Berry Amendment-compliant and meet the highest
quality and performance standards. Our troops deserve to have
the best quality military equipment and uniforms to support the
rigors of training and deployment.
The second aim of this provision is to improve our domestic
industrial supply base by requiring boots be American-made and
that all materials in the supply chain are American-sourced.
Over the past several years, there has been a concerning influx
of poorly made, non-Berry-compliant, and foreign-sourced
footwear targeted at the United States Army.
Army Regulation 670-1 was created to ensure that garments
and equipment worn by our soldiers meet certain appearance and
quality standards, and to make sure equipment could withstand
severe conditions. However, over time, the market for Army
soldier footwear has been taken over by foreign manufacturers--
to the point where much of the Army footwear we see today only
have the appearance of Army Regulation (AR) 670 design, but do
not meet the performance or quality standards. This means
current Army uniform regulations allow soldiers to purchase
foreign-made combat boots that pose a significant safety threat
to them and their fellow soldiers.
Ensuring American-sourced and -made boots are worn by our
military is not a novel idea. In fact, the U.S. Navy and Marine
Corps require their servicemembers wear American-made boots at
all times. It is past time we require the same for the
Department of the Army.
I thank Congressman Chairman Bost for his partnership on
this important provision, and I ask that the committee support
its inclusion and passage in this year's National Defense
Authorization Act.
Thank you again for this opportunity to submit testimony,
and I look forward to working with you on these important
issues.
[The prepared statement of Ms. Budzinski can be found in
the Appendix on page 30.]
The Chairman. We thank you.
And the chair now recognizes Representative Gluesenkamp
Perez.
STATEMENT OF HON. MARIE PEREZ, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF WASHINGTON
Ms. Perez. Thank you, Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member
Smith, for the opportunity to testify today.
I am here to advocate for the inclusion of certain
provisions of my bipartisan bill, the PARA-Emergency Medical
Technician (EMT) Act, which I introduced with Congressman
Finstad in the fiscal year 2025 National Defense Authorization
Act.
Our servicemembers who completed military emergency medical
technical training while serving have an incredible skill set
that should be celebrated and utilized as they transition to
the civilian from the Armed Forces. We can better serve both
those transitioning servicemembers as well as our rural
communities by making it easier for experienced veterans to
transition from medics to becoming Certified Civilian Paramedic
and EMT.
This provision would create a program for states to
facilitate and expedite the transition of medics coming out of
the military to meet certification, licensure, and other
requirements applicable to becoming an EMT or a paramedic. This
will support the recruitment of Emergency Medical Services
(EMS) staff in rural areas like mine; cut red tape for veterans
looking to build on their service to their country by becoming
a Certified EMT or paramedic.
I appreciate Representative Finstad's partnership to
support rural first responders and strengthen this line of
defense for our communities.
I also want to touch on a few other priorities that are
important to my district and constituents.
First, I want to say I'm grateful for my Repair Amendment,
which was adopted on the Floor in last year's House NDAA. And I
would like to reiterate the importance of the Armed Forces
being able to fix its own equipment. This continues to be
critical for our military readiness and equipment confidence.
When military maintenance technicians aren't able to fix
equipment on the field, whether it is an engine or a generator,
because of restrictive contracting terms, it harms our military
readiness, and it is a gut punch to technicians who came here
to fix things, not to be on waitlist and a phone call with a
representative from a manufacturer.
And lastly, I want to note that I was glad to see last
year's final NDAA include the historically high 5.2 percent pay
raise for servicemembers. I hope this year proves no different
and we, again, show our servicemembers that their selflessness
and service is valued and deserves appropriate compensation.
I thank you again for the opportunity to testify, and I
yield back.
[The prepared statement of Ms. Perez can be found in the
Appendix on page 32.]
The Chairman. We thank you. And I think you are going to be
very happy when you see what we have proposed for pay increases
this year for our servicemembers. In fact, this afternoon we
are going to have our quality-of-life panel report press
conference that will disclose that, along with some other
things we are going to do to enhance the quality of life for
our servicemembers.
I thank the gentlelady for her testimony.
The Ranking Member is recognized for any closing comments
he may have.
Mr. Smith. No, I'm good.
The Chairman. All right. With that, thank you for your
participation. We are adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 9:26 a.m., the committee was adjourned.]
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A P P E N D I X
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DOCUMENTS SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD
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