Opening Statement (As Prepared)

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Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to our witnesses, Lieutenant General Hartman and Ms. Laurie Buckhout, for appearing before us today. I understand the challenges associated with testifying while performing in an acting role and when we have not yet received the Fiscal Year 2026 budget request. I thank you both for being willing to represent the men and women of the Department of Defense under those limitations.

The rapidly evolving threats and challenges we face compel us to make every effort to ensure that U.S. Cyber Command and the Department of Defense are properly postured to reinforce our national security. The Command has undergone an incredibly rapid maturation since its inception in 2009 and elevation to a combatant command less than a decade later, and now with full implementation of Enhanced Budget Control. That rapid change seems poised to continue well into the future with CYBERCOM 2.0.

Continual evolution is a requirement. Cyber operations are an art and a science, enabled by cutting-edge artificial intelligence capabilities, a strong partnership with the intelligence community enabled by the dual hat, and advanced training that must keep pace with the state of the art and changing threats. With the headlines rife with mentions of advanced Chinese persistent threats such as SALT TYPHOON and VOLT TYPHOON, North Korean currency-generation campaigns, and Russian malign activities, as well as active and dormant threats to the American economy and national security growing more acute and numerous, we simply cannot afford not to succeed.

For that reason, the dedicated civilians, service members, and contractors who defend our interests in cyberspace that our two witnesses represent today are a national asset, and one that we must make every effort to grow and support. While of course there are uncertainties regarding the budget, I look forward to examining the Fiscal Year 2026 budget request with this in mind whenever it is transmitted to Congress, which I hope will be soon.

I had the pleasure of meeting Lieutenant General Hartman yesterday and I certainly look forward to hearing from you today and working with you going forward. Ms. Buckhout, thank you for your continued service to the country, and I look forward to working with you as well. This committee and subcommittee have a strong history of working with the Department and Cyber Command to address the complex challenges posed in this domain, and I look forward to partnering with Chairman Bacon and both of you to continue this going forward.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, I yield back.