Mike Rogers - Chairman of the Armed Services Committee | Official U.S. House headshot
Mike Rogers - Chairman of the Armed Services Committee | Official U.S. House headshot
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Doug Lamborn (R-CO), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, delivered an opening statement at the full committee markup for H.R. 8070, the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement Act and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) on May 22, 2024.
Rep. Lamborn began by expressing gratitude to the members of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee and its professional staff for their contributions to the bill. "I want to thank all the Strategic Forces Subcommittee members, especially Ranking Member Moulton, for the work they’ve done this year," he stated. He also acknowledged his National Security Advisor Michael Curcio and Defense Fellow Bradley Bahley for their efforts throughout the process.
Lamborn highlighted several concerns regarding strategic forces issues, particularly criticizing the current administration's missile defense budget. "I believe this administration’s homeland and regional missile defense budget accepts too much risk and does not meet the current threat environment we see every day," he remarked. The subcommittee attempted to mitigate some risks by partially restoring funding to the SM-3 production line but deemed it insufficient.
The statement also underscored support for modernizing America's nuclear deterrent and related infrastructure managed by the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. Lamborn emphasized that despite awaiting results from the Nunn McCurdy process, maintaining focus on nuclear deterrence remains crucial.
Regarding space capabilities, Lamborn praised provisions encouraging Space Force to integrate commercial systems while acknowledging tough decisions made in areas such as GPS modernization. He affirmed support for ongoing upgrades to GPS due to its importance for both military and civilian applications.
Lamborn concluded by addressing broader defense budget concerns: "Finally, I would like to add my voice to those who say this defense budget is inadequate to meet the growing threats in the current security environment." Despite these challenges, he expressed confidence in their initial efforts and urged members to support the bipartisan mark presented by the subcommittee.
"I strongly urge all members to vote in favor of this bipartisan Strategic Forces Subcommittee mark," he said.
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