Opening Statement (As Prepared)

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Thank you, Chairman Rogers, and I would like to thank the Honorable Michael P. Duffey for being here to discuss this important topic. 

I’m pleased that this administration acknowledged and agreed last year that the rebuilding and revitalization of the defense industrial base was a priority. It was a solid step in changing course to address many of the problems that had been identified over the years. In that respect, both the administration and the Congress spoke in one voice: the status quo was simply not working. And, as a result, the final product in the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) was developed on a bipartisan basis to deliver some of the most significant reforms in a generation. 

Our military's inability to field capabilities quickly, innovate rapidly, and move important acquisition projects “through the valley of death” is known to be so ubiquitous that it is almost legend. Constant redefining of requirements, repeated schedule delays, and cost overruns have plagued the system for generations, leading to the use of aging systems by our service members because newer systems were unable to effectively get off the drawing board. 

Our committee worked last year to pass numerous provisions into law to help the Department of Defense (DoD)  overcome outdated processes and a bureaucracy that can be paralyzing. The modernization of the requirements process, support for the creation of a civil reserve for manufacturing that would increase our domestic defense manufacturing capacity, and actions to make advanced manufacturing more accessible as a means of filling certain critical readiness supply deficiencies were only a few of the steps this Congress took to get the department back on track and to provide the best equipment possible, on time, and on budget, to our warfighters. Furthermore, the numerous multiyear procurement authorizations we provided for much needed munitions like Tomahawk, Patriot, THAAD, and Standard Missile-3 and -6, to name a few, are even more valuable when we consider their increased use in operations over the past few months. 

And yet, not only is there more work to be done, but new questions have also arisen, specifically with some of those steps the administration took on its own to tackle industrial base issues.  

For example, the administration has made equity investments in a number of companies, some within the defense industrial base, without providing any detail about how long these investments might last or the effect that they might be having on these companies’ competitors.  

Next, what are the department’s plans to further engage with the innovation ecosystem? Too often those doing the most creative and groundbreaking activities either don’t know the best way to approach such a unique customer as the department or they feel that it is not worth it to work with the department.  

And, what more can be done to tackle workforce issues that have plagued the defense industrial base for decades? We simply do not have the number of people, with the right set of training and skills, entering the workforce to fill these vital roles. And this is a nationwide issue. Sitting around admiring the problem isn’t going to get us anywhere. Whether it is enhanced recruitment or further investment in community college, trade schools, or on-the-job training, more must be done as we stare down the barrel of an aging workforce that is getting closer to retirement. 

I want to thank the witness for coming today to discuss what more can be done. I look forward to hearing more and continuing to work with the Chairman to address these challenges.