[House Report 110-942]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Union Calendar No. 615
110th Congress, 2d Session - - - - - - - - - - - - House Report 110-942
REPORT OF THE ACTIVITIES
of the
COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES
for the
ONE HUNDRED TENTH CONGRESS
January 3, 2009.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES
One Hundred Tenth Congress
IKE SKELTON, Missouri, Chairman
JOHN SPRATT, South Carolina DUNCAN HUNTER, California, Ranking
SOLOMON P. ORTIZ, Texas Member
GENE TAYLOR, Mississippi JIM SAXTON, New Jersey
NEIL ABERCROMBIE, Hawaii JOHN M. McHUGH, New York
MARTY MEEHAN, Massachusetts\5\ TERRY EVERETT, Alabama
SILVESTRE REYES, Texas ROSCOE G. BARTLETT, Maryland
VIC SNYDER, Arkansas HOWARD P. ``BUCK'' McKEON,
ADAM SMITH, Washington California
LORETTA SANCHEZ, California MAC THORNBERRY, Texas
MIKE McINTYRE, North Carolina WALTER B. JONES, North Carolina
ELLEN O. TAUSCHER, California ROBIN HAYES, North Carolina
ROBERT A. BRADY, Pennsylvania KEN CALVERT, California\4\
ROBERT ANDREWS, New Jersey JO ANN DAVIS, Virginia\7\
SUSAN A. DAVIS, California W. TODD AKIN, Missouri
RICK LARSEN, Washington J. RANDY FORBES, Virginia
JIM COOPER, Tennessee JEFF MILLER, Florida
JIM MARSHALL, Georgia JOE WILSON, South Carolina
MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO, Guam FRANK A. LoBIONDO, New Jersey
MARK E. UDALL, Colorado TOM COLE, Oklahoma
DAN BOREN, Oklahoma ROB BISHOP, Utah
BRAD ELLSWORTH, Indiana MICHAEL TURNER, Ohio
NANCY BOYDA, Kansas JOHN KLINE, Minnesota
PATRICK J. MURPHY, Pennsylvania CANDICE S. MILLER, Michigan\10\
HANK JOHNSON, Georgia PHIL GINGREY, Georgia
CAROL SHEA-PORTER, New Hampshire MIKE ROGERS, Alabama
JOE COURTNEY, Connecticut TRENT FRANKS, Arizona
DAVID LOEBSACK, Iowa BILL SHUSTER, Pennsylvania\3\
KIRSTEN E. GILLIBRAND, New York THELMA DRAKE, Virginia
JOE SESTAK, Pennsylvania CATHY McMORRIS RODGERS, Washington
GABRIELLE GIFFORDS, Arizona K. MICHAEL CONAWAY, Texas
NIKI TSONGAS, Massachusetts\9\ GEOFF DAVIS, Kentucky
ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS, Maryland\1\ DOUG LAMBORN, Colorado\8\
KENDRICK B. MEEK, Florida\2\ ROB WITTMAN, Virginia\11\
KATHY CASTOR, Florida
JAMES R. LANGEVIN, Rhode Island\6\
Erin C. Conaton, Staff Director
Joseph Hicken, Director of Legislative Operations
----------
\1\Mr. Cummings was appointed to the Committee on Jan. 12, 2007.
\2\Mr. Meek was appointed to the Committee on Jan. 18, 2007.
\3\Mr. Shuster was appointed to the Committee on May 10, 2007.
\4\Mr. Calvert resigned from the Committee on May 16, 2007.
\5\Mr. Meehan resigned from Congress on July 1, 2007.
\6\GMr. Langevin was appointed to the Committee on Sept. 20, 2007. He
took a leave of absence from the Committee on Oct. 31, 2007.
\7\Mrs. Davis (VA) died on Oct. 6, 2007.
\8\Mr. Lamborn was appointed to the Committee on Oct. 10, 2007.
\9\Ms. Tsongas was appointed to the Committee on Nov. 1, 2007.
\10\Mrs. Miller (MI) resigned from the Committee on Mar. 11, 2008.
\11\Mr. Wittman was appointed to the Committee on Mar 11, 2008.
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
----------
House of Representatives,
Committee on Armed Services,
Washington, DC, January 3, 2009.
Hon. Lorraine C. Miller,
Clerk of the House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
Dear Ms. Miller: Pursuant to House Rule XI 1(d), there is
transmitted herewith the report of activities of the Committee
on Armed Services for the 110th Congress.
Sincerely,
Ike Skelton, Chairman.
C O N T E N T S
----------
Page
Powers and Duties, Committee on Armed Services--110th Congress... 1
Background................................................... 1
Constitutional Powers and Duties............................. 2
House Rules on Jurisdiction.................................. 3
Investigative Authority and Legislative Oversight............ 4
Committee Rules.................................................. 4
Rules Governing Procedure.................................... 4
Composition of the Committee on Armed Services--110th Congress... 15
Subcommittees and Panel of the Committee on Armed Services--110th
Congress....................................................... 17
Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces.......................... 17
Subcommittee on Readiness.................................... 18
Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and
Capabilities............................................... 18
Subcommittee on Military Personnel........................... 18
Subcommittee on Strategic Forces............................. 19
Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces............ 19
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations................. 21
Special Panel on Roles & Missions............................ 21
Committee Staff.................................................. 23
Committee Meetings............................................... 25
Legislative Actions.............................................. 25
Legislation Enacted Into Law................................. 25
Public Law 110-115 (H.R. 2779)........................... 25
Public Law 110-181 (H.R. 4986)........................... 25
Public Law 110-203 (H.J. Res. 70)........................ 29
Public Law 110-417 (S. 3001)............................. 29
Legislation Vetoed by the President.......................... 32
H.R. 1585................................................ 32
Legislation Reported but Not Enacted......................... 33
H.R. 1362................................................ 33
H.R. 1538................................................ 34
H.R. 3087................................................ 34
H.R. 3159................................................ 35
Legislation Not Reported but Managed by the House Committee
on Armed Services on the Floor of the House of
Representatives............................................ 36
H. Con. Res. 63.......................................... 36
H. Con. Res. 47.......................................... 36
H. Con. Res. 42.......................................... 36
H. Res. 305.............................................. 37
H. Res. 171.............................................. 37
H.R. 2956................................................ 37
H. Res. 541.............................................. 38
H. Con. Res. 49.......................................... 38
H. Res. 568.............................................. 38
S. Con. Res. 27.......................................... 39
H. Con. Res. 181......................................... 39
H. Con. Res. 207......................................... 39
H. Res. 326.............................................. 40
H. Res. 443.............................................. 40
H. Res. 604.............................................. 40
H. Con. Res. 185......................................... 41
H. Res. 640.............................................. 41
H. Res. 691.............................................. 41
H. Con. Res. 162......................................... 42
H. Con. Res. 261......................................... 42
H. Con. Res. 246......................................... 42
H. Res. 542.............................................. 43
H.R. 3793................................................ 43
H. Res. 944.............................................. 43
H. Res. 953.............................................. 44
H. Res. 991.............................................. 44
H. Res. 265.............................................. 44
H. Res. 1020............................................. 44
H. Con. Res. 32.......................................... 45
H. Res. 961.............................................. 45
H. Res. 1054............................................. 45
H. Res. 986.............................................. 46
H. Con. Res. 297......................................... 46
H. Res. 1067............................................. 46
H. Res. 1080............................................. 47
H. Con. Res. 295......................................... 47
H. Res. 1139............................................. 47
H. Res. 415.............................................. 47
H. Con. Res. 358......................................... 48
H. Res. 1248............................................. 48
H. Res. 1316............................................. 49
H. Con. Res. 390......................................... 49
H. Res. 1200............................................. 49
H. Res. 1255............................................. 50
H. Res. 1421............................................. 50
Legislation Considered but Not Reported.......................... 50
H. Res. 834.............................................. 50
Oversight Activities............................................. 51
Summary of Oversight Plan.................................... 51
Actions and Recommendations.................................. 52
Additional Oversight Activities.............................. 53
Other Activities of the Full Committee........................... 109
Budget Activity.............................................. 109
Full Committee Hearings...................................... 111
Other Activities of the Subcommittees and Panel.................. 123
Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces.......................... 123
Subcommittee on Readiness.................................... 124
Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and
Capabilities............................................... 126
Subcommittee on Military Personnel........................... 128
Subcommittee on Strategic Forces............................. 129
Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces............ 130
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations................. 131
Special Panel on Roles and Missions.......................... 134
Publications..................................................... 137
Published Proceedings........................................ 137
House Reports................................................ 149
Public Laws.................................................. 150
Press Releases................................................... 151
Union Calendar No. 615
110th Congress Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session 110-942
======================================================================
REPORT OF THE ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES FOR THE
110TH CONGRESS
_______
January 3, 2009.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Skelton, from the Committee on Armed Services, submitted the
following
R E P O R T
on
POWERS AND DUTIES, COMMITTEE ON ARMED
SERVICES--110TH CONGRESS
Background
The House Committee on Armed Services, a standing committee
of Congress, was established on January 2, 1947, as a part of
the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (60 Stat. 812), by
merging the Committees on Military Affairs and Naval Affairs.
The Committees on Military Affairs and Naval Affairs were
established in 1882. In 1885, jurisdiction over military and
naval appropriations was taken from the Committee on
Appropriations and given to the Committees on Military Affairs
and Naval Affairs, respectively. This practice continued until
July 1, 1920, when jurisdiction over all appropriations was
again placed in the Committee on Appropriations.
In the 93rd Congress, following a study by the House Select
Committee on Committees, the House passed H. Res. 988, the
Committee Reform Amendments of 1974, to be effective January 3,
1975. As a result of those amendments, the jurisdictional areas
of the Committee on Armed Services remained essentially
unchanged. However, oversight functions were amended to require
each standing committee to review and study on a continuing
basis all matters and jurisdiction of the committee. Also, the
Committee on Armed Services was to review and study on a
continuing basis all laws, programs, and government activities
dealing with or involving international arms control and
disarmament and the education of military dependents in school.
The rules changes adopted by the House (H. Res. 5) on
January 4, 1977, placed new responsibilities in the field of
atomic energy in the Committee on Armed Services. Those
responsibilities involved the national security aspects of
atomic energy previously within the jurisdiction of the Joint
Committee on Atomic Energy. Public Law 95-110, effective
September 20, 1977, abolished the Joint Committee on Atomic
Energy.
With the adoption of H. Res. 658 on July 14, 1977, which
established the House Permanent Select Committee on
Intelligence, the jurisdiction of the Committee on Armed
Service over intelligence matters was diminished.
That resolution gave the Permanent Select Committee on
Intelligence oversight responsibilities for intelligence and
intelligence-related activities and programs of the U.S.
Government. Specifically, the Permanent Select Committee on
Intelligence has exclusive legislative jurisdiction regarding
the Central Intelligence Agency and the director of Central
Intelligence, including authorizations. Also, legislative
jurisdiction over all intelligence and intelligence-related
activities and programs was vested in the permanent select
committee except that other committees with a jurisdictional
interest may request consideration of any such matters.
Accordingly, as a matter of practice, the Committee on Armed
Services shared jurisdiction over the authorization process
involving intelligence-related activities.
The committee continues to have shared jurisdiction over
military intelligence activities as set forth in Rule X of the
Rules of the House of Representatives.
With the adoption of House rules (H. Res. 5) on January 4,
1995, the Committee on National Security was established as the
successor committee to the Committee on Armed Services, and was
granted additional legislative and oversight authority over
merchant marine academies, national security aspects of
merchant marine policy and programs, and interoceanic canals.
Rules for the 104th Congress also codified the existing
jurisdiction of the committee over tactical intelligence
matters and the intelligence related activities of the
Department of Defense.
On January 6, 1999, the House adopted H. Res. 5, rules for
the 106th Congress, in which the Committee on National Security
was redesignated as the Committee on Armed Services.
Constitutional Powers and Duties
The powers and duties of Congress in relation to national
defense matters stem from Article I, section 8, of the
Constitution, which provides, among other things, that the
Congress shall have power to:
Raise and support armies;
Provide and maintain a navy;
Make rules for the government and regulation of the
land and naval forces;
Provide for calling forth the militia;
Provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the
militia, and for governing such part of them as may be
employed in the service of the United States;
Exercise exclusive legislation . . . over all places
purchased . . . for the erection of forts, magazines,
arsenals, dockyards, and other needful buildings; and
Make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for
carrying into execution the foregoing powers.
House Rules on Jurisdiction
Rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives
established the jurisdiction and related functions for each
standing committee. Under that rule, all bills, resolutions,
and other matters relating to subjects within the jurisdiction
of any standing committee shall be referred to such committee.
The jurisdiction of the House Committee on Armed Services,
pursuant to clause 1(c) of rule X is as follows:
(1) Ammunition depots; forts; arsenals; Army, Navy,
and Air Force reservations and establishments.
(2) Common defense generally.
(3) Conservation, development, and use of naval
petroleum and oil shale reserves.
(4) The Department of Defense generally, including
the Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force
generally.
(5) Interoceanic canals generally, including measures
relating to the maintenance, operation, and
administration of interoceanic canals.
(6) Merchant Marine Academy, and State Maritime
Academies.
(7) Military applications of nuclear energy.
(8) Tactical intelligence and intelligence-related
activities of the Department of the Defense.
(9) National security aspects of merchant marine,
including financial assistance for the construction and
operation of vessels, maintenance of the U.S.
shipbuilding and ship repair industrial base, cabotage,
cargo preference and merchant marine officers and
seamen as these matters relate to the national
security.
(10) Pay, promotion, retirement, and other benefits
and privileges of members of the armed forces.
(11) Scientific research and development in support
of the armed services.
(12) Selective service.
(13) Size and composition of the Army, Navy, Marine
Corps, and Air Force.
(14) Soldiers' and sailors' homes.
(15) Strategic and critical materials necessary for
the common defense.
In addition to its legislative jurisdiction and general
oversight function, the Committee on Armed Services has special
oversight functions with respect to international arms control
and disarmament and military dependents' education.
Investigative Authority and Legislative Oversight
H. Res. 988 of the 93rd Congress, the Committee Reform
Amendments of 1974, amended clause 1(b) of rule XI of the Rules
of the House of Representatives, to provide general authority
for each committee to investigate matters within its
jurisdiction. That amendment established a permanent
investigative authority and relieved the committee of the
former requirement of obtaining a renewal of the investigative
authority by a House resolution at the beginning of each
Congress. H. Res. 988 also amended rule X of the Rules of the
House of Representatives by requiring, as previously indicated,
that standing committees are to conduct legislative oversight
in the area of their respective jurisdiction, and by
establishing specific oversight functions for the Committee on
Armed Services.
H. Res. 202, approved by the House on March 8, 2007,
provided funds for, among other things, committee oversight
responsibilities to be conducted in the 110th Congress. The
Committee derives its authority to conduct oversight from,
among other things, clause 2(b)(1) of rule X of the Rules of
the House of Representatives (relating to general oversight
responsibilities), clause 3(b) of rule X (relating to special
oversight functions), and clause 1(b) of rule XI (relating to
investigations and studies).
COMMITTEE RULES
The Committee held its organizational meeting on January
10, 2007, and adopted the following rules governing procedure
and rules for oversight hearings conducted by the full
committee and its subcommittees.
(H.A.S.C. 110-1; Committee Print 1)
Rules Governing Procedure
RULE 1. APPLICATION OF HOUSE RULES
The Rules of the House of Representatives are the rules of
the Committee on Armed Services (hereinafter referred to in
these rules as the ``Committee'') and its subcommittees so far
as applicable.
RULE 2. FULL COMMITTEE MEETING DATE
(a) The Committee shall meet every Wednesday at 10:00 a.m.,
when the House of Representatives is in session, and at such
other times as may be fixed by the Chairman of the Committee
(hereinafter referred to as the ``Chairman''), or by written
request of members of the Committee pursuant to clause 2(c) of
rule XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives.
(b) A Wednesday meeting of the Committee may be dispensed
with by the Chairman, but such action may be reversed by a
written request of a majority of the members of the Committee.
RULE 3. SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING DATES
Each subcommittee is authorized to meet, hold hearings,
receive evidence, and report to the Committee on all matters
referred to it. Insofar as possible, meetings of the Committee
and its subcommittees shall not conflict. A subcommittee
Chairman shall set meeting dates after consultation with the
Chairman, other subcommittee Chairmen, and the Ranking Minority
Member of the subcommittee with a view toward avoiding,
whenever possible, simultaneous scheduling of committee and
subcommittee meetings or hearings.
RULE 4. JURISDICTION AND MEMBERSHIP OF COMMITTEE AND SUBCOMMITTEES
(a) Jurisdiction
(1) The Committee retains jurisdiction of all subjects
listed in clause 1(c) of rule X of the Rules of the House of
Representatives and retains exclusive jurisdiction for: defense
policy generally, ongoing military operations, the organization
and reform of the Department of Defense and Department of
Energy, counter-drug programs, acquisition and industrial base
policy, technology transfer and export controls, joint
interoperability, the Cooperative Threat Reduction program,
Department of Energy nonproliferation programs, and detainee
affairs and policy. While subcommittees are provided
jurisdictional responsibilities in subparagraph (2), the
Committee retains the right to exercise oversight and
legislative jurisdiction over all subjects within its purview
under rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives.
(2) The Committee shall be organized to consist of seven
standing subcommittees with the following jurisdictions:
Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces: All Army and Air Force
acquisition programs (except strategic missiles, special
operations and information technology programs). In addition,
the subcommittee will be responsible for deep strike bombers
and related systems, National Guard and Army and Air Force
reserve modernization, and ammunition programs.
Subcommittee on Readiness: Military readiness, training,
logistics and maintenance issues and programs. In addition, the
subcommittee will be responsible for all military construction,
installations and family housing issues, including the base
closure process.
Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and
Capabilities: Department of Defense counter-proliferation and
counter-terrorism programs and initiatives. In addition, the
subcommittee will be responsible for Special Operations Forces;
science and technology policy, including the Defense Advanced
Research Projects Agency and information technology programs;
force protection policy and oversight; homeland defense and
consequence management programs within the committee's
jurisdiction; and related intelligence support.
Subcommittee on Military Personnel: Military personnel
policy, Reserve Component integration and employment issues,
military health care, military education and POW/MIA issues. In
addition, the subcommittee will be responsible for Morale,
Welfare and Recreation issues and programs.
Subcommittee on Strategic Forces: Strategic Forces (except
deep strike systems), space programs, ballistic missile
defense, intelligence policy and national programs and
Department of Energy national security programs (except non-
proliferation programs).
Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces: Navy and
Marine Corps programs (except strategic weapons, space, special
operations and information technology programs) and Naval
Reserve equipment. In addition, the subcommittee will be
responsible for Maritime programs under the jurisdiction of the
Committee as delineated in rule X, clauses 5, 6, and 9 of the
Rules of the House of Representatives.
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations: Any matter
within the jurisdiction of the Committee, subject to the
concurrence of the Chairman of the Committee and, as
appropriate, affected subcommittee chairmen. The subcommittee
shall have no legislative jurisdiction.
(b) Membership of the subcommittees
(1) Subcommittee memberships, with the exception of
membership on the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations,
shall be filled in accordance with the rules of the Majority
party's caucus and the Minority party's conference,
respectively.
(2) The Chairman and Ranking Minority Member of the
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations shall be filled in
accordance with the rules of the Majority party's caucus and
the Minority party's conference, respectively. Consistent with
the party ratios established by the Majority party, all other
Majority members of the subcommittee shall be appointed by the
Chairman of the Committee, and all other Minority members shall
be appointed by the Ranking Minority Member of the Committee.
RULE 5. COMMITTEE PANELS AND TASK FORCES
(a) Committee panels
(1) The Chairman may designate a panel of the Committee
consisting of members of the Committee to inquire into and take
testimony on a matter or matters that fall within the
jurisdiction of more than one subcommittee and to report to the
Committee.
(2) No panel appointed by the Chairman shall continue in
existence for more than six months after the appointment. A
panel so appointed may, upon the expiration of six months, be
reappointed by the Chairman for a period of time which is not
to exceed six months.
(3) Consistent with the party ratios established by the
Majority party, all Majority members of the panels shall be
appointed by the Chairman of the Committee, and all Minority
members shall be appointed by the Ranking Minority Member of
the Committee. The Chairman of the Committee shall choose one
of the Majority members so appointed who does not currently
chair another subcommittee of the Committee to serve as
Chairman of the panel. The Ranking Minority Member of the
Committee shall similarly choose the Ranking Minority Member of
the panel.
(4) No panel shall have legislative jurisdiction.
(b) Committee and subcommittee task forces
(1) The Chairman of the Committee, or a Chairman of a
subcommittee with the concurrence of the Chairman of the
Committee, may designate a task force to inquire into and take
testimony on a matter that falls within the jurisdiction of the
Committee or subcommittee, respectively. The Chairman and
Ranking Minority Member of the Committee or subcommittee shall
each appoint an equal number of members to the task force. The
Chairman of the Committee or subcommittee shall choose one of
the members so appointed, who does not currently chair another
subcommittee of the Committee, to serve as Chairman of the task
force. The Ranking Minority Member of the Committee or
subcommittee shall similarly appoint the Ranking Minority
Member of the task force.
(2) No task force appointed by the Chairman of the
Committee or subcommittee shall continue in existence for more
than three months. A task force may only be reappointed for an
additional three months with the written concurrence of the
Chairman and Ranking Minority Member of the Committee or
subcommittee whose Chairman appointed the task force.
(3) No task force shall have legislative jurisdiction.
RULE 6. REFERENCE AND CONSIDERATION OF LEGISLATION
(a) The Chairman shall refer legislation and other matters
to the appropriate subcommittee or to the full Committee.
(b) Legislation shall be taken up for a hearing or markup
only when called by the Chairman of the Committee or
subcommittee, as appropriate, or by a majority of those present
and voting.
(c) The Chairman, with approval of a majority vote of a
quorum of the Committee, shall have authority to discharge a
subcommittee from consideration of any measure or matter
referred thereto and have such measure or matter considered by
the Committee.
(d) Reports and recommendations of a subcommittee may not
be considered by the Committee until after the intervention of
three calendar days from the time the report is approved by the
subcommittee and available to the members of the Committee,
except that this rule may be waived by a majority vote of a
quorum of the Committee.
RULE 7. PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT OF HEARINGS AND MEETINGS
Pursuant to clause 2(g)(3) of rule XI of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, the Chairman of the Committee, or of
any subcommittee, panel, or task force shall make public
announcement of the date, place, and subject matter of any
hearing before that body at least one week before the
commencement of the hearing. However, if the Chairman of the
Committee, or of any subcommittee, panel, or task force, with
the concurrence of the respective Ranking Minority Member,
determines that there is good cause to begin the hearing
sooner, or if the Committee, subcommittee, panel, or task force
so determines by majority vote, a quorum being present for the
transaction of business, such chairman shall make the
announcement at the earliest possible date. Any announcement
made under this rule shall be promptly published in the Daily
Digest, promptly entered into the committee scheduling service
of the House Information Resources, and promptly posted to the
internet web page maintained by the Committee.
RULE 8. BROADCASTING OF COMMITTEE HEARINGS AND MEETINGS
Clause 4 of rule XI of the Rules of the House of
Representatives shall apply to the Committee.
RULE 9. MEETINGS AND HEARINGS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
(a) Each hearing and meeting for the transaction of
business, including the markup of legislation, conducted by the
Committee, or any subcommittee, panel, or task force, to the
extent that the respective body is authorized to conduct
markups, shall be open to the public except when the Committee,
subcommittee, panel, or task force in open session and with a
majority being present, determines by record vote that all or
part of the remainder of that hearing or meeting on that day
shall be in executive session because disclosure of testimony,
evidence, or other matters to be considered would endanger the
national security, would compromise sensitive law enforcement
information, or would violate any law or rule of the House of
Representatives. Notwithstanding the requirements of the
preceding sentence, a majority of those present, there being in
attendance no fewer than two members of the Committee,
subcommittee, panel, or task force may vote to close a hearing
or meeting for the sole purpose of discussing whether testimony
or evidence to be received would endanger the national
security, would compromise sensitive law enforcement
information, or would violate any law or rule of the House of
Representatives. If the decision is to proceed in executive
session, the vote must be by record vote and in open session, a
majority of the Committee, subcommittee, panel, or task force
being present.
(b) Whenever it is asserted by a member of the committee or
subcommittee that the evidence or testimony at a hearing may
tend to defame, degrade, or incriminate any person, or it is
asserted by a witness that the evidence or testimony that the
witness would give at a hearing may tend to defame, degrade, or
incriminate the witness, notwithstanding the requirements of
(a) and the provisions of clause 2(g)(2) of rule XI of the
Rules of the House of Representatives, such evidence or
testimony shall be presented in executive session, if by a
majority vote of those present, there being in attendance no
fewer than two members of the Committee or subcommittee, the
Committee or subcommittee determines that such evidence may
tend to defame, degrade or incriminate any person. A majority
of those present, there being in attendance no fewer than two
members of the Committee or subcommittee may also vote to close
the hearing or meeting for the sole purpose of discussing
whether evidence or testimony to be received would tend to
defame, degrade or incriminate any person. The Committee or
subcommittee shall proceed to receive such testimony in open
session only if the Committee or subcommittee, a majority being
present, determines that such evidence or testimony will not
tend to defame, degrade or incriminate any person.
(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing, and with the approval of
the Chairman, each member of the Committee may designate by
letter to the Chairman, only one member of that member's
personal staff, which may include fellows, with Top Secret
security clearance to attend hearings of the Committee, or that
member's subcommittee(s), panel(s), or task force(s) (excluding
briefings or meetings held under the provisions of committee
rule 9(a)), which have been closed under the provisions of rule
9(a) above for national security purposes for the taking of
testimony. The attendance of such a staff member or fellow at
such hearings is subject to the approval of the Committee,
subcommittee, panel, or task force as dictated by national
security requirements at that time. The attainment of any
required security clearances is the responsibility of
individual members of the Committee.
(d) Pursuant to clause 2(g)(2) of rule XI of the Rules of
the House of Representatives, no Member, Delegate, or Resident
Commissioner may be excluded from nonparticipatory attendance
at any hearing of the Committee or a subcommittee, unless the
House of Representatives shall by majority vote authorize the
Committee or subcommittee, for purposes of a particular series
of hearings on a particular article of legislation or on a
particular subject of investigation, to close its hearings to
Members, Delegates, and the Resident Commissioner by the same
procedures designated in this rule for closing hearings to the
public.
(e) The Committee or the subcommittee may vote, by the same
procedure, to meet in executive session for up to five
additional consecutive days of hearings.
RULE 10. QUORUM
(a) For purposes of taking testimony and receiving
evidence, two members shall constitute a quorum.
(b) One-third of the members of the Committee or
subcommittee shall constitute a quorum for taking any action,
with the following exceptions, in which case a majority of the
Committee or subcommittee shall constitute a quorum:
(1) Reporting a measure or recommendation;
(2) Closing committee or subcommittee meetings and
hearings to the public;
(3) Authorizing the issuance of subpoenas;
(4) Authorizing the use of executive session
material; and
(5) Voting to proceed in open session after voting to
close to discuss whether evidence or testimony to be
received would tend to defame, degrade, or incriminate
any person.
(c) No measure or recommendation shall be reported to the
House of Representatives unless a majority of the Committee is
actually present.
RULE 11. THE FIVE-MINUTE RULE
(a) The time any one member may address the Committee or
subcommittee on any measure or matter under consideration shall
not exceed five minutes and then only when the member has been
recognized by the Chairman or subcommittee chairman, as
appropriate, except that this time limit may be exceeded by
unanimous consent. Any member, upon request, shall be
recognized for not more than five minutes to address the
Committee or subcommittee on behalf of an amendment which the
member has offered to any pending bill or resolution. The five-
minute limitation shall not apply to the Chairman and Ranking
Minority Member of the Committee or subcommittee.
(b)(1) Members who are present at a hearing of the
Committee or subcommittee when a hearing is originally convened
shall be recognized by the Chairman or subcommittee chairman,
as appropriate, in order of seniority. Those members arriving
subsequently shall be recognized in order of their arrival.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Chairman and the Ranking
Minority Member will take precedence upon their arrival. In
recognizing members to question witnesses in this fashion, the
Chairman shall take into consideration the ratio of the
Majority to Minority members present and shall establish the
order of recognition for questioning in such a manner as not to
disadvantage the members of either party.
(2) The Chairman of the Committee or a subcommittee, with
the concurrence of the respective Ranking Minority Member, may
depart with the regular order for questioning which is
specified in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this rule provided that
such a decision is announced prior to the hearing or prior to
the opening statements of the witnesses and that any such
departure applies equally to the Majority and the Minority.
(c) No person other than a Member, Delegate, or Resident
Commissioner of Congress and committee staff may be seated in
or behind the dais area during Committee, subcommittee, panel,
or task force hearings and meetings.
RULE 12. POWER TO SIT AND ACT; SUBPOENA POWER
(a) For the purpose of carrying out any of its functions
and duties under rules X and XI of the Rules of the House of
Representatives, the Committee and any subcommittee is
authorized (subject to subparagraph (b)(1) of this paragraph):
(1) to sit and act at such times and places within
the United States, whether the House is in session, has
recessed, or has adjourned, and to hold hearings, and
(2) to require by subpoena, or otherwise, the
attendance and testimony of such witnesses and the
production of such books, records, correspondence,
memorandums, papers and documents, including, but not
limited to, those in electronic form, as it considers
necessary.
(b)(1) A subpoena may be authorized and issued by the
Committee, or any subcommittee with the concurrence of the full
Committee Chairman and after consultation with the Ranking
Member of the Committee, under subparagraph (a)(2) in the
conduct of any investigation, or series of investigations or
activities, only when authorized by a majority of the members
voting, a majority of the Committee or subcommittee being
present. Authorized subpoenas shall be signed only by the
Chairman, or by any member designated by the Committee.
(2) Pursuant to clause 2(m) of rule XI of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, compliance with any subpoena issued
by the Committee or any subcommittee under subparagraph (a)(2)
may be enforced only as authorized or directed by the House of
Representatives.
RULE 13. WITNESS STATEMENTS
(a) Any prepared statement to be presented by a witness to
the Committee or a subcommittee shall be submitted to the
Committee or subcommittee at least 48 hours in advance of
presentation and shall be distributed to all members of the
Committee or subcommittee as soon as practicable but not less
than 24 hours in advance of presentation. A copy of any such
prepared statement shall also be submitted to the Committee in
electronic form. If a prepared statement contains national
security information bearing a classification of secret or
higher, the statement shall be made available in the Committee
rooms to all members of the Committee or subcommittee as soon
as practicable but not less than 24 hours in advance of
presentation; however, no such statement shall be removed from
the Committee offices. The requirement of this rule may be
waived by a majority vote of the Committee or subcommittee, a
quorum being present. In cases where a witness does not submit
a statement by the time required under this rule, the Chairman
of the Committee or subcommittee, as appropriate, with the
concurrence of the respective Ranking Minority Member, may
elect to exclude the witness from the hearing.
(b) The Committee and each subcommittee shall require each
witness who is to appear before it to file with the Committee
in advance of his or her appearance a written statement of the
proposed testimony and to limit the oral presentation at such
appearance to a brief summary of the submitted written
statement.
RULE 14. ADMINISTERING OATHS TO WITNESSES
(a) The Chairman, or any member designated by the Chairman,
may administer oaths to any witness.
(b) Witnesses, when sworn, shall subscribe to the following
oath:
Do you solemnly swear (or affirm) that the testimony
you will give before this Committee (or subcommittee)
in the matters now under consideration will be the
truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so
help you God?
RULE 15. QUESTIONING OF WITNESSES
(a) When a witness is before the Committee or a
subcommittee, members of the Committee or subcommittee may put
questions to the witness only when recognized by the Chairman
or subcommittee chairman, as appropriate, for that purpose
according to Rule 11 of the Committee.
(b) Members of the Committee or subcommittee who so desire
shall have not more than five minutes to question each witness
or panel of witnesses, the responses of the witness or
witnesses being included in the five-minute period, until such
time as each member has had an opportunity to question each
witness or panel of witnesses. Thereafter, additional rounds
for questioning witnesses by members are within the discretion
of the Chairman or subcommittee chairman, as appropriate.
(c) Questions put to witnesses before the Committee or
subcommittee shall be pertinent to the measure or matter that
may be before the Committee or subcommittee for consideration.
RULE 16. PUBLICATION OF COMMITTEE HEARINGS AND MARKUPS
The transcripts of those hearings and mark-ups conducted by
the Committee, subcommittee, or panel will be published
officially in verbatim form, with the material requested for
the record inserted at that place requested, or at the end of
the record, as appropriate. Any requests to correct any errors,
other than those in transcription, or disputed errors in
transcription, will be appended to the record, and the
appropriate place where the change is requested will be
footnoted. Any transcript published under this rule shall
include the results of record votes conducted in the session
covered by the transcript and shall also include materials that
have been submitted for the record and are covered under Rule
19. The handling and safekeeping of these materials shall fully
satisfy the requirements of Rule 20. No transcript of an
executive session conducted under Rule 9 shall be published
under this rule.
RULE 17. VOTING AND ROLLCALLS
(a) Voting on a measure or matter may be by record vote,
division vote, voice vote, or unanimous consent.
(b) A record vote shall be ordered upon the request of one-
fifth of those members present.
(c) No vote by any member of the Committee or a
subcommittee with respect to any measure or matter shall be
cast by proxy.
(d) In the event of a vote or votes, when a member is in
attendance at any other committee, subcommittee, or conference
committee meeting during that time, the necessary absence of
that member shall be so noted in the record vote record, upon
timely notification to the Chairman by that member.
(e) The Chairman of the Committee or a subcommittee, as
appropriate, with the concurrence of the Ranking Minority
Member or the most senior Minority member who is present at the
time, may elect to postpone requested record votes until such
time or point at a mark-up as is mutually decided. When
proceedings resume on a postponed question, notwithstanding any
intervening order for the previous question, the underlying
proposition shall remain subject to further debate or amendment
to the same extent as when the question was postponed.
RULE 18. COMMITTEE REPORTS
(a) If, at the time of approval of any measure or matter by
the Committee, any member of the Committee gives timely notice
of intention to file supplemental, Minority, additional or
dissenting views, that member shall be entitled to not less
than two calendar days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal
holidays except when the House is in session on such days) in
which to file such views, in writing and signed by that member,
with the staff director of the Committee. All such views so
filed by one or more members of the Committee shall be included
within, and shall be a part of, the report filed by the
Committee with respect to that measure or matter.
(b) With respect to each record vote on a motion to report
any measure or matter, and on any amendment offered to the
measure or matter, the total number of votes cast for and
against, the names of those voting for and against, and a brief
description of the question, shall be included in the committee
report on the measure or matter.
RULE 19. PUBLIC INSPECTION OF COMMITTEE ROLLCALLS
The result of each record vote in any meeting of the
Committee shall be made available by the Committee for
inspection by the public at reasonable times in the offices of
the Committee. Information so available for public inspection
shall include a description of the amendment, motion, order, or
other proposition and the name of each member voting for and
each member voting against such amendment, motion, order, or
proposition and the names of those members present but not
voting.
RULE 20. PROTECTION OF NATIONAL SECURITY INFORMATION
(a) Except as provided in clause 2(g) of rule XI of the
Rules of the House of Representatives, all national security
information bearing a classification of secret or higher which
has been received by the Committee or a subcommittee shall be
deemed to have been received in executive session and shall be
given appropriate safekeeping.
(b) The Chairman of the Committee shall, with the approval
of a majority of the Committee, establish such procedures as in
his judgment may be necessary to prevent the unauthorized
disclosure of any national security information received
classified as secret or higher. Such procedures shall, however,
ensure access to this information by any member of the
Committee or any other Member, Delegate, or Resident
Commissioner of the House of Representatives, staff of the
Committee, or staff designated under Rule 9(c) who have the
appropriate security clearances and the need to know, who has
requested the opportunity to review such material.
RULE 21. COMMITTEE STAFFING
The staffing of the Committee, the standing subcommittees,
and any panel or task force designated by the Chairman or
chairmen of the subcommittees shall be subject to the rules of
the House of Representatives.
RULE 22. COMMITTEE RECORDS
The records of the Committee at the National Archives and
Records Administration shall be made available for public use
in accordance with rule VII of the Rules of the House of
Representatives. The Chairman shall notify the Ranking Minority
Member of any decision, pursuant to clause 3(b)(3) or clause
4(b) of rule VII, to withhold a record otherwise available, and
the matter shall be presented to the Committee for a
determination on the written request of any member of the
Committee.
RULE 24. HEARING PROCEDURES
Clause 2(k) of rule XI of the Rules of the House of
Representatives shall apply to the Committee.
COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES--110th CONGRESS
Pursuant to H. Res. 7, election of the Chairman (adopted
January 4, 2007), H. Res. 8, election of the ranking member,
(adopted January 4, 2007), H. Res. 45, election of minority
members, (adopted January 10, 2007), H. Res. 46, election of
majority members (adopted January 10, 2007), H. Res. 60,
election of a minority member (adopted January 12, 2007), H.
Res. 75, election of a minority member (adopted January 18,
2007), H. Res. 393, election of a minority member (adopted May
10, 2007), H. Res. 722, election of a minority member (adopted
October 10, 2007), H. Res. 788, election of a majority member
(adopted November 1, 2007), and H. Res. 1034, election of a
minority member (adopted March 11, 2008), the following members
served on the Committee on Armed Services in the 110th
Congress:
IKE SKELTON, Missouri, Chairman
DUNCAN HUNTER, California, Ranking Member SPRATT, South Carolina
JIM SAXTON, New Jersey SOLOMON P. ORTIZ, Texas
JOHN M. McHUGH, New York GENE TAYLOR, Mississippi
TERRY EVERETT, Alabama NEIL ABERCROMBIE, Hawaii
ROSCOE G. BARTLETT, Maryland MARTY MEEHAN, Massachusetts\5\
HOWARD P. ``BUCK'' McKEON, CaliforniaSILVESTRE REYES, Texas
MAC THORNBERRY, Texas VIC SNYDER, Arkansas
WALTER B. JONES, North Carolina ADAM SMITH, Washington
ROBIN HAYES, North Carolina LORETTA SANCHEZ, California
KEN CALVERT, California\4\ MIKE McINTYRE, North Carolina
JO ANN DAVIS, Virginia\7\ ELLEN O. TAUSCHER, California
W. TODD AKIN, Missouri ROBERT A. BRADY, Pennsylvania
J. RANDY FORBES, Virginia ROBERT ANDREWS, New Jersey
JEFF MILLER, Florida SUSAN A. DAVIS, California
JOE WILSON, South Carolina RICK LARSEN, Washington
FRANK A. LoBIONDO, New Jersey JIM COOPER, Tennessee
TOM COLE, Oklahoma JIM MARSHALL, Georgia
ROB BISHOP, Utah MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO, Guam
MICHAEL TURNER, Ohio MARK E. UDALL, Colorado
JOHN KLINE, Minnesota DAN BOREN, Oklahoma
CANDICE S. MILLER, Michigan\10\ BRAD ELLSWORTH, Indiana
PHIL GINGREY, Georgia NANCY BOYDA, Kansas
MIKE ROGERS, Alabama PATRICK J. MURPHY, Pennsylvania
TRENT FRANKS, Arizona HANK JOHNSON, Georgia
BILL SHUSTER, Pennsylvania\3\ CAROL SHEA-PORTER, New Hampshire
THELMA DRAKE, Virginia JOE COURTNEY, Connecticut
CATHY McMORRIS RODGERS, Washington DAVID LOEBSACK, Iowa
K. MICHAEL CONAWAY, Texas KIRSTEN E. GILLIBRAND, New York
GEOFF DAVIS, Kentucky JOE SESTAK, Pennsylvania
DOUG LAMBORN, Colorado\8\ GABRIELLE GIFFORDS, Arizona
ROB WITTMAN, Virginia\11\ NIKI TSONGAS, Massachusetts\9\
ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS, Maryland\1\
KENDRICK B. MEEK, Florida\2\
KATHY CASTOR, Florida
JAMES R. LANGEVIN, Rhode Island\6\
----------
\1\Mr. Cummings was appointed to the Committee on January 12, 2007.
\2\Mr. Meek was appointed to the Committee on January 18, 2007.
\3\Mr. Shuster was appointed to the Committee on May 10, 2007.
\4\Mr. Calvert resigned from the Committee on May 16, 2007.
\5\Mr. Meehan resigned from Congress on July 1, 2007.
\6\Mr. Langevin was appointed to the Committee on September 20, 2007.
He took a leave of absence from the Committee on October 31, 2007.
\7\Mrs. Davis (VA) died on October 6, 2007.
\8\Mr. Lamborn was appointed to the Committee on October 10, 2007.
\9\Ms. Tsongas was appointed to the Committee on November 1, 2007.
\10\Mrs. Miller (MI) resigned from the Committee on March 11, 2008
\11\Mr. Wittman was appointed to the Committee on March 11, 2008.
SUBCOMMITTEES OF THE COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES 110TH CONGRESS
The following subcommittees were established at the
committee's organizational meeting on January 10, 2007.
Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces
Jurisdiction pursuant to Committee Rule 4--Legislative
jurisdiction over all Army and Air Force acquisition programs
(except strategic missiles, special operations and information
technology programs). In addition, the subcommittee will be
responsible for deep strike bombers and related systems,
National Guard and Army and Air Force reserve modernization,
and ammunition programs.
Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Chairman
Mr. SAXTON, Ranking Member Mr. SPRATT
Mr. McKEON Mr. ORTIZ
Mr. MILLER (FL) Mr. REYES
Mr. WILSON Mr. SMITH
Mr. LoBIONDO Mr. McINTYRE
Mr. COLE Ms. TAUSCHER
Mr. BISHOP Mr. BRADY
Mr. TURNER Mr. MARSHALL
Mrs. MILLER (MI)\1\ Mr. BOREN
Dr. GINGREY Mr. JOHNSON
Mrs. McMORRIS RODGERS Mr. SESTAK
Mr. DAVIS (KY) Ms. GIFFORDS
Mr. AKIN Mr. MEEK
Mr. LAMBORN\2\ Ms. CASTOR
----------
\1\Mrs. Miller (MI) resigned from the Committee on March 11, 2008.
\2\Mr. Lamborn was assigned to the Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces
on March 11, 2008.
Subcommittee on Readiness
Jurisdiction pursuant to Committee Rule 4--Legislative
jurisdiction over military readiness, training, logistics and
maintenance issues and programs. In addition, the subcommittee
will be responsible for all military construction,
installations and family housing issues, including the base
closure process.
Mr. ORTIZ, Chairman
Mrs. DAVIS (VA), Ranking Member\1\ Mr. TAYLOR
Mr. JONES Mr. REYES
Mr. FORBES\2\ Ms. SANCHEZ
Mr. ROGERS Mr. BRADY
Mr. McHUGH Mr. MARSHALL
Mr. McKEON Ms. BORDALLO
Mr. HAYES Mr. UDALL
Mr. LoBIONDO Mr. BOREN
Mr. COLE Mrs. BOYDA
Mr. BISHOP Ms. SHEA-PORTER
Mrs. MILLER (MI)\3\ Mr. COURTNEY
Mr. FRANKS Mr. LOEBSACK
Mrs. McMORRIS RODGERS Ms. GIFFORDS
Mr. LAMBORN\4\ Mr. CUMMINGS
Mr. WITTMAN\5\
----------
\1\Mrs. Davis (VA) died on October 6, 2007.
\2\Mr. Forbes became Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Readiness on
December 5, 2007.
\3\Mrs. Miller (MI) resigned from the Committee on March 11, 2008.
\4\Mr. Wittman was appointed to the Subcommittee on Readiness on March
11, 2008.
\5\Mr. Lamborn was appointed to the Subcommittee on Readiness on
November 1, 2007.
Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities
Jurisdiction pursuant to Committee Rule 4--Legislative
jurisdiction over Department of Defense counter-proliferation
and counter-terrorism programs and initiatives. In addition,
the subcommittee will be responsible for Special Operations
Forces; science and technology policy, including the Defense
Advanced Research Projects Agency and information technology
programs; force protection policy and oversight; homeland
defense and consequence management programs within the
committee's jurisdiction; and related intelligence support.
Mr. SMITH, Chairman
Mr. THORNBERRY, Ranking Member Mr. McINTYRE
Mr. HAYES Mr. ANDREWS
Mr. CALVERT\1\ Mr. COOPER
Mr. KLINE Mr. MARSHALL
Mrs. DRAKE Mr. UDALL
Mr. CONAWAY Mr. ELLSWORTH
Mr. SAXTON Mrs. GILLIBRAND
Mr. SHUSTER\2\ Ms. CASTOR
----------
\1\Mr. Calvert resigned from the Committee on May 16, 2007.
\2\Mr. Shuster was assigned to the Subcommittee on Terrorism,
Unconventional Threats and Capabilities on June 13, 2007.
Subcommittee on Military Personnel
Jurisdiction pursuant to Committee Rule 4--Legislative
jurisdiction over military personnel policy, Reserve Component
integration and employment issues, military health care,
military education and POW/MIA issues. In addition, the
subcommittee will be responsible for Morale, Welfare and
Recreation issues and programs.
Dr. SNYDER, Chairman\2\
Mr. McHUGH, Ranking Member Mr. MEEHAN\1\
Mr. KLINE Ms. SANCHEZ
Mrs. DRAKE Mrs. DAVIS (CA)\3\
Mr. JONES Mrs. BOYDA
Mr. WILSON Mr. MURPHY
Ms. SHEA-PORTER
Mr. LANGEVIN\4\
Ms. TSONGAS\5\
----------
\1\Mr. Meehan resigned from the Committee on July 1, 2007.
\2\Dr. Snyder became Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and
Investigations on July 2, 2007.
\3\Mrs. Davis (CA) became Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Military
Personnel on July 2, 2007.
\4\Mr. Langevin was appointed to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel
on September 20, 2007. He took a leave of absence from the Committee on
October 31, 2007.
\5\Ms. Tsongas was appointed to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel
on November 1, 2007.
Subcommittee on Strategic Forces
Jurisdiction pursuant to Committee Rule 4--Legislative
jurisdiction over Strategic Forces (except deep strike
systems), space programs, ballistic missile defense,
intelligence policy and national programs and Department of
Energy national security programs (except non-proliferation
programs).
Ms. TAUSCHER, Chairman
Mr. EVERETT, Ranking Member Mr. SPRATT
Mr. FRANKS Mr. REYES
Mr. THORNBERRY Mr. LARSEN
Mr. TURNER Mr. COOPER
Mr. ROGERS Mr. JOHNSON\1\
Mr. LOEBSACK
Mr. LANGEVIN\2\
Ms. TSONGAS\3\
----------
\1\Mr. Johnson resigned from the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces on
July 2, 2007.
\2\Mr. Langevin was assigned to the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces on
September 20, 2007. He took a leave of absence from the Committee on
October 31, 2007.
\3\Ms. Tsongas was appointed to the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces on
November 1, 2007.
Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces
Jurisdiction pursuant to Committee Rule 4--Navy and Marine
Corps programs (except strategic weapons, space, special
operations and information technology programs) and Naval
Reserve equipment. In addition, the subcommittee will be
responsible for Maritime programs under the jurisdiction of the
Committee as delineated in rule X, clauses 5, 6, and 9 of the
Rules of the House of Representatives.
Mr. TAYLOR, Chairman
Mr. BARTLETT, Ranking Member Mr. ABERCROMBIE
Mr. CALVERT\1\ Mr. LARSEN
Mr. EVERETT Ms. BORDALLO
Mrs. DAVIS (VA)\3\ Mr. ELLSWORTH
Mr. FORBES Mr. COURTNEY
Mr. WILSON Mrs. GILLIBRAND
Mr. SHUSTER\2\ Mr. SESTAK
Mr. LAMBORN\4\
Mr. WITTMAN\5\
----------
\1\Mr. Calvert resigned from the Committee on May 16, 2007.
\2\Mr. Shuster was appointed to the Subcommittee on Seapower and
Expeditionary Forces on June 13, 2007.
\3\Mrs. Davis (VA) died on October 6, 2007.
\4\Mr. Lamborn was appointed to the Subcommittee on Seapower and
Expeditionary Forces on November 1, 2007.
\5\Mr. Wittman was appointed to the Subcommittee on Seapower and
Expeditionary Forces on March 11, 2008.
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
Jurisdiction pursuant to Committee Rule 4--Any matter
within the jurisdiction of the Committee, subject to the
concurrence of the Chairman of the Committee and, as
appropriate, affected subcommittee chairmen. The subcommittee
shall have no legislative jurisdiction.
Mr. MEEHAN,\1\ Chairman
Mr. AKIN, Ranking Member Mr. SPRATT
Mr. BARTLETT Dr. SNYDER\2\
Mr. JONES Ms. SANCHEZ
Mr. MILLER (FL) Ms. TAUSCHER
Dr. GINGREY Mr. ANDREWS
Mr. CONAWAY Mrs. DAVIS (CA)
Mr. DAVIS (KY) Mr. COOPER
Mr. JOHNSON\3\
Mr. SESTAK
----------
\1\Mr. Meehan resigned from the Committee on July 1, 2007.
\2\Dr. Snyder became Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and
Investigations on July 2, 2007.
\3\Mr. Johnson was assigned to the Subcommittee on Oversight and
Investigations on July 2, 2007.
Special Oversight Panel on Roles and Missions
Purpose--To examine the Roles and Missions of the Military
Service, appointed for six months on July 25, 2007.
Mr. COOPER, Chairman
Dr. GINGREY, Ranking Member Mr. LARSEN
Mr. DAVIS Mrs. GILLIBRAND
Mr. CONAWAY Mr. SESTAK
COMMITTEE STAFF
By committee resolution adopted at the organizational
meeting on January 10, 2007, or by authority of the Chairman,
the following persons were appointed to the staff of the
committee during the 110th Congress:
Erin C. Conaton, Staff Director
Bob DeGrasse, Deputy Staff
Director
Paul Oostburg Sanz, General
Counsel (appointed Jan. 3, 2007)
Hugh N. Johnston, Jr., Deputy
Staff Director/Chief Counsel
(resigned Feb. 4, 2007)
Brenda J. Wright, Professional
Staff Member (resigned Jan. 31,
2007)
Frank A. Barnes, Staff Assistant
(resigned Jan. 2, 2007)
Betty B. Gray, Executive Assistant
Michael R. Higgins, Professional
Staff Member
John D. Chapla, Professional Staff
Member
B. Ryan Vaart, Professional Staff
Member (resigned Jan. 1, 2007)
John F. Sullivan, Professional
Staff Member
Nancy M. Warner, Professional
Staff Member
Thomas E. Hawley, Professional
Staff Member
William H. Natter, III,
Professional Staff Member
Jesse D. Tolleson, Jr.,
Professional Staff Member
Debra S. Wada, Professional Staff
Member
Douglas C. Roach, Professional
Staff Member
Alexis R. Lasselle, Professional
Staff Member (resigned Jan. 2,
2007)
Linda Burnette, Printing Clerk
Robert L. Simmons, II,
Professional Staff Member
W. Holly Graning, Director,
Legislative Operations (resigned
April 17, 2007)
William C. Ostendorff, Counsel
(resigned Apr. 9, 2007)
James William Godwin, Jr.,
Professional Staff Member
(resigned Mar. 4, 2007)
Mark R. Lewis, Professional Staff
Member and Senior Policy Advisor
to the Chairman
Loren Dealy, Press Secretary
Heather L. Messera, Staff
Assistant (resigned Feb. 23, 2007)
Paul Arcangeli, Professional Staff
Member
Jeffrey A. Green, Professional
Staff Member (resigned Jan. 2,
2007)
Jeanette James, Professional Staff
Member
Miriam E. Wolff, Communications
Advisor (resigned Apr. 5, 2007)
Richard A. Pawloski, Professional
Staff Member (resigned Jan. 2,
2007)
Rebecca A. Ross, Professional
Staff Member
Andrew Hunter, Professional Staff
Member
Heath R. Bope, Professional Staff
Member
Lynn M. Williams, Professional
Staff Member
Paul Lewis, Counsel (resigned Jan.
1, 2007)
Stephanie Sanok, Professional
Staff Member (resigned Nov. 27,
2008)
Joshua C. Holly, Professional
Staff Member
John Wason, Professional Staff
Member
Harry Cartland, Professional Staff
Member (resigned Jan. 31, 2007)
Regina Burgess, Research Assistant
(resigned Feb. 2, 2007)
Ben Kohr, Staff Assistant
(resigned May 25, 2007)
Catherine K. Steadman, Director,
Legislative Operations (resigned
Dec. 31, 2007)
Roger Zakheim, Counsel (resigned
Aug. 31, 2008)
Kristine Ellison, Executive
Assistant (resigned July 31, 2007)
Jenness Simler, Professional Staff
Member
Julie Unmacht, Counsel
Kevin P. Coughlin, Counsel
(resigned Mar. 29, 2008)
Lorry M. Fenner, Professional
Staff Member
Christine Roushdy, Staff Assistant
(resigned July 3, 2007)
Derek Scott, Staff Assistant
Eryn Robinson, Professional Staff
Member
Alexander Kugajevsky, Professional
Staff Member
Kari Bingen, Professional Staff
Member
Margee Meckstroth, Staff Assistant
(resigned Dec. 4, 2007)
John Kruse, Professional Staff
Member
Henry Nuzum, National Security
Analyst (resigned Jan. 2, 2007)
Andrew H. Tabler, Staff Assistant
Aileen Alexander, Professional
Staff Member
Jason Hagadorn, Staff Assistant
(resigned Dec. 21, 2007)
Cyndi Howard, Staff Assistant
(appointed Jan. 3, 2007)
Douglas Bush, Professional Staff
Member (appointed Jan. 4, 2007)
Rudy Barnes, Professional Staff
Member (appointed Jan. 8, 2007)
Lara Battles, Press Secretary
(appointed Jan. 4, 2007)
Frank Rose, Professional Staff
Member (appointed Jan. 15, 2007)
Christine Lamb, Staff Assistant
(appointed Jan. 25, 2007)
William Ebbs, Professional Staff
Member (appointed Feb. 1, 2007)
Cathy Garman, Professional Staff
Member (appointed Feb. 1, 2007)
Vickie Plunkett, Professional
Staff Member (appointed Feb. 1,
2007)
Roy Phillips, Professional Staff
Member (appointed Feb. 5, 2007)
Adrienne Ramsay, Professional
Staff Member (appointed Feb. 5,
2007, resigned Feb. 29, 2008)
Suzanne McKenna, Counsel
(appointed Feb.12, 2007)
Sasha Rogers, Research Assistant
(appointed Feb. 12, 2007)
Timothy McClees, Professional
Staff Member (appointed Feb. 20,
2007)
Joe Hicken, Director, Legislative
Operations (appointed Mar. 1,
2007)
Kevin Gates, Professional Staff
Member (appointed Mar. 12, 2007)
Dave Kildee, Professional Staff
Member (appointed Mar. 19, 2007)
Mike Casey, Professional Staff
Member (appointed Mar. 26, 2007)
Sarah Schaffer, Staff Assistant
(appointed Apr. 2, 2007, resigned
Mar. 11, 2008)
Patrick Wicklund, Staff Assistant
(appointed Apr. 16, 2007, resigned
Nov. 30, 2007)
Alicia Haley, Staff Assistant
(appointed Apr. 25, 2007)
Anand Dalta, Professional Staff
Member (appointed May 1, 2007,
resigned July 31, 2007)
Benjamin Glerum, Staff Assistant
(appointed May 7, 2007)
David Sienicki, Professional Staff
Member (appointed July 9, 2007)
Adam Greenspan, Intern (appointed
June 4, 2007, resigned Aug. 3,
2007)
Trey Howard, Intern (appointed
June 4, 2007, resigned Aug. 3,
2007)
Dan Tavana, Intern (appointed June
4, 2007, resigned Aug. 3, 2007)
Caterina Dutto, Staff Assistant
(appointed July 11, 2007)
Kathleen Kelly, Executive
Assistant (appointed July 23,
2007)
Kyle Wilkens, Special Assistant to
the Chairman (appointed Oct. 1,
2007)
Michael McErlean, Professional
Staff Member (appointed Oct. 3,
2007)
Trey Howard, Staff Assistant
(appointed Jan. 2, 2008)
Rosellen C. Kim, Staff Assistant
(appointed Jan. 2, 2008)
Megan Putman, Staff Assistant
(appointed Jan. 2, 2008)
Karna L. Sandler, Staff Assistant
(appointed Jan. 2, 2008, resigned
Mar. 14, 2008)
Mark Parker, Intern (appointed
Jan. 3, 2008, resigned May 2,
2008)
Zach Steacy, Staff Assistant
(appointed Feb. 25, 2008)
Liz Drummond, Staff Assistant
(appointed Mar. 17, 2008)
Caren Howard, Intern (appointed
Mar. 24, 2008, resigned May 15,
2008)
Everett Coleman, Professional
Staff Member (appointed May 1,
2008)
Kristine Ellison, Intern
(appointed May 23, 2008, resigned
Aug. 1, 2008)
David Parker, Intern (appointed
June 9, 2008, resigned July 31,
2008)
Elizabeth Kurtz, Intern (appointed
June 11, 2008, resigned Oct. 10,
2008)
Maxwell Hoffman, Intern (appointed
July 10, 2008, resigned Aug. 29,
2008)
Neal Kumar, Intern (appointed
Sept. 2, 2008, resigned Dec. 12,
2008)
Craig Greene, Professional Staff
Member (appointed Dec. 1, 2008)
COMMITTEE MEETINGS
A total of 345 meetings and mark-ups were held by the
Committee on Armed Services and its subcommittees during the
110th Congress. A breakdown of the meetings follows:
Full Committee.................................................... 120
Subcommittees:
Air and Land Forces Subcommittee.............................. 28
Readiness Subcommittee........................................ 27
Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities
Subcommittee................................................ 39
Military Personnel Subcommittee............................... 25
Strategic Forces Subcommittee................................. 26
Seapower and Expeditionary Forces Subcommittee................ 23
Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee..................... 49
Special Oversight Panel on Roles and Missions................. 8
LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS
Legislation Enacted into Law
PUBLIC LAW 110-115 (H.R. 2779)
To recognize the Navy UDT-SEAL Museum in Fort Pierce, Florida, as the
official national museum of Navy SEALs and their predecessors.
Public Law 110-115 recognizes, as the official national
museum of Navy SEALs and their predecessors, the Navy UDT-SEAL
Museum located at 3300 North A1A, North Hutchinson Island, in
Fort Pierce, Florida. On June 19, 2007, H.R. 2779 was
introduced and referred to the Committee on Armed Services. The
measure was considered under suspension of the Rules and passed
the House on October 1, 2007 by voice vote. The Senate passed
the measure without amendment by unanimous consent on October
31, 2007. On November 13, 2007, H.R. 2779 was signed by the
President and became law.
PUBLIC LAW 110-181 (H.R. 4986)
To provide for the enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2008, as previously enrolled, with certain
modifications to address the foreign sovereign immunities provisions of
title 28, United States Code, with respect to the attachment of
property in certain judgments against Iraq, the lapse of statutory
authorities for the payment of bonuses, special pays, and similar
benefits for members of the uniformed services, and for other purposes.
Public Law 110-181, the National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2008, authorizes funds totaling $688.2 billion
for national defense functions for fiscal year 2008, which
implies a budget authority level of $696.4 billion. Of those
amounts, $189.4 billion is for costs associated with Operation
Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Division A
Division A of Public Law 110-181 authorizes funds for
fiscal year 2008 for the Department of Defense.
Subtitle A of title I authorizes $99,269,022,000 for
procurement of aircraft, missiles, weapons and tracked combat
vehicles, ammunition, and other procurement for the armed
forces, defense agencies, and Reserve Components of the armed
forces.
Subtitles B through D of title I establish additional
program requirements, restrictions, limitations, transfers of,
or funds for specified programs for the armed forces,
including: multi-year procurement authorities for various Army
programs and the Virginia-class submarine program, limitation
on amounts obligated for the fifth and sixth Littoral Combat
Ships; and limitations or modification of limitations on
retirement of C-130E/H, KC-135E, and B-52 aircraft.
Subtitle A of title II authorizes $73,727,545,000 for
research, development, test and evaluation for the armed forces
and the defense agencies, including amounts for basic research
and development-related matters.
Subtitle B of title II establishes certain program
requirements, restrictions, and limitations on six separate
research and development-related matters, including: Future
Combat Systems, limitations on the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle
program, requirements for a competitive propulsion system for
the Joint Strike Fighter, limitation on the manufacturing
science and technology program, funding for the Advanced Sensor
Applications Program, and comparative live-fire testing of
active protection systems.
Subtitles C and D of title II address ballistic missile
defense programs and miscellaneous matters, including a
limitation on availability of funds for procurement,
construction, and deployment of missile defense in Europe until
certain conditions have been met.
Subtitle A of title III authorizes $142,795,303,000 for
operation and maintenance.
Subtitles B through F of title III address environmental
provisions, workplace and depot issues, extensions of program
authorities, outsourcing, studies and reports relating to
military readiness, and other miscellaneous matters.
Title IV provides military personnel authorizations for the
active and reserve forces for fiscal year 2008 and authorizes
appropriations of $117,091,420,000 for military personnel for
fiscal year 2008. The end strengths for active duty personnel
for fiscal year 2008 are as follows:
Army, 525,400
Navy, 329,098
Marine Corps, 189,000
Air Force, 329,563
The Selected Reserve end strengths for fiscal year 2008 are
as follows:
Army National Guard, 351,300
Army Reserve, 205,000
Naval Reserve, 67,800
Marine Corps Reserve, 39,600
Air National Guard, 106,700
Air Force Reserve, 67,500
Coast Guard Reserve, 10,000
The end strengths for reserves on active duty in support of
the Reserve Components for fiscal year 2008 are as follows:
Army National Guard, 29,204
Army Reserve, 15,870
Naval Reserve, 11,579
Marine Corps Reserve, 2,261
Air National Guard, 13,936
Air Force Reserve, 2,721
Title V sets military personnel policy, including
provisions that address officer personnel policy; Reserve
Component management; education and training; military justice
and legal assistance matters; issues related to military leave;
decorations and awards; Impact Aid and Defense Dependents
Education system; military families; and other miscellaneous
matters.
Title VI addresses compensation and other personnel
benefits, including pay and allowances; bonuses and special and
incentive pays; travel and transportation allowances; retired
pay and survivor benefits; commissary and nonappropriated fund
instrumentality benefits; and other matters.
Title VII contains military health care provisions, such as
improvements to military health benefits including a
prohibition on increases in certain health care costs; required
reports; and other matters, including the prohibition on
conversion of military medical and dental positions to civilian
positions.
Title VIII addresses acquisition policy, acquisition
management and related matters, including provisions relating
to major defense acquisition programs; amendments to general
contracting authorities, procedures, and limitations;
accountability matters; acquisition workforce provisions;
contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan; the Defense Materiel
Readiness Board; and other matters.
Title IX contains Department of Defense organization and
management provisions, including space activities; chemical
demilitarization; intelligence-related matters; roles and
missions analysis; and other miscellaneous matters.
Title X addresses general provisions relating to financial
matters; naval vessels and shipyards; counter-drug activities;
miscellaneous authorities and limitations; reports; and other
matters.
Title XI addresses Department of Defense civilian personnel
matters, including the civilian personnel benefits,
compensation, and leave; modifications to the National Security
Personnel System; and other federal government civilian
personnel matters.
Title XII concerns matters relating to foreign nations,
including: assistance and training; matters relating to Iraq
and Afghanistan; the Iraq refugee crisis; other authorities and
limitations; and reports.
Title XIII addresses Cooperative Threat Reduction with
states of the Former Soviet Union.
Title XIV authorizes miscellaneous authorizations totaling
$28,520,589,000 for the defense health program; drug
interdiction and counter-drug activities; the Office of the
Inspector General, chemical agents and munitions destruction,
revolving and management funds; and the Armed Forces Retirement
Home.
Title XV includes authorization of $187,157,953,000 for
increased cost due to Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation
Enduring Freedom.
Title XVI addresses wounded warrior matters including
improvements to care, management and transition of recovering
service members; centers of excellence in the prevention,
diagnosis, mitigation, treatment, and rehabilitation of
traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, and eye
injuries; health care matters; disability matters; studies and
reports; and other matters.
Title XVII concerns veterans matters and the Department of
Veterans Affairs.
Title XVIII addresses National Guard Bureau matters and
related matters including Reserve Component enhancement
Division B
Division B of Public Law 110-181 authorizes appropriations
in the amount of $23,689,215,000 for military construction and
military family housing in support of the active forces, the
Reserve Components, and the NATO security investment program
for fiscal year 2008. In addition, Division B contains military
construction and family housing program changes; property and
facilities administration; provisions concerning land
conveyances; energy security; and other matters.
Division C
Division C of Public Law 110-181 authorizes appropriations
in the amount of $16,079,379,000 for Department of Energy
national security programs for fiscal year 2008. Division C
also includes authorization for and/or addresses the Defense
Nuclear Facilities Safety Board; War-Related National Nuclear
Security Administration Authorities; National Defense
Stockpile; Naval Petroleum Reserves; and the Maritime
Administration.
The Committee on Armed Services reported H.R. 1585, as
amended, to the House on May 11 2007. The measure passed the
House, as amended, on May 17, 2007. The Senate passed H.R.
1585, as amended, on October 1, 2007. The conference report was
agreed to in the House on December 12, 2007, and in the Senate
on December 14, 2007. The President vetoed H.R. 1585 on
December 28, 2007. The text of H.R. 1585 was reintroduced with
a modification to H.R. 1585 regarding section 1083, allowing
the President to waive the totality of section 1083 as to
claims against Iraq for terrorism acts that occurred before or
on the date of enactment, and a modification to expired
compensation authorities. The reintroduced text, H.R. 4986,
passed the House under suspension of the Rules on January 16,
2008, and passed the Senate on January 21, 2008. H.R. 4986 was
signed by the President and became law on January 28, 2008.
(H. Rept. 110-146 parts I & II; S. Rept. 110-77; H. Rept.
110-477; H.A.S.C. 110-6; H.A.S.C. 110-10; H.A.S.C. 110-13;
H.A.S.C. 110-16; H.A.S.C. 110-18; H.A.S.C. 110-20; H.A.S.C.
110-21; H.A.S.C. 110-22; H.A.S.C. 110-23; H.A.S.C. 110-24;
H.A.S.C. 110-27; H.A.S.C. 110-28; H.A.S.C. 110-31; H.A.S.C.
110-33; H.A.S.C. 110-34; H.A.S.C. 110-35; H.A.S.C. 110-37;
H.A.S.C. 110-38; H.A.S.C. 110-39; H.A.S.C. 110-40; H.A.S.C.
110-41; H.A.S.C. 110-42; H.A.S.C. 110-44; H.A.S.C. 110-46;
H.A.S.C. 110-47; H.A.S.C. 110-48; H.A.S.C. 110-50; H.A.S.C.
110-53; H.A.S.C. 110-54)
PUBLIC LAW 110-203 (H.J. RES. 70)
Congratulating the Army Reserve on its centennial, which will be
formally celebrated on April 23, 2008, and commemorating the historic
contributions of its veterans and continuing contributions of its
soldiers to the vital national security interests and homeland defense
missions of the United States.
Public Law 110-203 congratulates the Army Reserve on the
occasion of the 100th anniversary of the enactment of its
original authorizing law, recognizes and commends the Army
Reserve for the selfless and dedicated service of its past and
present citizen-soldiers, and extends its gratitude to the
veterans, soldiers, families, and employers whose support has
enabled the Army Reserve to accomplish its vital missions. On
December 13, 2007, H.J. Res. 70 was introduced and referred to
the Committee on Armed Services. The measure was considered, as
amended, under suspension of the Rules and passed the House on
April 8, 2008 by a vote of 393-0. The Senate passed the measure
without amendment by unanimous consent on April 14, 2008. On
April 22, 2008, H.J. Res. 70 was signed by the President and
became law.
PUBLIC LAW 110-417 (S. 3001)
Public Law 110-417, the Duncan Hunter National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009, authorizes funds
totaling $600.0 billion for national defense functions for
fiscal year 2009, which implies a budget authority level of
$611.1 billion. Of those amounts, $68.6 billion is a bridge
fund for costs associated with Operation Enduring Freedom and
Operation Iraqi Freedom for the first several months of fiscal
year 2009.
Division A
Division A of Public Law 110-417 authorizes funds for
fiscal year 2009 for the Department of Defense.
Subtitle A of title I authorizes $103,969,883,000 for
procurement of aircraft, missiles, weapons and tracked combat
vehicles, ammunition, and other procurement for the armed
forces, defense agencies, and Reserve Components of the armed
forces.
Subtitles B through E of title I establish additional
program requirements, restrictions, limitations, transfers of,
or funds for specified programs for the armed forces,
including: requirements for separate displays of procurement
line items for Future Combat Systems; restriction on obligation
of funds for the Army tactical radio and Armed Reconnaissance
Helicopter; permissions for refueling and complex overhaul of
the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt; and funding to continue or wind
down F-22A fighter aircraft production to be determined by the
next President.
Subtitle A of title II authorizes $77,710,452,000 for
research, development, test and evaluation for the armed forces
and the defense agencies, including amounts for basic research
and development-related matters.
Subtitle B of title II establishes certain program
requirements, restrictions, and limitations on 11 separate
research and development-related matters, including: Future
Combat Systems (FCS) milestone review; FCS communications
network; FCS manned ground vehicle reports; Sky Warrior
Unmanned Aerial Systems project; Warfighter Information
Network-Tactical program; Joint Cargo Aircraft; nonimaging
infrared systems; advanced energy storage technology; defense
laboratories; airborne intelligence collection systems; and
enhanced AN/TPQ-36 radar systems.
Subtitles C through E of title II address ballistic missile
defense programs, reports and miscellaneous matters.
Subtitle A of title III authorizes $154,248,344,000 for
operation and maintenance.
Subtitles B through F of title III address environmental
provisions, workplace and depot issues, energy security,
studies and reports relating to military readiness, and other
miscellaneous matters.
Title IV provides military personnel authorizations for the
active and reserve forces for fiscal year 2009 and authorizes
appropriations of $124,791,336,000 for military personnel for
fiscal year 2009. The end strengths for active duty personnel
for fiscal year 2009 are as follows:
Army, 532,400
Navy, 326,323
Marine Corps, 194,000
Air Force, 317,050
The Selected Reserve end strengths for fiscal year 2009 are
as follows:
Army National Guard, 352,600
Army Reserve, 205,000
Naval Reserve, 66,700
Marine Corps Reserve, 39,600
Air National Guard, 106,756
Air Force Reserve, 67,400
Coast Guard Reserve, 10,000
The end strengths for reserves on active duty in support of
the Reserve Components for fiscal year 2009 are as follows:
Army National Guard, 32,060
Army Reserve, 16,170
Naval Reserve, 11,099
Marine Corps Reserve, 2,261
Air National Guard, 14,360
Air Force Reserve, 2,733
Title V sets military personnel policy, including
provisions that address officer personnel policy; Reserve
Component management; joint qualified officers and
requirements; general service authorities; education and
training; Defense Dependents Education system; military
justice; decorations, awards, and honorary promotions; military
families; and other miscellaneous matters.
Title VI addresses compensation and other personnel
benefits, including pay and allowances; bonuses and special and
incentive pays; travel and transportation allowances; retired
pay and survivor benefits; commissary and nonappropriated fund
instrumentality benefits and operations; and other matters.
Title VII contains military health care provisions, such as
improvements to military health benefits; preventative care;
wounded warrior matters; and other miscellaneous matters.
Title VIII addresses acquisition policy, acquisition
management and related matters, including provisions relating
to major defense acquisition programs; amendments to general
contracting authorities, procedures, and limitations;
provisions relating to acquisition workforce and inherently
governmental functions; Department of Defense contractor
matters; matters relating to Iraq and Afghanistan; government-
wide acquisition improvements; and other matters.
Title IX contains Department of Defense organization and
management provisions, including space activities; chemical
demilitarization; intelligence-related matters; and other
miscellaneous matters.
Title X addresses general provisions relating to financial
matters; naval vessels and shipyards; counter-drug activities;
miscellaneous authorities and limitations; studies and reports;
and other matters.
Title XI addresses Department of Defense civilian personnel
matters, including the civilian personnel benefits,
compensation, and leave; modifications to the National Security
Personnel System; and other federal government civilian
personnel matters.
Title XII concerns matters relating to foreign nations,
including: assistance and training; matters relating to Iraq
and Afghanistan; and reports.
Title XIII addresses Cooperative Threat Reduction with
states of the Former Soviet Union.
Title XIV authorizes miscellaneous authorizations totaling
$29,647,675,000 for the defense health program; drug
interdiction and counter-drug activities; the Office of the
Inspector General, chemical agents and munitions destruction,
revolving and management funds; and the Armed Forces Retirement
Home.
Title XV includes authorization of $68,080,000,000 for
increased cost due to Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation
Enduring Freedom.
Title XVI addresses reconstruction and stabilization
civilian management.
Division B
Division B of Public Law 110-417 authorizes appropriations
in the amount of $25,438,471,000 for military construction and
military family housing in support of the active forces, the
Reserve Components, and the NATO security investment program
for fiscal year 2009. In addition, Division B contains military
construction and family housing program changes; property and
facilities administration; provisions related to Guam
realignment; provisions concerning land conveyances; energy
security; and other matters.
Division C
Division C of Public Law 110-417 authorizes appropriations
in the amount of $16,131,708,000 for Department of Energy
national security programs for fiscal year 2009. Division C
also includes authorization for and/or addresses the Defense
Nuclear Facilities Safety Board; Naval Petroleum Reserves; and
the Maritime Administration.
The Committee on Armed Services reported H.R. 5658, as
amended, to the House on May 16 2008. The measure passed the
House, as amended, on May 22, 2008. The Senate passed S. 3001,
as amended, on September 17, 2008. The informal conference
agreement was passed as an amendment to S. 3001 in the House on
September 24, 2008. The Senate agreed with the House amendment,
and passed S. 3001 on September 27, 2008. S. 3001 was signed by
the President and became law on October 14, 2008.
(H. Rept. 110-652; parts I & II; S. Rept. 110-335;
Committee Print 10; H.A.S.C. 110-110; H.A.S.C. 110-111;
H.A.S.C. 110-117; H.A.S.C. 110-119; H.A.S.C. 110-120; H.A.S.C.
110-121; H.A.S.C. 110-122; H.A.S.C. 110-123; H.A.S.C. 110-124;
H.A.S.C. 110-125; H.A.S.C. 110-127; H.A.S.C. 110-128; H.A.S.C.
110-131; H.A.S.C. 110-132; H.A.S.C. 110-133; H.A.S.C. 110-135;
H.A.S.C. 110-136; H.A.S.C. 110-137; H.A.S.C. 110-138; H.A.S.C.
110-139; H.A.S.C. 110-140; H.A.S.C. 110-142; H.A.S.C. 110-145;
H.A.S.C. 110-149; H.A.S.C. 110-151; H.A.S.C. 110-165)
Legislation Vetoed by the President
H.R. 1585
To authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2008 for military
activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and
for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe
military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other
purposes.
On December 28, 2007, the President vetoed H.R. 1585, the
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008,
therefore preventing it from becoming law. The primary reason
cited by the President for vetoing the legislation was that it
would subject Iraqi assets to be frozen by plaintiffs seeking
remuneration for damages and that ``it would imperil billions
of dollars of Iraqi assets at a crucial juncture in that
nation's reconstruction efforts and because it would undermine
the foreign policy and commercial interests of the United
States.''\1\ The offending provision, section 1083, would have
expanded the ability of Americans, members of the U.S. Armed
Services, and employees of the United States Government to sue
state sponsors of terrorism, including the Republic of Iraq,
for damages in U.S. courts. H.R. 1585, as passed by both the
House and Senate, is the same text as Public Law 110-181 with
two minor differences: it does not include authority for the
President to waive the totality of section 1083 as to claims
against Iraq for terrorism acts that occurred before or on the
date of enactment, and it did not include technical adjustments
to expired compensation authorities which would expire on
December 31, 2007.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\House Document 110-88 "National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2008-Veto Message from the President of the United States,"
Memorandum of Disapproval, President George W. Bush, the White House,
December 28, 2007.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Committee on Armed Services reported H.R. 1585, as
amended, to the House on May 11 2007. The measure passed the
House, as amended, on May 17, 2007. The Senate passed H.R.
1585, as amended, on October 1, 2007. The conference report was
agreed to in the House on December 12, 2007, and in the Senate
on December 14, 2007. The President vetoed H.R. 1585 on
December 28, 2007.
The text of H.R. 1585 was reintroduced with two
modifications noted above as H.R. 4986. It passed the House
under suspension of the Rules on January 16, 2008, and passed
the Senate on January 21, 2008. H.R. 4986 was signed by the
President and became law on January 28, 2008.
(H. Rept. 110-146 parts I & II; S. Rept. 110-77; H.A.S.C.
110-6; H.A.S.C. 110-10; H.A.S.C. 110-13; H.A.S.C. 110-16;
H.A.S.C. 110-18; H.A.S.C. 110-20; H.A.S.C. 110-21; H.A.S.C.
110-22; H.A.S.C. 110-23; H.A.S.C. 110-24; H.A.S.C. 110-27;
H.A.S.C. 110-28; H.A.S.C. 110-31; H.A.S.C. 110-33; H.A.S.C.
110-34; H.A.S.C. 110-35; H.A.S.C. 110-37; H.A.S.C. 110-38;
H.A.S.C. 110-39; H.A.S.C. 110-40; H.A.S.C. 110-41; H.A.S.C.
110-42; H.A.S.C. 110-44; H.A.S.C. 110-46; H.A.S.C. 110-47;
H.A.S.C. 110-48; H.A.S.C. 110-50; H.A.S.C. 110-53; H.A.S.C.
110-54)
Legislation Reported but Not Enacted
H.R. 1362
To reform acquisition practices of the Federal Government.
The purpose of H.R. 1362, the ``Accountability in
Contracting Act,'' was to amend titles 10 and 41, United States
Code, and to establish other new statutory requirements, to
improve the quality of government contracts, increase contract
oversight, and promote integrity in contracting. H.R. 1362
would have helped to address contracting challenges by
empowering the secretaries of the military departments and the
heads of the defense agencies to ensure the proper use of a
variety of contract types, both competitive and non-
competitive, and further empower Congress in its oversight of
such contracts.
H.R. 1362 would have improved the ability of the heads of
all federal agencies, and in the case of the Department of
Defense, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition,
Technology, and Logistics, to promote competition in
contracting and to maximize the use of efficient contracting
methods such as fixed price contracting in procurement
programs. It would also have provided Congress and the general
public greater oversight of contracts by making the contract
documents used to justify limiting competition publicly
available within 14 or 30 days, depending on the type of
contract. H.R. 1362 would have codified the right and ability
of Congress to obtain copies of completed audits relating to
findings on contractor costs in excess of $10.0 million and of
material performance deficiencies. It also would have required
a government-wide study of the acquisition workforce. H.R. 1362
would have amended title 41, United States Code, to make
permanent the acquisition workforce training fund. It would
have further amended title 41 to strengthen requirements
relating to the pre- and post-government employment of
procurement officials.
On March 13, 2007, the Committee on Armed Services held a
mark-up session to consider H.R. 1362, as introduced. By
unanimous consent, the committee agreed to consider Chairman
Skelton's amendment in the nature of a substitute as the base
text. The committee ordered H.R. 1362, as amended, reported to
the House with a favorable recommendation by a record vote of
53-0, a quorum being present. The measure passed the House, as
amended, on March 15, 2007. No further action was taken.
(H. Rept. 110-47, part II)
H.R. 1538
To amend title 10, United States Code, to improve the management of
medical care, personnel actions, and quality of life issues for members
of the Armed Forces who are receiving medical care in an outpatient
status, and for other purposes.
The purpose of H.R. 1538, the ``Wounded Warrior Assistance
Act of 2007,'' was to amend title 10, United States Code, and
to establish other new statutory requirements to provide the
people, training, and oversight mechanisms needed to ensure
that the nation's wounded warriors receive quality medical care
and efficient administrative processing in an environment that
reflects the highest quality of life standards. It would have
set the stage for much needed reform of administrative
processes that would restore service member confidence in the
integrity and efficiency of the disability evaluation system
and would begin the process of achieving a truly seamless
transition of service members to the Department of Veterans
Affairs' programs. H.R. 1538 was introduced on March 15, 2007,
and referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in
addition to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, for a period to
be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the
jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
On March 20, 2007, the Committee on Armed Services held a
mark-up session to consider H.R. 1538. The committee ordered
H.R. 1538, as amended, reported to the House with a favorable
recommendation by a record vote of 59-0, a quorum being
present. The measure passed the House, as amended, on March 28,
2007 and the Senate passed its version of H.R. 1538 on July 25,
2007. Portions of each version of H.R. 1538 were included in
H.R. 1585 and became part of title 16 and title 17, the
``Wounded Warrior Assistance Act of 2007,'' in the conference
compromise of Public Law 110-181. No further action was taken
on H.R. 1538.
(H. Rept. 110-68, part I)
H.R. 3087
To require the Secretary of Defense to submit to Congress reports on
the status of planning for the redeployment of the Armed Forces from
Iraq and to require the Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, and appropriate senior officials of the Department of
Defense to meet with Congress to brief Congress on the matters
contained in the reports.
The purpose of H.R. 3087, a bill to require the Secretary
of Defense to submit to Congress reports on the status of
planning for the redeployment of the Armed Forces from Iraq and
to require the Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, and appropriate senior officials of the
Department of Defense to meet with Congress to brief Congress
on the matters contained in the reports, was to provide
guidance to the Department on Congress's expectations for
contingency planning for redeployment of U.S. armed forces from
the Republic of Iraq and to establish the mechanisms necessary
to allow appropriate congressional oversight of such planning
to occur.
On July 12, 2007, the President delivered to Congress the
Initial Benchmark Assessment Report on Iraq required by section
1314 of the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veteran's Care, Katrina
Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act of 2007
(Public Law 110-28). That report stated that the President was
pursuing a multi-pronged strategy ``designed to set the
conditions for U.S. troops to begin coming home, without
risking a humanitarian catastrophe in Iraq, sanctuaries for
international terrorist networks, or a broader regional
conflict that would threaten U.S. national security interests
for generations.'' On that same day, the House of
Representatives passed legislation, H.R. 2956, Responsible
Redeployment from Iraq Act, by a 223-201 vote, calling for a
reduction in the number of U.S. armed forces in Iraq and a
transition to a limited presence there in a safe and orderly
manner. H.R. 3087 would have assisted in the accomplishment of
these goals by facilitating a dialogue between the executive
and legislative branches of government through the required
provision of reports and briefings to Congress on the status of
planning for redeployment. It would have maximized the amount
of significant information of an unclassified nature provided
to Congress, while keeping sensitive classified information
fully protected. H.R. 3087 would have continued to require
reports and briefings until such time as the U.S. armed forces
in Iraq are no longer primarily engaged in a combat mission, as
certified by the Secretary of Defense.
H.R. 3087 was introduced on July 18, 2007, and referred to
the Committee on Armed Services. On July 27, 2007, the
Committee on Armed Services held a mark-up session to consider
H.R. 3087, as introduced. The committee, a quorum being
present, ordered reported H.R. 3087, as amended, to the House
with a favorable recommendation by a record vote of 55-2. The
measure passed the House, as amended under suspension of the
Rules, on October 2, 2007. No further action was taken.
(H. Rept. 110-283)
H.R. 3159
To mandate minimum periods of rest and recuperation for units and
members of the regular and Reserve Components of the Armed Forces
between deployments for Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring
Freedom.
The purpose of H.R. 3159, ``Ensuring Military Readiness
Through Stability and Predictability Deployment Policy Act of
2007,'' was to establish a statutory requirement that ensures
regular (active) component units and members assigned to those
units are provided a minimum period of rest and recuperation
that is equal to or longer than the period of the most recent
deployment, and a minimum period of rest and recuperation that
is at least three times longer than the period of deployment
for reserve (National Guard and Reserves) component units and
members assigned to those units.
H.R. 3159 also included a sense of Congress that the ratio
between the length of deployments and dwell time, the interval
between deployments, for regular components should have been
one year deployed to two years at home station (a ratio of
1:2), and the goal for the Reserve Components should have been
one year deployed to five years at home station (a ratio of
1:5).
H.R. 3159 was introduced on July 24, 2007, and referred to
the Committee on Armed Services. On July 27, 2007, the
Committee on Armed Services held a mark-up session to consider
H.R. 3159, as introduced. The committee agreed by unanimous
consent to consider Chairman Skelton's amendment in the nature
of a substitute as the base text. The committee, a quorum being
present, ordered reported H.R. 3159, as amended, to the House
with a favorable recommendation by a record vote of 32-25, with
2 voting present. The measure passed the House, as amended, on
August 2, 2007. No further action was taken.
(H. Rept. 110-282)
Legislation Not Reported but Managed by the Committee on Armed Services
on the Floor of the House of Representatives
H. CON. RES. 63
Disapproving of the decision of the President announced on January 10,
2007, to deploy more than 20,000 additional United States combat troops
to Iraq
The purpose of H. Con. Res. 63, ``Disapproving of the
decision of the President announced on January 10, 2007, to
deploy more than 20,000 additional United States combat troops
to Iraq,'' was to express Congress's continuing support for
members of the Armed Forces who are serving or who have served
in the Republic of Iraq and to make clear that Congress
disapproves the President's decision to deploy more than 20,000
additional combat troops to Iraq.
H. Con. Res. 63 was introduced on February 12, 2007 and
referred to the House Committee on Armed Services. H. Res. 157
provided for consideration of H. Con. Res. 63 with three days
of general debate, equally divided, without intervening motions
except a motion to recommit. On February 16, 2007, H. Con. Res.
63 passed the House by a vote of 246-182. No further action was
taken.
H. CON. RES. 47
Supporting the goals and ideals of a National Medal of Honor Day to
celebrate and honor the recipients of the Medal of Honor
H. Con. Res. 47, ``Supporting the goals and ideals of a
National Medal of Honor Day to celebrate and honor the
recipients of the Medal of Honor,'' was introduced on January
30, 2007, and referred to the House Armed Services Subcommittee
on Military Personnel. Chairman Snyder and Ranking Member
McHugh of the Subcommittee on Military Personnel waived
subcommittee consideration of H. Con. Res. 47 and Chairman
Skelton and Ranking Member Hunter waived full committee
consideration of the measure. Chairman Ike Skelton moved to
consider H. Con. Res. 47, as introduced, under suspension of
the Rules of the House, and it was agreed to by a vote of 411-0
on February 27, 2007. On March 1, 2007, the Senate agreed to H.
Con. Res. 47 by unanimous consent.
H. CON. RES. 42
Honoring the heroic service and sacrifice of the glider pilots of the
United States Army Air Forces during World War II
H. Con. Res. 42, ``Honoring the heroic service and
sacrifice of the glider pilots of the United States Army Air
Forces during World War II,'' was introduced on January 23,
2007, and referred to the House Armed Services Subcommittee on
Military Personnel. Chairman Snyder and Ranking Member McHugh
of the Subcommittee on Military Personnel waived subcommittee
consideration of H. Con. Res. 42 and Chairman Skelton and
Ranking Member Hunter waived full committee consideration of
the measure. Congresswoman Nancy E. Boyda moved to consider H.
Con. Res. 42, as amended, under suspension of the Rules of the
House, and it was agreed to by a vote of 421-0 on March 20,
2007. No further action was taken.
H. RES. 305
Honoring the 53,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and civilians
that comprise the Nation's special operations forces community
H. Res. 305, ``Honoring the 53,000 soldiers, sailors,
airmen, Marines, and civilians that comprise the Nation's
special operations forces community,'' was introduced on April
17, 2007, and referred to the House Armed Services Subcommittee
on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities. Chairman
Smith and Ranking Member Thornberry of the Subcommittee on
Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities waived
subcommittee consideration of H. Res. 305 and Chairman Skelton
and Ranking Member Hunter waived full committee consideration
of the measure. Congressman Adam Smith moved to consider H.
Res. 305, as introduced, under suspension of the Rules of the
House, and it was agreed to by voice vote on April 18, 2007.
H. RES. 171
Honoring the Marquis de Lafayette on the occasion of the 250th
anniversary of his birth
H. Res. 171, ``Honoring the Marquis de Lafayette on the
occasion of the 250th anniversary of his birth,'' was
introduced on February 15, 2008, and referred to the House
Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel. Chairman
Snyder and Ranking Member McHugh of the Subcommittee on
Military Personnel waived subcommittee consideration of H. Res.
171 and Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member Hunter waived full
committee consideration of the measure. Chairman Ike Skelton
moved to consider H. Res. 171, as amended, under suspension of
the Rules of the House, and it was agreed to by voice vote on
May 22, 2007.
H.R. 2956
To require the Secretary of Defense to commence the reduction of the
number of United States Armed Forces in Iraq to a limited presence by
April 1, 2008, and for other purposes
The purpose of H.R. 2956, the ``Responsible Redeployment
from Iraq Act,'' was to begin reduction in troop numbers in the
Republic of Iraq within 120 days after enactment, to transition
to a limited presence by April 1, 2008, and emphasized that
this reduction should be carried out in a way that maximized
force protection. It also required that a strategy that would
guide the transition, be submitted to Congress by January 1,
2008. The strategy would have included diplomatic, political,
economic, and military measures for dealing with Iraq,
encouraging regional engagement and political reconciliation,
as would have considered our security interests in the broader
Middle East.
H.R. 2956, was introduced on July 10, 2007 and referred to
the House Committee on Armed Services. H. Res. 533 provided for
consideration of H.R. 2956 with four hours of general debate
without intervening motions except a motion to recommit with or
without instructions. The rule closed the bill to amendments
and waived all points of order against the bill and against its
consideration except those arising under clause 9 or 10 or rule
XXI. On July 12, 2007, H.R. 2956 passed the House by a vote of
223-201. No further action was taken.
H. RES. 541
Recognizing the Marines of Company M (or `Mike Company') of the 3rd
Battalion, 7th Regiment, 1st Marine Division on the occasion of their
25th Annual Reunion
H. Res. 541 ``Recognizing the Marines of Company M (or
`Mike Company') of the 3rd Battalion, 7th Regiment, 1st Marine
Division on the occasion of their 25th Annual Reunion,'' was
introduced on July 12, 2007, and referred to the House Armed
Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel. Chairwoman Davis
and Ranking Member McHugh of the Subcommittee on Military
Personnel waived subcommittee consideration of H. Res. 541 and
Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member Hunter waived full
committee consideration of the measure. On July 19, 2007,
Congresswoman Ellen O. Tauscher asked unanimous consent to
discharge from House Committee on Armed Services and consider
H. Res. 541. It was considered and agreed to without objection.
H. CON. RES. 49
Concurrent resolution recognizing the 75th anniversary of the Military
Order of the Purple Heart and commending recipients of the Purple Heart
for their courage and sacrifice on behalf of the United States
H. Con. Res. 49, ``Concurrent resolution recognizing the
75th anniversary of the Military Order of the Purple Heart and
commending recipients of the Purple Heart for their courage and
sacrifice on behalf of the United States,'' was introduced on
January 31, 2007, and referred to the House Armed Services
Subcommittee on Military Personnel. Chairwoman Davis and
Ranking Member McHugh of the Subcommittee on Military Personnel
waived subcommittee consideration of H. Con. Res. 49 and
Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member Hunter waived full
committee consideration of the measure. Congresswoman Madeleine
Z. Bordallo moved to consider H. Con. Res. 49, as amended,
under suspension of the Rules of the House, and it was agreed
to by voice vote on July 30, 2007. No further action was taken.
H. RES. 568
Honoring and expressing gratitude to the 1st Battalion of the 133rd
Infantry (`Ironman Battalion') of the Iowa National Guard
H. Res. 568, ``Honoring and expressing gratitude to the 1st
Battalion of the 133rd Infantry (`Ironman Battalion') of the
Iowa National Guard,'' was introduced on July 25, 2007, and
referred to the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military
Personnel. Chairwoman Davis and Ranking Member McHugh of the
Subcommittee on Military Personnel waived subcommittee
consideration of H. Res. 568 and Chairman Skelton and Ranking
Member Hunter waived full committee consideration of the
measure. Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo moved to consider
H. Res. 568, as introduced, under suspension of the Rules of
the House, and it was agreed to by voice vote on July 30, 2007.
S. CON. RES. 27
A concurrent resolution supporting the goals and ideals of `National
Purple Heart Recognition Day'
S. Con. Res. 27, ``A concurrent resolution supporting the
goals and ideals of `National Purple Heart Recognition Day',''
was introduced on April 12, 2007, and referred to the House
Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel. Chairwoman
Davis and Ranking Member McHugh of the Subcommittee on Military
Personnel waived subcommittee consideration of S. Con. Res. 27
and Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member Hunter waived full
committee consideration of the measure. Congresswoman Madeleine
Z. Bordallo moved to consider S. Con. Res. 27, as amended,
under suspension of the Rules of the House, and it was agreed
to by voice vote on July 30, 2007.
H. CON. RES. 181
Recognizing and commending all volunteers and other persons who provide
support to the families and children of members of the Armed Forces,
including National Guard and Reserve personnel, who are deployed in
service to the United States
H. Con. Res. 181, ``Recognizing and commending all
volunteers and other persons who provide support to the
families and children of members of the Armed Forces, including
National Guard and Reserve personnel, who are deployed in
service to the United States,'' was introduced on June 28,
2007, and referred to the House Armed Services Subcommittee on
Military Personnel. Chairwoman Davis and Ranking Member McHugh
of the Subcommittee on Military Personnel waived subcommittee
consideration of H. Con. Res. 181 and Chairman Skelton and
Ranking Member Hunter waived full committee consideration of
the measure. Congressman Solomon P. Ortiz moved to consider H.
Con. Res. 181, as introduced, under suspension of the Rules of
the House, and it was agreed to by voice vote on September 5,
2007. No further action was taken.
H. CON. RES. 207
Recognizing the 60th anniversary of the United States Air Force as an
independent military service
H. Con. Res. 207, ``Recognizing the 60th anniversary of the
United States Air Force as an independent military service,''
was introduced on September 7, 2007, and referred to the House
Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel. Chairwoman
Davis and Ranking Member McHugh of the Subcommittee on Military
Personnel waived subcommittee consideration of H. Con. Res. 207
and Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member Hunter waived full
committee consideration of the measure. Congressman John M.
Spratt moved to consider H. Con. Res. 207, as introduced, under
suspension of the Rules of the House, and it was agreed to by
voice vote on September 18, 2007. No further action was taken.
H. RES. 326
Commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
H. Res. 326, ``Commemorating the 25th anniversary of the
Vietnam Veterans Memorial,'' was introduced on April 20, 2007,
and referred to the House Armed Services Subcommittee on
Readiness. Chairman Ortiz and Ranking Member Forbes of the
Subcommittee on Readiness waived subcommittee consideration of
H. Res. 326 and Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member Hunter
waived full committee consideration of the measure.
Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter moved to consider H. Res. 326,
as amended, under suspension of the Rules of the House, and it
was agreed to by voice vote on September 18, 2007.
H. RES. 443
Recognizing the service of the 65th Infantry Borinqueneers during the
Korean War, honoring the people of Puerto Rico who continue to serve
and volunteer for service in the Armed Forces and make sacrifices for
the country, and commending all efforts to promote and preserve the
history of the 65th Infantry Borinqueneers
H. Res. 443, ``Recognizing the service of the 65th Infantry
Borinqueneers during the Korean War, honoring the people of
Puerto Rico who continue to serve and volunteer for service in
the Armed Forces and make sacrifices for the country, and
commending all efforts to promote and preserve the history of
the 65th Infantry Borinqueneers,'' was introduced on May 24,
2007, and referred to the House Armed Services Subcommittee on
Military Personnel. Chairwoman Davis and Ranking Member McHugh
of the Subcommittee on Military Personnel waived subcommittee
consideration of H. Res. 443 and Chairman Skelton and Ranking
Member Hunter waived full committee consideration of the
measure. Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter moved to consider H.
Res. 443, as amended, under suspension of the Rules of the
House, and it was agreed to by voice vote on September 18,
2007.
H. RES. 604
Expressing the nation's sincerest appreciation and thanks for the
service of the members of the 303rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) upon the
occasion of the final reunion of the 303rd Bomb Group (H) Association
H. Res. 604, ``Expressing the nation's sincerest
appreciation and thanks for the service of the members of the
303rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) upon the occasion of the final
reunion of the 303rd Bomb Group (H) Association,'' was
introduced on August 1, 2007, and referred to the House Armed
Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel. Chairwoman Davis
and Ranking Member McHugh of the Subcommittee on Military
Personnel waived subcommittee consideration of H. Res. 604 and
Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member Hunter waived full
committee consideration of the measure. Congresswoman Carol
Shea-Porter moved to consider H. Res. 604, as amended, under
suspension of the Rules of the House, and it was agreed to by
voice vote on September 18, 2007.
H. CON. RES. 185
Concurrent resolution commending the 1st Brigade Combat Team/34th
Infantry Division of the Minnesota National Guard upon its completion
of the longest continuous deployment of any United States ground combat
military unit in Operation Iraqi Freedom
H. Con. Res. 185, ``Concurrent resolution commending the
1st Brigade Combat Team/34th Infantry Division of the Minnesota
National Guard upon its completion of the longest continuous
deployment of any United States ground combat military unit in
Operation Iraqi Freedom,'' was introduced on July 13, 2007, and
referred to the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military
Personnel. Chairwoman Davis and Ranking Member McHugh of the
Subcommittee on Military Personnel waived subcommittee
consideration of H. Con. Res. 185 and Chairman Skelton and
Ranking Member Hunter waived full committee consideration of
the measure. Congresswoman Cathy Castor moved to consider H.
Con. Res. 185, as amended, under suspension of the Rules of the
House, and it was agreed to by a vote of 378-0 on October 1,
2007. No further action was taken.
H. RES. 640
Honoring the sacrifices and commitments of the men, women, and families
of the United States Transportation Command, and for other purposes
H. Res. 640, ``Honoring the sacrifices and commitments of
the men, women, and families of the United States
Transportation Command, and for other purposes,'' was
introduced on September 7, 2007, and referred to the House
Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel. Chairwoman
Davis and Ranking Member McHugh of the Subcommittee on Military
Personnel waived subcommittee consideration of H. Res. 640 and
Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member Hunter waived full
committee consideration of the measure. Congresswoman Cathy
Castor moved to consider H. Res. 640, as amended, under
suspension of the Rules of the House, and it was agreed to by
voice vote on October 1, 2007.
H. RES. 691
Commending the Wings Over Houston Airshow for its great contribution to
the appreciation, understanding, and future of the United States Armed
Forces, the City of Houston, Texas, and Ellington Field
H. Res. 691, ``Commending the Wings Over Houston Airshow
for its great contribution to the appreciation, understanding,
and future of the United States Armed Forces, the City of
Houston, Texas, and Ellington Field,'' was introduced on
September 27, 2007, and referred to the House Armed Services
Subcommittee on Military Personnel. Chairwoman Davis and
Ranking Member McHugh of the Subcommittee on Military Personnel
waived subcommittee consideration of H. Res. 691 and Chairman
Skelton and Ranking Member Hunter waived full committee
consideration of the measure. Congresswoman Cathy Castor moved
to consider H. Res. 691, as introduced, under suspension of the
Rules of the House, and it was agreed to by voice vote on
October 1, 2007.
H. CON. RES. 162
Expressing the sense of Congress that Congress and the President should
increase basic pay for members of the Armed Forces
H. Con. Res. 162, ``Expressing the sense of Congress that
Congress and the President should increase basic pay for
members of the Armed Forces,'' was introduced on May 24, 2007,
and referred to the House Armed Services Subcommittee on
Military Personnel. Chairwoman Davis and Ranking Member McHugh
of the Subcommittee on Military Personnel waived subcommittee
consideration of H. Con. Res. 162 and Chairman Skelton and
Ranking Member Hunter waived full committee consideration of
the measure. Congressman Patrick J. Murphy moved to consider H.
Con. Res. 162, as amended, under suspension of the Rules of the
House, and it was agreed to by a vote of 409-0 on November 6,
2007. No further action was taken.
H. CON. RES. 261
Commemorating the centennial anniversary of the sailing of the Navy's
``Great White Fleet,'' launched by President Theodore Roosevelt on
December 16, 1907, from Hampton Roads, Virginia, and returning there on
February 22, 1909
H. Con. Res. 261, ``Commemorating the centennial
anniversary of the sailing of the Navy's ``Great White Fleet,''
launched by President Theodore Roosevelt on December 16, 1907,
from Hampton Roads, Virginia, and returning there on February
22, 1909,'' was introduced on November 15, 2007, and referred
to the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
Chairwoman Davis and Ranking Member McHugh of the Subcommittee
on Military Personnel waived subcommittee consideration of H.
Con. Res. 261 and Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member Hunter
waived full committee consideration of the measure.
Congresswoman Nancy E. Boyda moved to consider H. Con. Res.
261, as introduced, under suspension of the Rules of the House,
and it was agreed to by voice vote on December 11, 2007. No
further action was taken.
H. CON. RES. 246
Honoring the United States Marine Corps for serving and defending the
United States on the anniversary of its founding on November 10, 1775
H. Con. Res. 246, ``Honoring the United States Marine Corps
for serving and defending the United States on the anniversary
of its founding on November 10, 1775,'' was introduced on
November 6, 2007, and referred to the House Armed Services
Subcommittee on Military Personnel. Chairwoman Davis and
Ranking Member McHugh of the Subcommittee on Military Personnel
waived subcommittee consideration of H. Con. Res. 246 and
Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member Hunter waived full
committee consideration of the measure. Congresswoman Carol
Shea-Porter moved to consider H. Con. Res. 246, as introduced,
under suspension of the Rules of the House, and it was agreed
to by voice vote on December 17, 2007. No further action was
taken.
H. RES. 542
Expressing the unconditional support of the House of Representatives
for the members of the National Guard
H. Res. 542, ``Expressing the unconditional support of the
House of Representatives for the members of the National
Guard,'' was introduced on July 12, 2007, and referred to the
House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
Chairwoman Davis and Ranking Member McHugh of the Subcommittee
on Military Personnel waived subcommittee consideration of H.
Res. 542 and Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member Hunter waived
full committee consideration of the measure. Congresswoman
Carol Shea-Porter moved to consider H. Res. 542, as amended,
under suspension of the Rules of the House, and it was agreed
to by a vote of 408-0 on December 17, 2007.
H.R. 3793
To amend title 37, United States Code, to require the continued payment
to a member of the uniformed services who dies or is retired or
separated under chapter 61 of title 10, United States Code, bonuses and
similar benefits that the member was entitled to before the death,
retirement, or separation of the member and would be paid if the member
had not died, retired, or separated, to prohibit requiring the member
to repay any portion of the bonuses or similar benefits previously
paid, and for other purposes.
H.R. 3793, the ``Veterans Guaranteed Bonus Act of 2007''
was introduced on July 10, 2007 and referred to the House Armed
Services Subcommittee on Military personnel. Chairwoman Davis
and Ranking Member McHugh of the Subcommittee on Military
Personnel waived subcommittee consideration of H.R. 3793 and
Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member Hunter waived full
committee consideration of the measure. Congresswoman Carol
Shea-Porter moved to consider H.R. 3793, as amended, under
suspension of the Rules of the House, and it was agreed to by a
vote of 405-0 on December 18, 2007.
H. RES. 944
Honoring the service and accomplishments of Lieutenant General Russel
L. Honore, United States Army, for his 37 years of service on behalf of
the United States
H. Res. 944, ``Honoring the service and accomplishments of
Lieutenant General Russel L. Honore, United States Army, for
his 37 years of service on behalf of the United States,'' was
introduced on January 28, 2008, and referred to the House Armed
Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel. Chairwoman Davis
and Ranking Member McHugh of the Subcommittee on Military
Personnel waived subcommittee consideration of H. Res. 944 and
Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member Hunter waived full
committee consideration of the measure. Congressman Joe
Courtney moved to consider H. Res. 944, as amended, under
suspension of the Rules of the House, and it was agreed to by a
vote of 380-0 on February 25, 2008.
H. RES. 953
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that all Americans
should participate in a moment of silence to reflect upon the service
and sacrifice of members of the United States Armed Forces both at home
and abroad
H. Res. 953, ``Expressing the sense of the House of
Representatives that all Americans should participate in a
moment of silence to reflect upon the service and sacrifice of
members of the United States Armed Forces both at home and
abroad,'' was introduced on January 29, 2008, and referred to
the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
Chairwoman Davis and Ranking Member McHugh of the Subcommittee
on Military Personnel waived subcommittee consideration of H.
Res. 953 and Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member Hunter waived
full committee consideration of the measure. Congressman Mike
McIntyre moved to consider H. Res. 953, as amended, under
suspension of the Rules of the House, and it was agreed to by
voice vote on March 12, 2008.
H. RES. 991
Recognizing the exceptional sacrifice of the 69th Infantry Regiment,
known as the Fighting 69th, in support of the Global War on Terror
H. Res. 991, ``Recognizing the exceptional sacrifice of the
69th Infantry Regiment, known as the Fighting 69th, in support
of the Global War on Terror,'' was introduced on February 14,
2008, and referred to the House Armed Services Subcommittee on
Military Personnel. Chairwoman Davis and Ranking Member McHugh
of the Subcommittee on Military Personnel waived subcommittee
consideration of H. Res. 991 and Chairman Skelton and Ranking
Member Hunter waived full committee consideration of the
measure. Congressman Mike McIntyre moved to consider H. Res.
991, as introduced, under suspension of the Rules of the House,
and it was agreed to by a vote of 406-0 on March 13, 2008.
H. RES. 265
Honoring military children during ``National Month of the Military
Child''
H. Res. 265, ``Honoring military children during ``National
Month of the Military Child'','' was introduced on March 23,
2007, and referred to the House Armed Services Subcommittee on
Military Personnel. Chairwoman Davis and Ranking Member McHugh
of the Subcommittee on Military Personnel waived subcommittee
consideration of H. Res. 265 and Chairman Skelton and Ranking
Member Hunter waived full committee consideration of the
measure. Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo moved to consider
H. Res. 265, as amended, under suspension of the Rules of the
House, and it was agreed to by voice vote on April 8, 2008.
H. RES. 1020
Recognizing the tremendous service that members of the Armed Forces
have given to the Nation, especially those who have been wounded in
combat
H. Res. 1020, ``Recognizing the tremendous service that
members of the Armed Forces have given to the Nation,
especially those who have been wounded in combat,'' was
introduced on March 4, 2008, and referred to the House Armed
Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel. Chairwoman Davis
and Ranking Member McHugh of the Subcommittee on Military
Personnel waived subcommittee consideration of H. Res. 1020 and
Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member Hunter waived full
committee consideration of the measure. Congresswoman Madeleine
Z. Bordallo moved to consider H. Res. 1020, as amended, under
suspension of the Rules of the House, and it was agreed to by
voice vote on April 8, 2008.
H. CON. RES. 32
Honoring the members of the United States Air Force who were killed in
the June 25, 1996, terrorist bombing of the Khobar Towers United States
military housing compound near Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
H. Con. Res. 32, ``Honoring the members of the United
States Air Force who were killed in the June 25, 1996,
terrorist bombing of the Khobar Towers United States military
housing compound near Dhahran, Saudi Arabia,'' was introduced
on January 12, 2007, and referred to the House Armed Services
Subcommittee on Military Personnel. Chairwoman Davis and
Ranking Member McHugh of the Subcommittee on Military Personnel
waived subcommittee consideration of H. Con. Res. 32 and
Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member Hunter waived full
committee consideration of the measure. Congresswoman Susan A.
Davis moved to consider H. Con. Res. 32, as amended, under
suspension of the Rules of the House, and it was agreed to by
voice vote on May 20, 2008. On June 25, 2008, the Senate agreed
to H. Con. Res. 32 by unanimous consent.
H. RES. 961
Commending the Alaska Army National Guard for its service to the State
of Alaska and the citizens of the United States
H. Res. 961, ``Commending the Alaska Army National Guard
for its service to the State of Alaska and the citizens of the
United States,'' was introduced on February 6, 2008, and
referred to the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military
Personnel. Chairwoman Davis and Ranking Member McHugh of the
Subcommittee on Military Personnel waived subcommittee
consideration of H. Res. 961 and Chairman Skelton and Ranking
Member Hunter waived full committee consideration of the
measure. Chairwoman Susan A. Davis moved to consider H. Res.
961, as introduced, under suspension of the Rules of the House,
and it was agreed to by voice vote on May 20, 2008.
H. RES. 1054
Honoring the service and achievements of women in the Armed Forces and
female veterans
H. Res. 1054, ``Honoring the service and achievements of
women in the Armed Forces and female veterans,'' was introduced
on March 14, 2008, and referred to the House Armed Services
Subcommittee on Military Personnel. Chairwoman Davis and
Ranking Member McHugh of the Subcommittee on Military Personnel
waived subcommittee consideration of H. Res. 1054 and Chairman
Skelton and Ranking Member Hunter waived full committee
consideration of the measure. Chairwoman Susan A. Davis moved
to consider H. Res. 1054, as amended, under suspension of the
Rules of the House, and it was agreed to by voice vote on May
20, 2008.
H. RES. 986
Recognizing the courage and sacrifice of those members of the United
States Armed Forces who were held as prisoners of war during the
Vietnam conflict and calling for a full accounting of the 1,729 members
of the Armed Forces who remain unaccounted for from the Vietnam
conflict
H. Res. 986, ``Recognizing the courage and sacrifice of
those members of the United States Armed Forces who were held
as prisoners of war during the Vietnam conflict and calling for
a full accounting of the 1,729 members of the Armed Forces who
remain unaccounted for from the Vietnam conflict,'' was
introduced on February 14, 2008, and referred to the House
Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel. Chairwoman
Davis and Ranking Member McHugh of the Subcommittee on Military
Personnel waived subcommittee consideration of H. Res. 986 and
Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member Hunter waived full
committee consideration of the measure. Chairwoman Susan A.
Davis moved to consider H. Res. 986, as amended, under
suspension of the Rules of the House, and it was agreed to by a
vote of 394-0 on May 22, 2008.
H. CON. RES. 297
Recognizing the 60th anniversary of the beginning of the integration of
the Armed Forces
H. Con. Res. 297, ``Recognizing the 60th anniversary of the
beginning of the integration of the Armed Forces,'' was
introduced on February 14, 2008, and referred to the House
Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel. Chairwoman
Davis and Ranking Member McHugh of the Subcommittee on Military
Personnel waived subcommittee consideration of H. Con. Res. 297
and Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member Hunter waived full
committee consideration of the measure. Congressman Joe
Courtney moved to consider H. Con. Res. 297, as amended, under
suspension of the Rules of the House, and it was agreed to by a
vote of 378-0 on July 14, 2008. No further action was taken.
H. RES. 1067
Recognizing the 50th anniversary of the crossing of the North Pole by
the USS Nautilus (SSN 571) and its significance in the history of both
our Nation and the world
H. Res. 1067, ``Recognizing the 50th anniversary of the
crossing of the North Pole by the U.S.S. Nautilus (SSN 571) and
its significance in the history of both our Nation and the
world,'' was introduced on April 1, 2008, and referred to the
House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary
Forces. Chairman Taylor and Ranking Member Bartlett of the
Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces waived
subcommittee consideration of H. Res. 1067 and Chairman Skelton
and Ranking Member Hunter waived full committee consideration
of the measure. Congressman Joe Courtney moved to consider H.
Res. 1067, as introduced, under suspension of the Rules of the
House, and it was agreed to by a vote of 375-0 on July 14,
2008.
H. RES. 1080
Honoring the extraordinary service and exceptional sacrifice of the
101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), known as the Screaming Eagles
H. Res. 1080, ``Honoring the extraordinary service and
exceptional sacrifice of the 101st Airborne Division (Air
Assault), known as the Screaming Eagles,'' was introduced on
April 3, 2008, and referred to the House Armed Services
Subcommittee on Military Personnel. Chairwoman Davis and
Ranking Member McHugh of the Subcommittee on Military Personnel
waived subcommittee consideration of H. Res. 1080 and Chairman
Skelton and Ranking Member Hunter waived full committee
consideration of the measure. Congressman Joe Courtney moved to
consider H. Res. 1080, as amended, under suspension of the
Rules of the House, and it was agreed to by a vote of 378-0 on
July 14, 2008.
H. CON. RES. 295
Expressing the deepest appreciation of Congress to the families of
members of the United States Armed Forces
H. Con. Res. 295, ``Expressing the deepest appreciation of
Congress to the families of members of the United States Armed
Forces,'' was introduced on February 13, 2008, and referred to
the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
Chairwoman Davis and Ranking Member McHugh of the Subcommittee
on Military Personnel waived subcommittee consideration of H.
Con. Res. 295 and Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member Hunter
waived full committee consideration of the measure. Congressman
Joe Courtney moved to consider H. Con. Res. 295, as introduced,
under suspension of the Rules of the House, and it was agreed
to by a vote of 415-0 on July 16, 2008. No further action was
taken.
H. RES. 1139
Recognizing the 100th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard
and congratulating the men and women who provide exceptional service to
our military and keep our Pacific Fleet ``fit to fight''
H. Res. 1139, ``Recognizing the 100th anniversary of the
Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and congratulating the men and
women who provide exceptional service to our military and keep
our Pacific Fleet ``fit to fight'','' was introduced on April
23, 2008, and referred to the House Armed Services Subcommittee
on Military Personnel. Chairwoman Davis and Ranking Member
McHugh of the Subcommittee on Military Personnel waived
subcommittee consideration of H. Res. 1139 and Chairman Skelton
and Ranking Member Hunter waived full committee consideration
of the measure. Chairman Neil Abercrombie moved to consider H.
Res. 1139, as introduced, under suspension of the Rules of the
House, and it was agreed to by voice vote on July 22, 2008.
H. RES. 415
Honoring Edward Day Cohota, Joseph L. Pierce, and other veterans of
Asian and Pacific Islander descent who fought in the United States
Civil War
H. Res. 415, ``Honoring Edward Day Cohota, Joseph L.
Pierce, and other veterans of Asian and Pacific Islander
descent who fought in the United States Civil War,'' was
introduced on May 17, 2007, and referred to the House Armed
Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel. Chairwoman Davis
and Ranking Member McHugh of the Subcommittee on Military
Personnel waived subcommittee consideration of H. Res. 415 and
Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member Hunter waived full
committee consideration of the measure. Congressman Brad
Ellsworth moved to consider H. Res. 415, as amended, under
suspension of the Rules of the House, and it was agreed to by
voice vote on July 30, 2008.
H. CON. RES. 358
Concurrent resolution commending the members of the Nevada Army and Air
National Guard and the Nevada Reserve members of the Armed Forces for
their dedicated, unselfish, and professional service, commitment, and
sacrifices to the State of Nevada and the United States during more
than five years of deployments to and in support of Operation Iraqi
Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom
H. Con. Res. 358, ``Concurrent resolution commending the
members of the Nevada Army and Air National Guard and the
Nevada Reserve members of the Armed Forces for their dedicated,
unselfish, and professional service, commitment, and sacrifices
to the State of Nevada and the United States during more than
five years of deployments to and in support of Operation Iraqi
Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom,'' was introduced on May
20, 2008, and referred to the House Armed Services Subcommittee
on Military Personnel. Chairwoman Davis and Ranking Member
McHugh of the Subcommittee on Military Personnel waived
subcommittee consideration of H. Con. Res. 358 and Chairman
Skelton and Ranking Member Hunter waived full committee
consideration of the measure. Congressman Brad Ellsworth moved
to consider H. Con. Res. 358, as amended, under suspension of
the Rules of the House, and it was agreed to by voice vote on
July 30, 2008. No further action was taken.
H. RES. 1248
Resolution recognizing the service of the USS Farenholt and her crew
who served the United States with valor and bravery in the South
Pacific during World War II
H. Res. 1248, ``Resolution recognizing the service of the
USS Farenholt and her crew who served the United States with
valor and bravery in the South Pacific during World War II,''
was introduced on June 5, 2008, and referred to the House Armed
Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel. Chairwoman Davis
and Ranking Member McHugh of the Subcommittee on Military
Personnel waived subcommittee consideration of H. Res. 1248 and
Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member Hunter waived full
committee consideration of the measure. Congressman Brad
Ellsworth moved to consider H. Res. 1248, as amended, under
suspension of the Rules of the House, and it was agreed to by
voice vote on July 30, 2008.
H. RES. 1316
Honoring the service of the Navy and Coast Guard veterans who served on
the Landing Ship Tank (LST) amphibious landing craft during World War
II, the Korean war, the Vietnam war, Operation Desert Storm, and global
operations through 2002 and recognizing the essential role played by
LST amphibious craft during these conflicts
H. Res. 1316, ``Honoring the service of the Navy and Coast
Guard veterans who served on the Landing Ship Tank (LST)
amphibious landing craft during World War II, the Korean war,
the Vietnam war, Operation Desert Storm, and global operations
through 2002 and recognizing the essential role played by LST
amphibious craft during these conflicts,'' was introduced on
June 26, 2008, and referred to the House Armed Services
Subcommittee on Military Personnel. Chairwoman Davis and
Ranking Member McHugh of the Subcommittee on Military Personnel
waived subcommittee consideration of H. Res. 1316 and Chairman
Skelton and Ranking Member Hunter waived full committee
consideration of the measure. Congresswoman Madeleine Z.
Bordallo moved to consider H. Res. 1316, as introduced, under
suspension of the Rules of the House, and it was agreed to by a
vote of 415-0 on August 1, 2008.
H. CON. RES. 390
Honoring the 28th Infantry Division for serving and protecting the
United States
H. Con. Res. 390, ``Honoring the 28th Infantry Division for
serving and protecting the United States,'' was introduced on
July 17, 2008, and referred to the House Armed Services
Subcommittee on Military Personnel. Chairwoman Davis and
Ranking Member McHugh of the Subcommittee on Military Personnel
waived subcommittee consideration of H. Con. Res. 390 and
Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member Hunter waived full
committee consideration of the measure. Congresswoman Madeleine
Z. Bordallo moved to consider H. Con. Res. 390, as amended,
under suspension of the Rules of the House, and it was agreed
to by a vote of 374-0 on September 15, 2008. No further action
was taken.
H. RES. 1200
Honoring the dedication and outstanding work of military support groups
across the country for their steadfast support of the members of our
Armed Forces and their families
H. Res. 1200, ``Honoring the dedication and outstanding
work of military support groups across the country for their
steadfast support of the members of our Armed Forces and their
families,'' was introduced on May 14, 2008, and referred to the
House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
Chairwoman Davis and Ranking Member McHugh of the Subcommittee
on Military Personnel waived subcommittee consideration of H.
Res. 1200 and Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member Hunter waived
full committee consideration of the measure. Congresswoman
Madeleine Z. Bordallo moved to consider H. Res. 1200, as
amended, under suspension of the Rules of the House, and it was
agreed to by a vote of 374-0 on September 15, 2008.
H. RES. 1255
Honoring Toby Keith's commitment to members of the Armed Forces
H. Res. 1255, ``Honoring Toby Keith's commitment to members
of the Armed Forces,'' was introduced on June 10, 2008, and
referred to the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military
Personnel. Chairwoman Davis and Ranking Member McHugh of the
Subcommittee on Military Personnel waived subcommittee
consideration of H. Res. 1255 and Chairman Skelton and Ranking
Member Hunter waived full committee consideration of the
measure. Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo moved to consider
H. Res. 1255, as introduced, under suspension of the Rules of
the House, and it was agreed to by voice vote on September 15,
2008.
H. RES. 1421
Solemnly commemorating the 25th anniversary of the tragic October 1983
terrorist bombing of the United States Marine Corps Barracks in Beirut,
Lebanon and remembering those who lost their lives and those who were
injured
H. Res. 1421, ``Solemnly commemorating the 25th anniversary
of the tragic October 1983 terrorist bombing of the United
States Marine Corps Barracks in Beirut, Lebanon and remembering
those who lost their lives and those who were injured,'' was
introduced on September 9, 2008, and referred to the House
Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel. Chairwoman
Davis and Ranking Member McHugh of the Subcommittee on Military
Personnel waived subcommittee consideration of H. Res. 1421 and
Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member Hunter waived full
committee consideration of the measure. Congresswoman Nancy E.
Boyda moved to consider H. Res. 1421, as amended, under
suspension of the Rules of the House, and it was agreed to by a
vote of 414-0 on September 24, 2008.
Legislation Considered but Not Reported
H. RES. 834
Regarding the readiness decline of the Army, Marine Corps, National
Guard, and Reserves, and the implications for national security
H. Res. 834, ``Regarding the readiness decline of the Army,
Marine Corps, National Guard, and Reserves, and the
implications for national security,'' was introduced on
November 15, 2007, and referred to the House Armed Services
Subcommittee on Readiness. On April 16, 2008, the Subcommittee
on Readiness and the Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces held a
joint hearing on H. Res. 834. No futher action was taken.
OVERSIGHT ACTIVITIES
The oversight responsibilities of the Committee on Armed
Services were conducted primarily within the context of the
committee's consideration of the annual defense authorization
bills, which cover the breadth of the operations of the
Department of Defense (DOD), the national security functions of
the Department of Energy, and other related areas. The annual
national defense budget of approximately $700.0 billion
(including the cost of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation
Iraqi Freedom) involves millions of military and civilian
personnel, thousands of facilities, and hundreds of agencies,
departments, and commands located throughout the world. A
significant portion of the committee's oversight was focused on
the strategic, operational, and budgetary issues associated
with DOD involvement in two large ongoing contingency
operations in the Republic of Iraq and the Islamic Republic of
Afghanistan.
Summary of Oversight Plan
In the context of ongoing U.S. military operations in the
Republic of Iraq and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the
committee conducted extensive oversight activities during the
110th Congress, paying particular attention to national
military strategy, as well as counter-terrorism activities, the
readiness of our military forces, force structure and the
recruitment and retention of high quality military personnel,
interagency cooperation to achieve national security
objectives, protection of military personnel, facilities and
equipment, and the treatment of wounded warriors. The committee
regularly received briefings on national security threats and
conducted a series of hearings and briefings on the status of
U.S. forces and military activities in Iraq and Afghanistan. In
addition, prior to consideration of the fiscal year 2008 and
2009 defense budgets, the committee conducted oversight
hearings with the Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff, the individual service secretaries and
chiefs of staff, combatant commanders, other officials of the
Department of Defense and the military departments, officials
from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the
Central Intelligence Agency and other defense-related
intelligence agencies, the Secretary of Energy, the Director of
the National Nuclear Security Administration, and other
officials of the Department of Energy. The committee also
received testimony from outside experts in academia, industry,
associations, and those in private life on these matters.
While the majority of the committee's oversight was planned
to support the annual national defense authorization bill, the
committee also conducted oversight activities as demanded by
critical current events.
Pursuant to clause 1(d) of Rule XI of the House of
Representatives, described below are specific areas and
subjects that were designated in the committee's oversight plan
for special attention during the 110th Congress as well as
additional oversight activities not explicitly enumerated by
the oversight plan, focusing on the actions and recommendations
of the committee.
National Defense Strategy, National Military Strategy and Related
Defense Policy Issues
During the 110th Congress, the committee continued its
traditional interest in the overarching national security
challenges facing the United States and how the nation might
best posture itself to face them, in both the near- and long-
term. The committee placed an emphasis on conducting oversight
on issues surrounding Department of Defense efforts to improve
United States military capabilities to address 21st century
security challenges. Throughout both sessions of Congress, the
committee received numerous presentations and briefings from
representatives of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the
joint staff, the services, the combatant commands, consulted
noted academics, and other experts.
Much of the committee's oversight on overarching defense
policy was a byproduct of the posture and budget hearings. In
addition, the committee held hearings on global security in
July 2007 and February 2008, and related regional hearings and
briefings, such as those focusing on the Islamic Republic of
Pakistan, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the People's
Republic of China that provided context regarding potential
future threats. Other strategy related hearings, noted
elsewhere in this report, included the Department of the Army's
strategic initiatives hearing, the Department of the Air Force
strategic initiatives hearing, and the Department of the Navy's
cooperative strategy for 21st century seapower hearing. The
committee also held a two-part series of hearings on American
grand strategy considerations for the next administration.
The War in Iraq
In the 110th Congress, the committee continued its pattern
of vigorous oversight of issues related to the war in the
Republic of Iraq. The committee held numerous hearings on Iraq
policy, including several with the Secretary of Defense and
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; two with the commander
of Multi-National Force--Iraq (MNF-I) and U.S. Ambassador to
Iraq; three with the Comptroller General; two with the
commander of Multi-National Security Transition-Iraq; a hearing
with the Independent Commission on the Security Forces of Iraq;
and several hearings involving outside witnesses. The committee
also met to receive a wide variety of briefings from
Administration officials, both classified and unclassified, on
aspects of the war in Iraq.
Over the course of the 110th Congress, the committee
enacted numerous pieces of legislation concerning the war in
Iraq. In the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
2008 (Public Law 110-181), the committee included a provision
to extend the life of the Special Inspector General for Iraq
Reconstruction to ensure continued oversight of the expenditure
of U.S. funds in Iraq. The committee included a provision to
continue the prohibition on the expenditure of funds to
construct permanent bases in Iraq or to control Iraq's oil
resources. The committee also required a detailed report on the
implementation of the Joint Campaign Plan, developed by Multi-
National Forces--Iraq and the U.S. Embassy in Iraq, including
conditions in Iraq that could prompt changes to levels of U.S.
armed forces in the country or changes in the missions of those
forces. The committee also required reporting on Iranian
support for attacks on U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq and
required the establishment of a monitoring system for weapons
provided to the Iraqi Security Forces. Finally, the committee
enacted a set of provisions designed to raise the profile of
those who had to seek refuge outside of Iraq because of their
association with the United States Government, ease the
processing of such persons, expand the number of special
immigrant visas available for certain categories of Iraqis,
amend the process for requesting asylum for certain Iraqis, and
require a number of reports on the refugee issue.
In the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417), the committee continued
these efforts. The committee extended for an additional year
the ban on permanent U.S. bases in Iraq or the exercise of
control over Iraq's oil resources. A separate provision
contained an extensive reporting requirement on the negotiation
of a Status of Forces Agreement between the U.S. and Iraq. The
committee required the establishment of a strategy for
Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Iraq and mandated a report
on this strategy and its implementation. The committee
extensively modified the approval process for projects
utilizing funds provided through the Commanders' Emergency
Response Program and added additional items that should be
included in reports on that program in the future. The
committee limited the uses to which funds provided under the
Iraq Security Forces Fund can be put, specifically prohibiting
the use of funds for the construction of infrastructure.
Finally, the committee acted to ensure that funds authorized by
the Act could not be used for the construction or modification
of facilities for the Government of Iraq, required the United
States Government to negotiate an agreement between the U.S.
and Iraq to share the costs of combined operations, and
required that the United States Government ensure that Iraqi
funds are used for the costs of the Iraqi Security Forces.
During the 110th Congress, members and staff of the House
Committee on Armed Services traveled to Iraq on many occasions
to: conduct oversight on the ground; meet with commanders, U.S.
troops, diplomats, Iraqi officials, and many others; and to
observe U.S. operations in the field to improve the members'
understanding of U.S. objectives and operations in Iraq. During
2007, 41 members of the committee and 26 committee staff
members led or participated in 19 congressional or staff
delegations to Iraq. During 2008, 31 committee members and 39
committee staff members led or participated in 13 congressional
or staff delegations to Iraq.
OVERSIGHT AND INVESTIGATIONS
In the first session of the 110th Congress, the
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations investigated the
Department of Defense's efforts and progress toward developing
independent Iraqi Security Forces (ISF). The investigation
sought to: understand the Administration's Iraq strategy and
how the ISF development plan supports this strategy;
investigate and assess the capability and professionalism of
the ISF; assess the return on U.S. investment in the ISF;
assess the plan to transition sustainment funding for security
to the Government of Iraq; contribute to the full committee
deliberations on the National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181); and present the
information for public debate and attempt to influence or
improve the Department's approach to organizing, training, and
equipping the ISF.
The subcommittee released a unanimous bipartisan report in
July 2007, finding that the plan to develop the ISF had not
been well articulated and that the nation had yet to realize a
return on its at least $19.0 billion (as of the date of issue
of the report) investment. The subcommittee reported that the
initial assumption that the ISF could be quickly reconstituted
was seriously flawed and that the Department was not adequately
reporting on the ISF's quality, capability, and sustainability
to Congress. The subcommittee also found that Iraqi police
organizations had not been given enough emphasis and that there
was insufficient attention being given to their performance and
resources. In addition, logistics, contracting, intelligence,
and ministerial capacity had lagged far behind the generation
of the security forces and were critically deficient. Finally,
the subcommittee found that the advisory mission in the
Republic of Iraq had developed slowly and in an ad hoc fashion
and recommended that the Department decide how it would
prioritize this mission and then follow through on that basis.
As a result of this investigation, additional reporting
requirements on the ISF were included in the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181).
Afghanistan
The committee conducted vigorous oversight of issues
relating to the mission in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan,
including U.S. contributions to both Operation Enduring Freedom
and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO)
International Security Force (ISAF). The committee held
numerous hearings, including two hearings with Robert M. Gates,
Secretary of Defense, and Admiral Michael G. Mullen, Chairman
of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on the status of U.S. strategy
and operations in Afghanistan and the way ahead. The committee
also held a wide range of briefings on Afghanistan, including a
briefing with General Dan McNeill, U.S. Army (Ret.), former
NATO ISAF Commander, and a briefing with General James L.
Jones, U.S. Marine Corps (Ret.), and Ambassador Thomas R.
Pickering, Co-Chairman of the 2008 Afghanistan Study Group
Report.
The committee enacted a number of legislative provisions to
address shortcomings in the U.S. mission in Afghanistan and to
increase progress on security and stability in that country. In
the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008
(Public Law 110-181), the committee required a comprehensive
semi-annual report on progress toward stability and security in
Afghanistan, which outlines the strategic direction of U.S.
activities in Afghanistan and includes concrete performance
indicators and measures of progress. It required a detailed
plan from the Secretary of Defense for sustaining the Afghan
National Security Forces (ANSF), which ensures that a strong
and fully-capable ANSF will be able to independently and
effectively conduct operations and maintain long-term security
and stability in Afghanistan. The Act required that the plan
include a long-term strategy and budget, a mechanism for
tracking funding, and actions to ensure effective Afghan
institutions to support the ANSF. Further, the Act required the
Secretary of Defense to produce a comprehensive report on the
strategic direction of Department of Defense counternarcotics
activities in Afghanistan. In addition, it required the
appointment of a Special Inspector General for Afghanistan
Reconstruction (SIGAR) in order to conduct additional oversight
of Provincial Reconstruction Teams and other reconstruction
efforts in Afghanistan.
In the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417), the committee required
the Department of Defense to clearly display any funding
requested for any U.S. operations or other activities
concerning Afghanistan, separate from any funding requested for
the Republic of Iraq, in future budget requests as recommended
by the Afghanistan Study Group. It required the Secretary of
Defense to submit a report on the command and control structure
in Afghanistan that assesses options for improvement. The
committee also required more robust monthly reporting on the
ANSF and a separate Department of Defense report on any actions
to address the shortfall of ANSF trainers and mentors, and to
increase contributions from NATO countries and other
international partners for building and sustaining the ANSF.
During the 110th Congress, members and staff of the House
Committee on Armed Services traveled to Afghanistan on numerous
occasions to conduct oversight on the ground; meet with
commanders, U.S. troops, diplomats, and Afghan officials to
improve the members' understanding of U.S. objectives and
operations. During 2007, 18 members of the committee and
several committee staff members led or participated in 8
congressional or staff delegations to Afghanistan. During 2008,
30 committee members and several committee staff members led or
participated in 20 congressional or staff delegations to
Afghanistan.
Interagency Process and Reform
In the 110th Congress, the committee significantly
increased its focus on problems in the interagency process.
Over the course of the wars in the Republic of Iraq and the
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the committee observed that,
at times, the United States Government response to problems has
been slow or simply inadequate due to insufficient interagency
coordination or lack of civilian agency capacity. The
committee, therefore, held a number of hearings and briefings
to attempt to conduct oversight on how the Department of
Defense works with other departments, specifically a hearing on
April 15, 2008, at which the Secretary of Defense, Robert M.
Gates, and the Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, testified
on building partnership capacity and enhancing the interagency
process.
In addition to the regular oversight process, the committee
undertook significant legislative activities to further address
problems regarding the interagency process. In the first
session of the 110th Congress, the committee included a
provision in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181) that authorized funds for a
study of the interagency system by an independent, nonpartisan,
nonprofit organization. The legislative provision included a
reporting deadline of September 1, 2008.
The committee took further action in the second session of
the 110th Congress. The committee worked with the House
Committee on Foreign Affairs to include a provision in the
Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417), that authorized the Secretary
of Defense, the Secretary of State, and the Administrator of
the U.S. Agency for International Development to jointly
establish a panel to advise on ways to improve coordination
among the Department of Defense, the Department of State, and
U.S. Agency for International Development on matters related to
national security, including reviewing their respective roles
and responsibilities. The committee intends for the Secretaries
and Administrator of U.S. Agency for International Development
to use this advisory panel as a tool to help them to identify
and address problems that arise when their agencies work
together.
The committee continued its oversight of ``building
partnership capacity,'' a phrase used to describe a series of
Department of Defense initiatives designed to strengthen (i.e.
``train and equip'') the security forces of partner nations
critical to the national security of the United States. These
initiatives require the Department of Defense to engage in
significant consultation and coordination with the Department
of State, which sets policy for foreign military assistance.
The Department characterized this group of legislative
proposals as its top legislative priority in both sessions of
the 110th Congress. Accordingly, the committee conducted
multiple train and equip related briefings with the Department
of Defense, in conjunction the Department of State and other
governmental agencies, both as part of the routine
congressional notification process and as part of an ongoing
effort to evaluate the building partnership capacity-related
programs. The committee also sent several delegations overseas
to observe the execution of these programs.
As a result of this activity, the committee created a
temporary authority in the National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181) to build the capacity
of the Pakistan Frontier Corps and modified the temporary
authority of the Secretary of Defense to provide support to the
Secretary of State for purposes of security and stability
assistance. Furthermore, in the Duncan Hunter National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417),
the committee modified and extended the temporary authority of
the Department of Defense to train and equip foreign military
forces. It also extended and modified the Pakistan Frontier
Corps authority, as well as extended the authority and
increased the funding for security and stability assistance.
The Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
investigated Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRT) in Iraq and
Afghanistan as a case study of interagency operations in the
field and because PRTs are considered to be critical to our
efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. As has been seen in Iraq and
Afghanistan, the national effort involves more than military
actions and requires integrated efforts and the resources of
multiple government departments and agencies. The
subcommittee's investigation resulted in the publication of a
unanimous, bi-partisan report, which concluded that: while PRT
capabilities have developed over time, PRT planning and
operations started in an ad hoc manner and they remain
decentralized; the relevant departments have not articulated
clear objectives for PRTs, and cannot effectively evaluate
their performance; and Central Command (CENTCOM), which
oversees both theaters of operation, has not taken an active
role in providing guidance. Major issues that became evident
during the investigation included problems associated with
mission objectives, leadership, funding, staffing, measuring
effectiveness, and leveraging partnerships.
The Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417) included provisions to
address the many concerns that were brought to the attention of
the committee. The President was directed to establish and
implement a strategy for the U.S.-led PRTs in Iraq, including
embedded PRTs and Provincial Support Teams, and report on their
effectiveness. Additionally the President was directed, acting
through the Secretary of Defense and Secretary of State, to
develop and implement a system to monitor the performance of
U.S.-led PRTs in Afghanistan and report to Congress on its
effectiveness.
Military Readiness
READINESS OF MILITARY FORCES
The committee expanded its oversight of the readiness of
the armed services through hearings, briefings, and site visits
to observe readiness and training. This oversight continued to
show that the services are having difficulty meeting readiness
requirements for both the ongoing conflicts and for possible
future contingency operations. Readiness shortfalls extend
through equipment stocks, personnel manning, and individual and
unit training proficiency. The Department of Defense (DOD) has
taken steps to attempt to stem the decline in readiness, but
hearing testimony by senior DOD leaders indicates that
readiness is being consumed as fast as it is created.
The committee acted to address overall readiness shortfalls
by: increasing funding for reset; restoring funding for flight
hours, steaming days, and tank miles; and by providing new
authorization for the Secretary of Defense to address readiness
shortfalls. The committee included legislation in the National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-
181) establishing a Defense Materiel Readiness Board to review
shortages of equipment across the armed forces and to designate
critical materiel readiness shortfalls. The designation of such
shortfalls provides access to enhanced funding for the purchase
of equipment.
Even with these measures, the readiness of the services
continued to decline to levels warranting significant concern.
FORCE AUGMENTATION
Ongoing operations in the Republic of Iraq and the Islamic
Republic of Afghanistan have created continuing high demand for
certain combat support and combat service support skills,
including civil affairs (for post-reconstruction teams),
intelligence and counter-intelligence, medical, communications,
logistics, construction, engineering, and security forces.
Facing shortages of available personnel in some skills, the
Department of Defense used strategies such as reassigning and
retraining Army and other service personnel to meet the
combatant commanders' requirements in the Central Command and
other areas of responsibility.
During the 110th Congress, the committee examined the
impact on service readiness of using these forces in lieu of,
as individual augmentees to, or as ad hoc replacements for
soldiers and Marines. On July 31, 2007, the Subcommittee on
Readiness met for a hearing to explore the employment of airmen
and sailors in combat and combat support roles outside their
services' traditional core missions and the adequacy of
sailors' and airmen's training/equipping for those
predominantly Army missions.
In addition to the impact on service readiness, the
subcommittee examined the combatant commanders' request for
forces, including how those requests are validated, and how the
services respond to those requests; the adequacy of training
and equipment for sailors and airmen serving both outside their
service and outside their core competency; and the impact on
promotion and retention for service members serving in
augmentee, in lieu of, or ad hoc positions.
EQUIPMENT RESET
During the 110th Congress, the committee continued its
oversight of the services' reset strategies to repair,
recapitalize, and replace equipment used in Operation Enduring
Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). On January 31,
2007, the Subcommittee on Readiness and the Subcommittee on Air
and Land Forces met in a joint hearing to receive testimony on
Army reset strategies for ground equipment and rotorcraft
utilized in OEF and OIF. On February 6, 2007, the Subcommittee
on Readiness and the Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary
Forces were briefed by the Navy and the Marine Corps on
equipment reset in preparation for a February 13, 2007, joint
hearing on reset requirements. The two hearings examined the
services' strategy for performing equipment reset and the costs
associated with these equipment reset programs.
The committee concluded that equipment readiness,
specifically for the ground forces, has been severely impacted
by current operations in the Republic of Iraq and the Islamic
Republic of Afghanistan, and that the decline in equipment
readiness has not been mitigated despite Congress appropriating
more than $35.0 billion since 2001 for resetting the Army's
equipment. In fiscal year 2009 alone, the committee recommended
an increase of $257.7 million for Army depot maintenance to
facilitate equipment reset. Because the Army anticipates that
the equipment reset process and its funding requirements will
persist for at least two to three years after forces completely
withdraw from Iraq and Afghanistan, the committee will continue
its oversight of equipment reset into the future.
NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVE COMPONENT EQUIPMENT FUNDING
The events of September 11, 2001, Operation Iraqi Freedom
(OIF), and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) have caused
dramatic changes in how National Guard and Reserve Components
are used to support overseas operational missions and domestic
security and preparedness tasks. The National Guard is no
longer a strategic Reserve Component but is now considered an
operational force. The extended commitment of the National
Guard and Reserve Components to meet wartime requirements of
OIF and OEF has exposed longstanding pre-September 11, 2001,
wartime-related equipping, manning, resourcing and policy
issues that must be considered a top priority of the Department
of Defense.
The committee considered National Guard and Reserve
Component equipment readiness an urgent and top priority and
provided additional procurement dollars specifically for the
National Guard and Reserve Components in a separate procurement
account entitled the National Guard and Reserve Equipment
Account (NGREA). These funds would be used exclusively for the
National Guard and Reserve Components. The committee authorized
an additional $1.9 billion in this account for the 110th
Congress.
Language and Cultural Awareness Training
The Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations examined
the Department of Defense's (DOD) ``transformation'' efforts to
improve foreign language skills, regional expertise, and
cultural awareness capabilities among the general purpose
forces. The inquiry was initiated because of the recognition
that foreign language skills and cultural expertise are
critical capabilities needed by today's military. This serious
national security challenge led the subcommittee to examine DOD
activities to address the need for these capabilities.
The subcommittee found that the military's lack of language
skills and cultural expertise is a symptom of a larger problem
facing the greater nation. The inquiry revealed that the U.S.
educational system does not place a priority on, and lacks the
infrastructure to support, widespread foreign languages
instruction, not to mention the less commonly taught languages
needed by today's military forces. Very few states require any
language study. This significantly limits the pool from which
the Department of Defense can recruit multi-lingual personnel.
Consequently, the Department finds itself in the position of
advancing a national educational agenda that encourages states
to recognize the importance of language skills and cultural
awareness, not only to meet national security needs, but for
the United States to remain competitive in the global
marketplace, and for states to provide basic services to their
citizens.
The subcommittee found that the Department and the services
have undertaken numerous initiatives related to this problem.
However, it appears that while the Department has focused on a
linguistically capable force, the services have emphasized
cultural awareness over linguistic capabilities. The
subcommittee made various other recommendations to the
Department and its findings contributed to committee
deliberations concerning language and culture policies and
authorizations.
Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Threat Reduction
The committee conducted oversight of the Department of
Defense Cooperative Threat Reduction Program (CTR) and
Department of Energy nuclear nonproliferation programs. The
committee held briefings on specific programs and issues,
including briefings on the nuclear programs of the Democratic
People's Republic of Korea and the Islamic Republic of Iran,
and on nuclear smuggling.
In the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
2008 (Public Law 110-181) and the Duncan Hunter National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-
417), the committee authorized program funding increases,
including for the Global Threat Reduction Initiative to secure
and eliminate vulnerable nuclear and radiological material
around the world. The committee also authorized funding for new
CTR initiatives to strengthen and expand the CTR. In addition,
the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008
(Public Law 110-181) removed certain restrictions on the use of
funds for CTR programs globally in order to provide CTR with
necessary flexibility and streamline efforts.
The committee also made significant contributions to the
Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007
(Public Law 110-53). Among numerous other provisions, it
authorized funding to accelerate, strengthen, and expand
nonproliferation and threat reduction programs. It included
measures to enable the Proliferation Security Initiative to
better interdict illicit transfers of weapons of mass
destruction, and established both a presidential coordinator
and a commission on the prevention of weapons of mass
destruction proliferation and terrorism.
Organization and Management of the Department of Defense
In keeping with the tradition established in the Goldwater-
Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986
(Public Law 99-433), the committee continued its active
involvement in issues relating to the organization and
management of the Department of Defense during the 110th
Congress.
ROLES AND MISSIONS
Through the course of the committee's posture and budget
hearings to review the budget request for fiscal year 2008, and
during a dedicated hearing on June 20, 2007, the committee
became aware of significant confusion surrounding the roles and
missions of the military services, particularly with respect to
the development and employment of capabilities such as unmanned
aerial systems, tactical airlift, and cyberwarfare.
On July 25, 2007, the committee created a seven member
bipartisan Roles and Missions panel with a six-month charter to
consider implications regarding the organization of the
national defense structure across the Department of the Defense
and other governmental entities. The panel held multiple
meetings and briefings with a wide variety of defense and
security officials and non-governmental experts. In January
2008, the Panel released its final report to the public, which
discussed several areas of national security related activities
that the panel desired to highlight for further consideration.
In the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008
(Public Law 110-181), the committee established a requirement
for a quadrennial review of the roles and missions of the armed
forces. As part of the review, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs
of Staff and the Secretary of Defense are required to provide a
framework of core mission areas for the activities of the
Department, and identify the organizations within the
Department that are responsible for providing the capability to
perform these missions. Future budget requests are required to
display the proposed allocation of funding by core mission
area. The results of the first review will be delivered with
the budget request for fiscal year 2010.
NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVES
On March 1st, 2007, the Commission on the National Guard
and Reserves delivered its second report, in which it
considered and provided recommendations regarding proposed
National Guard-related legislation and other matters pertaining
the role and responsibilities of the Chief of the National
Guard Bureau, National Guard officers' authority to command,
and National Guard equipment and funding requirements. The
committee conducted an open hearing on these matters on March
23, 2007. In the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181), the committee included the
National Guard Empowerment Act of 2007. That legislation, among
other things, authorized a fourth star for the Chief of the
National Guard Bureau and enhanced the duties of that position;
made the National Guard Bureau a joint activity of the
Department of Defense; expanded the National Guard Bureau
charter to include official coordination with federal agencies,
states, U.S. Joint Forces Command, and U.S. Northern Command on
homeland and civil support activities; and required that at
least one deputy of Northern Command be a National Guard
Officer. In the second session, the committee examined the
implementation of this legislation and of the Commission's non-
legislative recommendations through several member and staff
briefings, including upon the submission of the Department's
final report on the Commission's recommendations. In the Duncan
Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009
(Public Law 110-417), the committee required a report on the
resource requirements of the National Guard.
CHIEF MANAGEMENT OFFICER
The committee continued the work of the prior Congress in
considering the creation of a Chief Management Officer for the
Department of Defense during a hearing on June 26, 2007. In the
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public
Law 110-181), the committee amended title 10, United States
Code, to designate the Deputy Secretary of Defense as the Chief
Management Officer and created the position of Deputy Chief
Management Officer to assist the Deputy Secretary in the
performance of these duties. In the same Act, the committee
required an assessment by the Comptroller General of the
Departments' reorganization of the office of the Under
Secretary of Defense for Policy. In the Duncan Hunter National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-
417), the committee created the position of General Counsel for
the Inspector General of the Department of Defense and
clarified that the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for
Nuclear and Chemical and Biological Defense Programs is a
position equivalent in rank to an Assistant Secretary of
Defense.
UNIFIED COMMAND PLAN
The committee also continued its interest in the Unified
Command Plan which specifies the organization and
responsibilities of the combatant commanders. On November 14,
2007, the committee held a hearing on the establishment of U.S.
Africa Command and also held briefings on this topic. In the
Joint Explanatory Statement (Committee Print 10) accompanying
the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 2009, the committee required the Department to provide a
comprehensive report on the organization and mission of U.S.
Africa Command, and also required a report on the initiative to
transform U.S. Southern Command into a joint interagency
regional security command.
Detainee Policy and Military Commissions
The committee dedicated much attention to the legal
framework and other oversight related to detainee matters. The
committee held four full committee hearings. On July 30, 2008,
the committee received testimony from administration witnesses
on the implications of the Supreme Court's decision in
Boumediene v. Bush, 128 S. Ct. 2229 (June 12, 2008), for the
detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The following day the
committee received testimony from non-governmental witnesses on
the same topic. On July 26, 2007, the committee received
testimony on upholding the principle of habeas corpus for
detainees. On March 29, 2007, the committee received testimony
on the Military Commissions Act and the continued use of
Guantanamo Bay as a detention facility.
In addition to the four public hearings which were devoted
to policies pertaining to detainees and two posture hearings
which addressed these same matters as part of a broader
discussion, the committee conducted numerous member briefings
(including four opportunities for members to review the
confidential reports of the International Committee of the Red
Cross) and numerous staff briefings related to detainee
affairs. Many of the particulars involving the custody,
interrogation, treatment, and prosecution of detainees are
sensitive law enforcement matters and are classified.
Consequently, much of the committee's oversight of detainee
issues was conducted in classified forums and cannot be
delineated in this report. Additionally, the committee made
several trips to the U.S. Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay,
Cuba, the Republic of Iraq, and the Islamic Republic of
Afghanistan to review detainee operations at these locations.
The committee's oversight of detainee affairs resulted in a
number of legislative provisions which were enacted into law.
The Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417) included a section requiring
submission to Congress of revision to the regulation on enemy
prisoners of war, retained personnel, civilian internees, and
other detainees; a sense of Congress discouraging the use of
contractor personnel in the interrogation of detainees; and a
sense of Congress encouraging the video-taping or otherwise
electronic recording of interrogations of persons in the
custody of or under the physical control of the Department of
Defense. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
2008 (Public Law 110-181) included a sense of Congress
regarding detainees at the Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba;
and a section requiring the Secretary of Defense to report on a
plan for transferring individuals who are detained at the Naval
Station in Guantanamo Bay.
Global Security Assessment and Intelligence Matters
In keeping with its past practice, the committee remained
mindful that potential areas of conflict beyond those where
current operations are underway require significant attention
and also that understanding the regional context of ongoing
operations is critical to developing strategies for success,
particularly with respect to stability operations. During each
session of the 110th Congress, first on July 11, 2007 and then
on February 13, 2008, the committee heard testimony in open
session from the intelligence community on its assessment of
global security issues.
The committee held a number of hearings and classified
intelligence briefings regarding emerging threats and matters
of strategic intelligence. On February 15, 2007, the
Subcommittee on Strategic Forces was briefed by the Defense
Intelligence Agency analysts on ballistic missile threats posed
by various nations. On July 11, 2007, the Subcommittee on
Strategic Forces was briefed by the Defense Intelligence Agency
analysts on Russian and Chinese ballistic missile capabilities.
On July 25, 2007, the committee held a joint, open hearing with
the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on the threats
posed by al Qa'ida, which was followed by a classified
briefing.
On April 16, 2008, the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces was
briefed by the Defense Intelligence Agency analysts on
ballistic missile threats posed by various nations. On June 11,
2008, the committee was briefed on the status of the North
Korean and Iranian nuclear weapons programs. On July 17, 2008,
the committee received a classified briefing on the rescue of
Colombian hostages.
The committee continued to coordinate with the Permanent
Select Committee on Intelligence and the Office of the
Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence in the
implementation of the new Military Intelligence Program. In
particular, the committees worked to adopt a common perspective
on major system acquisitions including satellite systems and
unmanned aerial vehicles.
The committee focused particular attention to emerging
security issues in four areas of significant importance to
national security, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the
Islamic Republic of Iran, the People's Republic of China, as
well as al Qa'ida.
PAKISTAN
The committee held a hearing on security developments in
the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, focusing both on the internal
security and stability of that nation, and on the unique
security challenges arising in the Afghanistan/Pakistan border
region. The committee also held numerous member and staff
briefings on issues relating to Pakistan including intelligence
briefings and briefings on the use of coalition support funds
authorized by the committee and provided to Pakistan.
In the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
2008 (Public Law 110-181), the committee required the
Department of Defense to report to Congress on measures taken
by the Government of Pakistan to enhance security in the
Afghanistan/Pakistan border region and to also provide more
detailed congressional notifications on reimbursements made to
Pakistan using coalition support funds. In the Duncan Hunter
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public
Law 110-417), the committee made the report on measures taken
by the Government of Pakistan in the Afghanistan/Pakistan
border region an annual requirement and required additional
information in the report. The committee also required that
notifications of coalition support fund reimbursements made to
Pakistan include information on claims disallowed or deferred.
Additionally, the National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181) provided authority for
the Department of Defense to provide assistance to the Pakistan
Frontier Corps to build its capacity to conduct
counterterrorism operations along the border between Pakistan
and Afghanistan and the Duncan Hunter National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417)
extended this authority for an additional year and increased
the funding authorized for this effort.
IRAN
During the first session of the 110th Congress, in January
and February of 2007, the committee received two classified
briefings regarding efforts to stop Iranian support for
insurgents and militias in the Republic of Iraq. The
committee's attention to the Iranian nuclear program during the
first session culminated in a December 6, 2007, classified
briefing by subject matter experts from the intelligence
community. The committee's concern about Iran's nuclear program
was reflected in section 1258 of the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181)
that called for additional sanctions on Iranian entities
targeted under United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1737
and 1747.
During the second session of the 110th Congress, the
committee received a classified briefing on January 16, 2008,
concerning the January 6, 2008, Iranian naval incident in the
Straits of Hormuz between Iranian patrol craft and three U.S.
Navy warships. The committee received a classified briefing on
June 11, 2008 from the intelligence community on its assessment
of the Iranian nuclear program to include the status of its
acquisition and processing of nuclear fuel, weaponization
capabilities, and development of delivery systems. On June 26,
2008, the committee received a classified briefing from the
Defense Intelligence Agency on Iranian defenses.
The committee included a provision in the Duncan Hunter
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public
Law 110-417) that would require the Director of National
Intelligence to submit a detailed report addressing the current
and future nuclear weapons capabilities of Iran. The provision
also requires the President to provide a notification to
Congress within 15 days of determining that: Iran has resumed a
nuclear weapons program; Iran has met or surpassed any major
milestone in its nuclear weapons program; or Iran has
undertaken to accelerate, decelerate, or cease the development
of any significant element within its nuclear weapons program.
CHINA
The committee continued to monitor a range of significant
security developments in the People's Republic of China. On
January 19, 2007, the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces was
briefed by the Defense Intelligence Agency on Chinese threats
to U.S. space systems. On June 13, 2007, the committee held an
open hearing and on June 28, 2007, the committee received a
classified briefing on security developments involving China.
On July 11, 2007, the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces was
briefed by the Defense Intelligence Agency analysts on Chinese
ballistic missile capabilities. On February 7, 2008, the
Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces was briefed
on Chinese naval capabilities. On April 3, 2008, the
Subcommittee on Strategic Forces was briefed on Chinese threats
to United States satellites. On June 25, 2008, the committee
held a hearing and received a classified briefing on security
developments involving China. The hearings and briefings in
June of 2007 and 2008 provided the committee an opportunity to
review the findings of the Department's Annual Report to
Congress: Military Power of the People's Republic of China, a
report required by the National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2000 (Public Law 106-65). Committee members also
took part in three official congressional delegation trips to
China to discuss security matters with senior Chinese military
and government officials.
AL QA'IDA
During the 110th Congress, the committee focused on al
Qa'ida (AQ) through the prism of a wider militant Islamic
movement. Using extensive and diverse media resources, AQ
continually motivates and beckons new recruits to join their
cause. The Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats
and Capabilities held several hearings and briefings at which
experts from government, industry, and academia articulated how
al Qa'ida and other religiously oriented groups employ global
media such as the internet to inspire like-minded individuals
to join their ideology. Additionally, on July 25, 2007, the
full committee held a joint, open hearing with the Permanent
Select Committee on Intelligence on the threats posed by al
Qa'ida, which was followed by a classified briefing. The
committee assessed that al Qa'ida appears to have stepped up
efforts to provide motivation to disaffected people of ever-
increasing demographics. The potential threat from this loose
network of ideology and operational support cannot be
overstated.
The committee undertook several legislative initiatives to
help thwart this growing threat and included in the National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-
181) a provision requiring the Secretary of Defense, Secretary
of State, and Director of National Intelligence to submit a
report detailing the efforts to bring the network of terrorists
to justice. The provision also included an authorization for an
increase in the reward for information leading to the death or
capture of Osama bin Laden.
The committee acted to address concerns that AQ and its
senior leadership continue to benefit from safe havens around
the world--particularly in the tribal areas of the Islamic
Republic of Afghanistan and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan;
consequently, the committee included a provision in the
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public
Law 110-181) requiring the Department of Defense to submit a
report detailing Pakistan's efforts to eliminate al Qa'ida's
safe havens on their national territory.
Department of Defense's Counter-Narcotics Activities
The committee continued its oversight of the Department of
Defense's counter-narcotics efforts around the globe and within
the respective areas of responsibility for U.S. Southern
Command and U.S. Central Command, and was generally supportive
of the activities. For example, the Duncan Hunter National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-
417) fully funded the President's request for the central
transfer account and devoted an entire sub-title to counter-
narcotics provisions, including requested re-authorizations of
important programs and a new requirement for two one-time
reports from the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the
Secretary of State, on comprehensive counter-narcotics
strategies for South/Central Asia and West Africa.
It is within this context that the committee, since the
beginning of this Congress, has worked with the Department of
Defense on optimizing the Department's participation in the
inter-agency, counter-narcotics effort in the Islamic Republic
of Afghanistan, where poppy cultivation and opium cultivation
have reached record levels. The committee's professional staff
undertook two oversight trips to the region as part of this
collaborative endeavor and made subsequent policy
recommendations to the Department.
Total Force Readiness and Adequacy
END STRENGTH
The committee continued its initiatives from the previous
Congress to increase the size of both the active Army and
active Marine Corps. Unlike previous years, the committee was
joined in its efforts by Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates
who also supported an increase in the authorized end strength
for the active Army to 547,000 and to 202,000 for the active
Marine Corps by fiscal year 2012. However, during the first
session of the 110th Congress, the committee continued to
advocate a greater annual end strength increase above those
proposed by the Administration.
For the fifth year in a row, the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181)
adopted the committee recommendation to increase the active
Army end strength to 525,400 and 189,000 for the active Marine
Corps end strength. This has resulted in a total end strength
growth of 45,400 for the active Army and 14,000 for the active
Marine Corps since fiscal year 2004, when the committee first
began to increase the end strength of the ground forces. The
committee continued to provide the Department of Defense the
flexibility to increase its end strength above the authorized
levels in fiscal years 2009 and 2010 to accelerate the growth
in end strength for the active ground components. The
legislation also increased the end strength for the Navy and
the Air Force, 698 and 1,051 respectively, to restore the
military-to-civilian conversions within the military medical
community. The committee heard directly from families and
providers that the conversions in the military medical
community were having an adverse impact on access and quality
of care for service members and their families.
During the second session of the 110th Congress, the
committee again included, as part of the Duncan Hunter National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-
417) included the permanent increase in authorized end strength
for the active Army to 547,000 and to 202,000 for the active
Marine Corps by fiscal year 2012 and provided the associated
funding within the base budget. The legislation also included
the committee's recommendation to increase the full-time
manning for the Army National Guard to 32,060 in fiscal year
2009 (an increase of 2,110). The defense authorization act also
restored the military-to-civilian conversions with the military
medical community, which had been prohibited in Public Law 110-
417. The committee recommended an increase in end strength for
the Navy and the Air Force, 1,023 and 450, respectively, to
restore the military-to-civilian conversions within the
military medical community.
MOBILIZATION AND SUSTAINMENT OF THE RESERVE COMPONENTS
The transformation of the Reserve Components from a
strategic to an operational reserve has brought with it
challenges that needed to be addressed. As mobilization
requirements continue, the Reserve Components are faced with
new and difficult issues. One such issue is the retention of
military technicians who lose their dual status due to a
combat-related disability. The National Defense Authorization
Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181) provides the
authority for a dual-status military technician to continue
employment as a military technician, if that individual loses
his or her status due to a combat-related disability. In
addition, in order to ensure an orderly transition between
federal and state status, the legislation also extended the
period that members of the National Guard may be granted
temporary federal recognition from six months to one year.
During the second session of the 110th Congress, the Duncan
Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009
(Public Law 110-417) recognized the importance of providing
Reserve Component general and flag officers the opportunities
for joint duty assignments. The legislation increased the
number of positions available to Reserve general and flag
officers to serve on the Joint Staff from one to three, and
exempts the positions from the general and flag officer limits.
RECRUITING AND RETENTION
The committee continued to monitor recruiting and retention
trends closely throughout the 110th Congress to ensure that
programs remained effective in response to the relatively large
number of youth that are ineligible for enlistment, the
increasing college attendance rate, and the growing awareness
of the hardships and risks of war among potential recruits and
their influencers. The Subcommittee on Military Personnel
conducted two hearings during the 110th Congress to review the
challenges confronting the recruiting and retention programs
and understand the Department of Defense's position on these
programs. The committee responded to DOD legislative requests
to bolster existing programs and launch new programs, and
worked to anticipate active duty and reserve recruiting and
retention program requirements for both officer and enlisted
members. To that end, the National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181) and the Duncan Hunter
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public
Law 110-417) included legislation that:
(1) Increased the limits on enlisted and officer
grades for members serving on active duty in support of
the Reserve Components.
(2) Increased special pay and retention bonuses for
medical officers and dentists.
(3) Increased the maximum monthly hardship duty pay
amount to $1,500 and provided greater flexibility in
payment methods.
(4) Increased the maximum reenlistment bonus amount
to $15,000 for members of the Selected Reserve and
provided greater flexibility in payment methods.
(5) Expanded the definition of sea duty to include
more members.
(6) Expanded the eligibility criteria for award of
nuclear officer continuation pay.
(7) Established separate authorities for a referral
bonus to be paid to service members and civilian
employees who refer new recruits for enlistment in the
Army and health professionals in any of the services
(8) Increased the maximum period of reenlistment to
eight years.
(9) Established a pilot program to allow members a
career intermission of up to three years to allow
pursuit of personal objectives outside the military
before returning to a military career.
(10) Established an authority for a 10-day paternity
leave.
(11) Increased the maximum daily rate of temporary
lodging expenses to $290 during permanent change of
station moves.
(12) Increased maximum accession bonus amounts and
monthly stipend amounts for nurse candidates and
accession bonuses and retention bonuses for
psychologists.
(13) Established a new authority to pay skill
incentive and proficiency pay to students in
commissioning programs who pursue coursework in
critical languages and cultural studies.
(14) Established new authorities to ship 500 pounds
of spouse related household goods during permanent
changes of station moves and family pets during
evacuations from overseas locations.
MILITARY COMPENSATION
The committee continued to closely monitor compensation
programs during the 110th Congress to ensure an adequate
quality of life for service members and their families and to
ensure that pay and benefits met the needs of the wartime
military and kept pace with private sector standards. The
committee's active oversight of these issues resulted in
legislation in the National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181) and the Duncan Hunter
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public
Law 110-417) that authorized a 3.5 percent raise in basic pay
during fiscal year 2008 and a 3.9 percent raise in basic pay
during fiscal year 2009. These two military pay raises in the
110th Congress were one-half of one percent above the
Employment Cost Index (ECI) and extended to 10 the number of
consecutive years where Congress authorized pay raises above
the ECI level. As a result of the pay raises in fiscal year
2008 and 2009, the gap between military and private sector pay
during the 110th Congress was reduced from 3.9 percent to 2.9
percent, well below the peak pay gap of 13.5 percent in fiscal
year 1999. With the addition of the fiscal year 2007 pay raise,
average pay levels have increased 52 percent over the last 10
years.
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008
(Public Law 110-181) also included a provision that reformed
and consolidated over 60 special pays and incentive pays into 8
major categories. The consolidation of these pays was a major
compensation reform initiative that was intended to make the
pay system easier to understand and manage. As a result, the
reform is expected to provide greater incentives among service
members that are better informed about the sources of their
income. Additionally, personnel managers have been provided a
more flexible management tool that allows the pay system to be
adjusted or restructured to meet the immediate demands of
ongoing operations without the delay of seeking legislative
relief.
MILITARY RESALE AND MORALE, WELFARE, AND RECREATION (MWR) PROGRAMS
The committee acted throughout the 110th Congress to
improve the effectiveness and quality of military exchanges and
commissaries and morale, welfare, and recreation (MWR) programs
and to protect these critical programs for future generations
of service members. The Subcommittee on Military Personnel
conducted three hearings during the 110th Congress that fully
explored policy issues and fiscal status of the commissary and
military exchange stores and the service MWR programs. The
Department of Defense consulted the committee on a wide range
of management proposals regarding new construction or facility
renovation, store expansions or closures, public-private
ventures, and new business opportunities and models. In each
case, the committee provided guidance and decisions, as
requested. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181) and the Duncan Hunter National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-
417) also included legislative initiatives to address the many
concerns that had been brought to the attention of the
committee and to improve the policies and processes used to
manage military resale and MWR programs.
RETIRED PAY AND SURVIVOR BENEFITS
During the 110th Congress, the committee continued to
review retirement and survivor issues to make improvement where
possible and protect the welfare of retirees and their
survivors. To that end, the National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181) and the Duncan Hunter
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public
Law 110-417) included legislation that:
(1) Expanded eligibility for combat related special
compensation to include disabled retirees.
(2) Required immediate payment of full concurrent
receipt of military retired pay and disability
compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs
for retirees rated as totally disabled and
unemployable.
(3) Established new procedures to protect surviving
family members from unfair recoupment of inadvertent
Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) overpayments.
(4) Established a new special survivor indemnity
allowance to compensate for reduced benefits resulting
from the offset of SBP payments by the amount of
Dependency and Indemnity Compensation.
(5) Authorized Reserve Component retirees to receive
retired pay at an earlier age in 90 day increments
based on significant periods of active duty service in
support of contingency operations.
(6) Protected surviving family members from
administrative reductions in annuities due to the
termination of the Supplemental Survivor Benefit
Program.
GAY MEN, LESBIANS, AND BISEXUALS IN THE MILITARY
The Subcommittee on Military Personnel began the process of
examining the law and policy surrounding the issue of gay men,
lesbians, and bisexuals serving in the military by conducting a
hearing that examined the various perspectives on the issue.
The witnesses offered a broad review of the issues to include
the views held by advocates for maintaining the current law and
policy commonly known as ``Don't Ask, Don't Tell'' and those
views held by opponents of the law and policy. This baseline of
information is expected to be the starting point for future
examination of the law and policy during the 111th Congress.
GENERAL AND FLAG OFFICER MANAGEMENT
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008
(Public Law 110-181) and the Duncan Hunter National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417)
included a number of legislative initiatives to address the
management of general and flag officers within the armed
services. These provisions included giving guidance on the
roles that officers in specific grades would perform, the
limits of the number of such officers both in terms of total
numbers and by grade, the qualifications required before
competing for promotion to general and flag officer ranks, and
personnel policy matters to include limits on age and years of
service and joint service requirements. The committee has, for
many years, sought to closely manage general and flag officers
because of the importance of their leadership to the mission
readiness and operational success.
The Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417) included a major reform
that authorized the Secretary of Defense to designate up to 324
general and flag officer positions as joint duty assignments
that would be excluded from the limitation on the number of
general and flag officers in each service and would specify the
minimum number of officers required to serve in these positions
from each service. The provision established a process for
changing service requirements over time based on the level of
participation of each service in joint missions. The provision
would increase the total authorized number of general and flag
officers within the Department of Defense and realign the
number of general and flag officers authorized to serve in
positions outside their own service. The provision also
provides for an increased role for Reserve Component general
and flag officers in active duty missions to include joint
missions. The implementation of the reform has been delayed for
one year to allow further refinement of the language to ensure
that all implications of the provision are understood before
being fully implemented.
FAMILY SUPPORT PROGRAMS
The high operational tempo has taken a toll not only on
service members, but their families as well. As a result, the
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public
Law 110-181) established a Department of Defense Military
Family Readiness Council to review and make recommendations on
requirements to support military family readiness, evaluate and
assess the effectiveness of military family readiness programs,
policies and activities, and monitor requirements for military
family readiness. The legislation also included an expansion of
the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program which provides National
Guard and Reserve members and their families' reintegration
programs to receive information, services, referrals, and
proactive outreach opportunities during the entire deployment
cycle--pre-deployment, deployment, demobilization, post-
deployment, and reconstitution. It also created an Office for
Reintegration Programs that is required to administer all
reintegration programs in coordination with the state National
Guard organizations, and a Center for Excellence in
Reintegration that will collect and analyze ``lessons learned''
and develop training and materials to assist state
organizations in reintegration efforts.
PRISONER OF WAR AND MISSING IN ACTION AFFAIRS
The Subcommittee on Military Personnel increased its
oversight of Prisoner of War and Missing in Action programs and
policies which fall under the jurisdiction of the committee.
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008
(Public Law 110-181), increased funding for the Joint Prisoner
of War Missing in Action Accounting Command (JPAC) by $7.5
million, and the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel
Office (DPMO) by $200,000 above that requested in the
President's budget. In addition, during the second session of
the 110th Congress, the committee held a hearing to receive an
update on the activities and programs under the purview of the
DPMO, and understand the requirements and challenges of the
programs and activities of the JPAC. The hearing was the
beginning of future oversight activities expected during the
111th Congress.
EDUCATION BENEFITS
During the 110th Congress, the committee continued to adopt
incremental improvements in military education programs to
ensure that service members and, in particular, Reserve
Component members, enjoyed fair and equitable access to
education programs that provided appropriate levels of
benefits. Accordingly, the National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181) and the Duncan Hunter
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public
Law 110-417) included legislation that:
(1) Authorized the payment of tuition assistance to
members of the Selected Reserve.
(2) Removed the limits on the number of Reserve
Component Reserve Officers Training Corps scholarships.
(3) Authorized military professional military
education institutions and other Department of Defense
educational institutions to award advanced degrees.
(4) Lengthened the period during which Reserve
Component members remained eligible to receive
education benefits and authorized a process to allow
members to resume receiving benefits.
(5) Authorized phased increases to student
populations at the military service academies.
(6) Equalized Reserve Component standards for the
health professional education loan repayment program
with the active duty standards.
(7) Established a program to enhance education
partnerships to improve education program access and
flexibility for service members.
(8) Authorized a new benefit program to encourage
persons in officer training programs to enroll in
critical language and cultural awareness courses.
While not under the direct jurisdictional control of the
House Committee on Armed Services, Congress also adopted the
Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 during
the 110th Congress. The Act, which was included in the
Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 (Public Law 110-186), was
a major enhancement to veterans' education benefits with long-
term implications for military recruiting and retention that
was closely monitored by the committee. This new G.I. Bill is
expected to raise the education expectations of a new
generation of America's veterans in the same way as the post-
World War II G.I. Bill helped shape the future of veterans of
that war. The Act would provide members who served on active
duty after September 10, 2001 with potential benefits that
would match the most expensive in-state tuition and fees at a
public institution of higher education, provide a monthly
allowance for housing, and pay up to $1,000 each year for books
and supplies. The maximum level of benefits would be achieved
after 36 months of service with lesser amounts proportionately
authorized based on fewer months of service. Members would
remain eligible for benefits while serving on active duty or
for 15 years from the last period of active duty of at least 90
days.
Military and Military Retiree Health Care
Throughout the 110th Congress, the committee exercised
vigorous oversight on the military health system. The committee
focused substantial attention on the cost of military health
care to the Department of Defense and to military beneficiaries
and to the long-term viability of the military health system.
For several years, the committee has been aware of the rising
cost of providing health care to military beneficiaries and the
potential negative impact of health care costs on other
critical readiness programs. The committee closely examined the
Department's proposal to sustain the military health care
benefit and contain costs by shifting costs to military
beneficiaries, particularly military retirees. As a result, the
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public
Law 110-181) and the Duncan Hunter National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417)
included several legislative initiatives to control the cost of
the military health system while ensuring the future of the
military health benefit. For example, the Duncan Hunter
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public
Law 110-417) included provisions that specifically focused on
preventive health, with the goal of getting and keeping
beneficiaries healthy to improve military readiness and quality
of life. The committee intends for this preventive approach to
be more cost-effective rather than waiting until beneficiaries
are sick to seek treatment.
In addition, as part of the committee's efforts to ensure
fair treatment of military beneficiaries of the military health
care system, the committee was successful in protecting
military families and retirees from significant premium cost
growth that were proposed by the Administration. Both the
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public
Law 110-181) and the Duncan Hunter National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417)
prohibited TRICARE fee increases during the 110th Congress.
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES
During the 110th Congress, the committee spent considerable
time assessing the adequacy of mental heath services available
to service members and their families. In particular, the
committee focused on the continuum of mental health services
provided throughout the deployment cycle. The committee staff
continued to visit military installations to gather information
from returning service members and their families regarding the
availability and adequacy of mental health programs. These
visits led to a Subcommittee on Military Personnel hearing on
mental health in July 2007. The committee also reviewed the
findings of the Defense Task Force on Mental Health established
by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006
(Public Law 109-163) and the John Warner National Defense
Authorization Act for 2007 (Public Law 109-364). As a result,
as part of the Wounded Warrior Act included in the National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-
181), Congress required the Department of Defense to conduct a
comprehensive review and create a comprehensive policy
regarding the mental health needs of returning service members,
as well as establish a Center of Excellence in the prevention,
diagnosis, mitigation, treatment, and rehabilitation of post-
traumatic stress disorder and other mental health conditions.
Congress also mandated a review of gender- and ethnic-group
specific mental health services to ensure that all aspects of
mental health were being reviewed.
The committee also continued to examine the increased
incidence of traumatic brain injury in service members
returning from the Republic of Iraq and the Islamic Republic of
Afghanistan, and mandated the creation of a Center of
Excellence in the prevention, diagnosis, mitigation, treatment,
and rehabilitation of traumatic brain injury in the Wounded
Warrior Act included in the National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181).
WOUNDED, DISABLED AND DECEASED SERVICE MEMBERS AND THEIR FAMILIES
The committee devoted substantial attention during the
110th Congress to the emerging needs of active duty and reserve
wounded and disabled service members and their families. The
committee investigated a wide range of problems involving
transitional compensation, medical treatment, evaluation and
rating of disabilities, retention of members with disabilities
on active duty, and post-separation programs to assist members
and families as they transition to civilian life. The National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-
181) and the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417) included legislative
initiatives to address the many concerns that had been brought
to the attention of the committee and to improve the policies
and processes used to manage wounded warriors and protect their
welfare and the welfare of their families. The legislation
established new statutory requirements to provide the people,
training, and oversight mechanisms needed to ensure that the
nation's wounded warriors receive quality medical care and
efficient administrative processing in an environment that
reflects the highest quality of life standards. The legislation
set new standards of excellence for the diagnosis, treatment,
and rehabilitation of combat wounds. It also set the stage for
much needed reform of the administrative processes that will
restore member confidence in the integrity and efficiency of
the disability evaluation system and begin the process of
achieving a truly seamless transition of service members to
programs operated by Department of Veterans Affairs. The
legislation included a provision prohibiting the Department of
Defense from initiating any new public-private competitions for
the performance of functions at military medical facilities
until the Secretary of Defense certified that such competitions
would not adversely affect the quality of medical care. The
Department of the Army already had suspended all such
competitions at its medical facilities. The first required
report, submitted in July 2008, noted that no new competitions
at any military medical facility had been initiated since
January 28, 2008.
HEALTH CARE AND MEDICAL READINESS OF RESERVE COMPONENTS
A recent U.S. Government Accountability Office
investigation found that the premium charged to reservists for
their enhanced TRICARE benefits was greater than the cost of
care provided to reservists and their families. The Duncan
Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009
(Public Law 110-417) required a recalculation of the premiums
charged to reservists and their families. In addition, the
legislation also allows service members who leave active duty
and agree to serve in the Selected Reserve to receive a
transition health care benefit under TRICARE. It also expands
eligibility for coverage of medical and dental care to meet
medical readiness requirements for all the Reserve Components.
Civilian Personnel
INCENTIVES FOR DEPLOYED CIVILIANS
The committee continued its efforts to improve incentives
for federal civilian personnel to work overseas in combat
zones. Both the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181) and the Duncan Hunter National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-
417) contained several initiatives to expand such incentives,
including: an extension of authority to waive limitations on
premium pay; temporary authority to pay allowances, benefits,
and gratuities similar to those given to members of the foreign
service; payment of death gratuities to families of civilian
personnel killed in a combat zone; payment of moving expenses
to return to a home station for families of certain civilian
personnel killed in a combat zone; and an option for additional
life insurance for deployed civilians.
In the committee report (H. Rept. 110-146) accompanying the
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008, the
committee also directed the Secretary of Defense to report to
Congress on whether additional benefits are needed to encourage
federal civilian personnel to volunteer for a deployed
position. In addition, in the committee report (H. Rept. 110-
652) accompanying the Duncan Hunter National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009, the committee required
the Secretary of Defense to take certain actions related to
medical care of deployed civilians. These include development
of policies and processes for approving medical care at
military medical facilities in theater for Department of
Defense and non-Department civilian personnel as well as the
establishment of a working group to examine access to medical
care for all federal civilian personnel in theater and the
adequacy of the coverage under the Federal Employees
Compensation Act for injured civilians.
INHERENTLY GOVERNMENTAL FUNCTIONS
The committee examined a range of issues involving the
proper role of contractors supporting the mission of the
Department of Defense (DOD), including the extent to which
contractors may be performing inherently governmental
functions. The Subcommittee on Readiness held a hearing on
March 11, 2008, to consider the proper role of government, and
whether the Department is adequately staffed with government
employees, both civilian and military, to perform not only
functions identified as those which must be performed by
government employees (including oversight of the work being
performed by contractors) but those commercial-type functions
that should be performed by government employees in order to
retain certain core or critical capabilities as a matter of
national policy. The witnesses included: Mr. P. Jackson Bell,
Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Logistics and Materiel
Readiness; Mr. Shay Assad, Director of Defense Procurement and
Acquisition Policy; and the Honorable David Walker, Comptroller
General for the Government Accountability Office.
The committee enacted several initiatives in the National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-
181) addressing these issues, including requiring defense
agencies, to the maximum extent practicable, to bring in-house
work currently performed by contractors that is inherently
governmental or is closely associated with inherently
governmental functions. Three related provisions dealt with
contracting for services: a requirement for the establishment
of a data collection system to provide information on DOD
purchases of contract services; codification of a requirement
for the Department to maintain an inventory of its contracts
for services; and a requirement for an independent review
process for services contracts.
Additional provisions addressing the performance of
government functions by government employees versus contractors
were enacted in the Duncan Hunter National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417).
These provisions include: a requirement for a comprehensive
analysis and development of a single government-wide definition
of inherently governmental functions and criteria for critical
functions; development of guidance related to personal services
contracts; a sense of Congress on the performance by private
security contractors of certain governmental functions in an
area of combat; and a requirement for developing government-
wide policy and standard clauses regarding personal conflicts
of interest by contractor employees performing acquisition
roles closely associated with inherently governmental
functions.
NATIONAL SECURITY PERSONNEL SYSTEM
During the 110th Congress, the committee conducted a
comprehensive review of the National Security Personnel System
(NSPS), the new personnel management system for the Department
of Defense. NSPS was enacted in 2003 as part of title XI of the
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 (Public
Law 108-136). The Subcommittee on Readiness held a hearing on
March 6, 2007, to review the on-going implementation of NSPS,
and to address issues raised by Department of Defense employees
and their representatives. Testifying at the hearing were: the
Honorable Michael Luis Dominguez, Principal Deputy Under
Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness; Mr. John
Gage, National President of the American Federation of
Government Employees; Mr. Max Stier, President and CEO of the
Partnership for Public Service; and Dr. Marick Masters,
Professor of Business of the Katz Graduate School of Business
of the University of Pittsburgh.
As a result of this oversight, the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181)
included a provision that restored employee collective
bargaining rights and access to the civil service system's
regular adverse action appeal process, exempted wage grade
employees from NSPS, guaranteed veterans' preferences in hiring
as well as during a reduction-in-force, and extended the
exemption from NSPS to defense laboratories until 2011. The
provision also modified the pay for performance process,
prohibited the Secretary of Defense from adding more than
100,000 civilian employees to the system in any calendar year,
and required periodic reviews by the Government Accountability
Office. A provision clarifying the Department's direct hire
authority under NSPS was also included in the Duncan Hunter
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public
Law 110-417). The committee is carefully reviewing the final
regulations, published in September 2008, to implement the
changes enacted in 2007 and expects to conduct additional
oversight of this issue in the 111th Congress.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PERSONNEL SECURITY CLEARANCE PROCESS
The committee continued its oversight of the Department of
Defense (DOD) security clearance process during the 110th
Congress. Currently, the Department is responsible for about 2
million active personnel security clearances, with
approximately 34 percent being held by industry personnel
working on Department contracts. The committee first became
actively involved in addressing the financial and technology
problems in the process following the sudden stoppage by the
Department of the handling of industry security clearances in
2006, which resulted in a reprogramming request of about $90.0
million. Subsequently, the National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181) required the
Department and the Office of the Director of National
Intelligence (ODNI) to implement a demonstration project on new
and innovative approaches to improve the process.
In February 2008, the Subcommittee on Readiness received
testimony from: Mr. Greg Torres, Director of Security in the
Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for
Counterintelligence and Security; Ms. Kathy Dillaman, Associate
Director, Federal Investigative Services Division of the Office
of Personnel Management; Mr. Jack Edwards, Director of the
Defense Capabilities and Management Team for the Government
Accountability Office; and Mr. Ben Romero of Lockheed Martin
Corporation and Chairman of the Intelligence Subcommittee of
the Information Technology Association of America on behalf of
the Security Clearance Reform Coalition. The hearing focused on
the joint DOD-ODNI plan as well as the President's proposed
reform plan, which was subsequently formally initiated through
an executive order on June 30, 2008. The intent of both plans
is to field a new security clearance system by the end of 2008.
PUBLIC-PRIVATE COMPETITIONS
The committee took aggressive action during the 110th
Congress to reform the manner in which public-private
competitions are conducted under Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) Circular A-76, noting that agencies and services
often do not perform the proper analysis to determine if such
studies are necessary and beneficial to the mission of the
agency or service. Despite significant revisions to Circular A-
76 in 2003, the committee continued to hear from both the
public and private sectors, which are forced to compete for the
work, about the fairness of the process.
The Subcommittee on Readiness held a briefing on March 14,
2007, to provide representatives of the Department of Defense
and the military services the opportunity to discuss their
current and proposed A-76 studies. Participating in the
briefing were: the Honorable Philip Grone, Deputy Under
Secretary of Defense for Installations and Environment; the
Honorable Keith Eastin, Assistant Secretary of the Army For
Installations & Environment; the Honorable B.J. Penn, Assistant
Secretary of the Navy for Installations and Environment; and
the Honorable William C. Anderson, Assistant Secretary of the
Air Force for Installations, Environment and Logistics.
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008
(Public Law 110-181) included several legislative revisions to
the conduct of public-private competitions at the Department of
Defense:
(1) Prohibition on any advantage going to contractors
that do not provide health or retirement benefits;
(2) Cancellation of the requirement, outlined in OMB
Circular A-76, for mandatory recompetitions of work won
by employees in a Most Efficient Organization after a
period of five years;
(3) Development of guidance on insourcing new and
contracted out functions;
(4) Prohibition on the Department of Defense
undertaking or completing public-private competitions
in fulfillment of any requirements initiated by the
Office of Management and Budget;
(5) Establishment of equitable appeal rights for
employees in a Most Efficient Organization;
(6) Extension government-wide of certain Department
of Defense requirements regarding public-private
competitions, and
(7) Prohibition on the Department of Defense
initiating any new public-private competitions for the
performance of functions at military medical facilities
until the Secretary certified that such competitions
would not adversely affect the quality of medical care.
In addition, in the committee report (H. Rept. 110-652)
accompanying the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization
Act for Fiscal Year 2009, the committee directed the Secretary
of Defense to provide a report on all competitions initiated
since May 30, 2007, as well as all requests for cancellations,
deferrals or requests for reductions in scope by military
commands, and actions taken regarding such requests.
Acquisition Issues
CONTINGENCY CONTRACTING
The acquisition policy of the Department of Defense (DOD)
serves as an important enabler for both the modernization and
operation of the armed forces. At the same time, acquisition
policy must protect the taxpayers' interest and ensure the
optimal use of the Department's resources. The committee
continued its tradition of seeking to strike the proper balance
between these sometimes competing priorities. During the 110th
Congress, the committee held several hearings and briefings on
continuing revelations about fraud, waste, and abuse occurring
in contingency contracting.
In the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
2008 (Public Law 110-181), the committee required the
Department of Defense, the Department of State, and the United
States Agency for International Development to enter into a
memorandum of understanding concerning the responsibilities of
each in respect to the oversight and management of contracts in
the Republic of Iraq and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.
It established a Commission on Wartime Contracting and required
a comprehensive audit plan for all contracts in Iraq and
Afghanistan. The Act also required the Department of Defense to
establish regulations, in coordination with the Department of
State, setting baseline personnel, training, and operational
standards for all private security contractors performing work
under a federal contract in a combat theater of operations.
Finally, it required the Department to provide training to
personnel outside the acquisition workforce who are likely to
be tasked to take on acquisition functions as a result of the
nature of contingency contracting.
In the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417), the committee required
the establishment of a government-wide contingency contracting
corps. It also required the Department of Defense to develop an
acquisition strategy to minimize costs in the purchase of
insurance by defense contractors operating overseas pursuant to
the Defense Base Act.
ACQUISITION WORKFORCE
In exploring the root causes of the problems in contingency
contracting, the committee identified significant shortcomings
in the defense acquisition workforce as a major contributing
factor. The committee also took note of the recommendations of
several independent reviews of the defense acquisition process
and the defense acquisition workforce, and as a result, several
initiatives were enacted in the 110th Congress aimed at
improving the hiring, training and retention of acquisition
personnel, both civilian and military, at the Department of
Defense.
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008
(Public Law 110-181) permanently extended the acquisition
workforce training fund, established a new defense acquisition
workforce fund to hire, retain and improve the workforce, and
required the Department to include acquisition workforce
planning in its annual human capital strategy updates. It
prohibited the Department of Defense, starting in fiscal year
2011, from using a contractor as a lead system integrator and
instead required the Department to develop the acquisition
workforce necessary to perform these functions. It also
established an Associate Administrator for Acquisition
Workforce Programs within the Office of Federal Procurement
Policy.
In the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417), the committee authorized
the Department to use direct hire authority for acquisition
positions designated as shortage positions; required the
Department to establish policies for career paths for military
personnel in the acquisition field; and established exceptions
to Department personnel caps to ensure performance of certain
functions by government employees, both civilian and military.
CONTRACTING FOR SERVICES
The committee took note of the ongoing shift occurring in
federal contracting characterized by a significant increase in
contracting for services both in absolute terms and in relation
to contracts for supplies. In the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181),
three related provisions dealt with contracting for services: a
requirement for the establishment of a data collection system
to provide information on DOD purchases of contract services;
codification of a requirement for the Department to maintain an
inventory of its contracts for services; and a requirement for
an independent review process for services contracts.
MAJOR DEFENSE ACQUISITION PROGRAMS
The committee continued its traditional work on major
defense acquisition programs and the acquisition of major
weapon systems. In the National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181), the committee required
additional certifications by the Secretary of Defense prior to
requesting authority for multi-year procurement of a major
weapon system and it required a report by the Comptroller
General on the management structure for major defense
acquisition programs. In the Duncan Hunter National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417) the
committee required the Department to convene a configuration
steering board for each major defense acquisition program at
least annually, and additionally whenever such program
experiences significant cost growth or schedule delays.
GOVERNMENTWIDE ACQUISITION POLICY
The committee also continued its tradition of working
closely with other committees, and especially with the
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, to enact
legislation making improvements to governmentwide acquisition
policy and contracting authorities. In the 110th Congress, the
committee enacted the Acquisition Improvement and
Accountability Act of 2007 and the Clean Contracting Act of
2008 as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181) and the Duncan Hunter
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public
Law 110-417), respectively. The Acquisition Improvement and
Accountability Act of 2007, among other provisions, enhanced
competition requirements for task and delivery order contracts
for all federal agencies; required public disclosure of the
justification for the decision to enter into a sole source
contract except where such decision relates to classified
matters, required additional disclosures to Congress on
significant audit findings, and enhanced the ability of
contracting officers of the Department of Defense to obtain
additional information on pricing for services which are
commercial in type but are not identical to those offered in
the commercial marketplace. The Clean Contracting Act of 2008,
among other provisions, extended the authority to obtain
additional pricing information on commercial services contracts
to all federal agencies, placed limits on the length of sole
source contracts entered into on the basis of urgent and
compelling need, extended a limitation on the issuance of sole
source task and delivery order contracts that previously
applied to the Department of Defense to all federal agencies,
required a review of the application of the cost accounting
standards to overseas contracts, and established a database for
federal contracting officers containing information on the
legal history and the performance of contractors relevant to
evaluating past performance prior to issuing new contracts.
DEFENSE INDUSTRIAL BASE AND TECHNOLOGY CONTROLS
The committee continued to pursue its deep interest in and
support for the defense industrial base, particularly for
ensuring the supply of critical strategic materials. In the
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public
Law 110-181), the committee made significant modifications to
the domestic source restrictions relating to items containing
specialty metals to rationalize the application of these
restrictions to items originating from commercial products
where specialty metal content is not normally tracked. It
required the Department of Defense to provide public notice
prior to making a determination of domestic non-availability
relating to specialty metals. It also required the Department's
Strategic Materials Protection Board to evaluate the extent to
which suppliers of strategic materials are reinvesting in
production capacity for such materials.
The committee received testimony on how globalization and
foreign ownership are affecting the defense industrial base and
industrial security. In the Duncan Hunter National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417),
the committee codified the authority of the Secretary of
Defense to operate the industrial security program of the
Department of Defense and to regulate the facility clearances
of defense contractors. The committee also required enhanced
reporting to Congress on the operation of the defense
industrial security program and the implications of
globalization and foreign ownership for the program.
Also in the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization
Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417), the committee
required the Department of Defense to review the impact of
potential subsidies received by foreign and domestic suppliers
on the competition for the acquisition of aerial refueling
aircraft. It also required the Department to update and clarify
guidance on the use of existing statutory authority regarding
the impact of major defense acquisition programs on the defense
industrial base and on the use of procedures to protect
domestic industrial base capabilities in the acquisition
strategy for such programs when necessary.
As part of its oversight of technology controls, the
committee included a provision in the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181)
requiring the Department of Defense to report on possible
measures that could be taken to prevent export control
violations by defense contractors.
RAPID ACQUISITION AUTHORITY AND JOINT URGENT OPERATIONAL NEEDS PROCESS
The committee has long been concerned by the length of time
required by the Department of Defense to acquire technologies
and equipment to meet warfighter's needs, even comparatively
simple technologies and equipment. The conflicts in the
Republic of Iraq and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, and
particularly the evolution of the Improvised Explosive Device
as a highly effective weapon of strategic influence, have
illustrated the ability of an adaptive enemy to work to
advantage inside a normal defense acquisition cycle. The
committee continued its oversight on the joint urgent
operational needs (JUONS) process, leveraging the efforts of
the committee to take advantage of the rapid acquisition
authority provided to the Department of Defense as part of
section 811 of the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 (Public Law 108-375),
wherever necessary, in order to guarantee that military
personnel in harm's way received the required equipment they
had repeatedly requested in a timely manner.
The JUONS process is intended to rapidly acquire a
capability desired by the warfighter in order to meet an urgent
requirement while balancing legal and federally mandated
requirements such as: safety and reliability standards,
acquisition review steps and classified material access
limitations. A Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary
Forces hearing addressed certain alleged Department of Defense
failures to rapidly respond to, validate, and execute on JUONSs
from theater, specifically the mine resistant ambush protected
vehicle program. The committee expressed concerns regarding the
possible misuse of the JUONS process for non-urgent requests
and as a means to reinforce operational support for existing
programs of record. Because of these potential issues, the
committee required the Secretary of Defense to commission an
independent study and report on the effectiveness of the
processes used by the Department of Defense to identify,
prioritize, and meet urgent operational needs.
In the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417), the committee authorized
$150.0 million for the rapid acquisition fund; a fund intended
to support immediate warfighter needs. The committee encouraged
that part of these funds be made available as part of a U.S.
Central Command Rapid Acquisition Fund that would be used by
the Commander, U.S. Central Command, to rapidly address
unforeseen, joint urgent operational needs.
Force Protection
The committee selected force protection for special
oversight, focusing on areas having direct impact on the safety
of our military personnel engaged in operations in the Republic
of Iraq and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. The objective
of committee activity was to expedite the promulgation of
policies and the fielding of technology and equipment that
would prevent or reduce combat casualties. The committee was
also concerned by inflated claims with respect to the
capabilities of certain products, some of those claims targeted
at the families of military personnel serving overseas. The
committee also viewed exposure of inferior capabilities as
equally important.
The Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces and the
Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces both held
hearings and briefings throughout the 110th Congress on
specific force protection issues. Focus areas included mine
resistant ambush protected vehicle production and fielding;
body and vehicle armor capabilities and quantities; counter-
improvised explosive device (IED) technologies, especially
electronic countermeasures to radio control initiated devices;
tactical persistent surveillance in support of ground
operations, particularly prevention of IED emplacement; and
technologies to counter indirect fires.
Consistent with the areas of inquiry in furtherance of
force protection of past Congresses, the committee continued
its in-depth oversight activities, including: visits to
contractor and government production sites and assembly lines,
assessing manufacturing processes and schedules; active
oversight of various aspects of testing, including
developmental testing, field testing and source selection
testing; and identification and referral to the Department of
Defense of sources and vendors with capability and capacity to
meet critical deployment timelines.
MINE RESISTANT AMBUSH PROTECTED VEHICLE ACQUISITION
The committee has long been concerned whether the immediate
force protection needs of the warfighter were being met by the
Department of Defense (DOD) in a timely and urgent manner, to
include vehicle armor and protection. Improvised explosive
devices (IED), at the height of their use, were responsible for
about 70 percent of United States casualties in the Republic of
Iraq.
At the onset of the 110th Congress, in January 2007, the
Subcommittees on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces and Air and
Land Forces, each held force protection hearings that focused
on the importance and urgency of rapidly producing and fielding
mine resistant ambush protected (MRAP) vehicles to replace and
complement up-armored High Mobility, Multi-purpose Wheeled
Vehicles (HMMWVs) in the combat theaters. Members of the
committee expressed concern about the lack of urgency on the
part of senior officials in the DOD to mobilize the United
States industrial base to produce and field MRAPs to the
warfighter.
The committee report (H. Rept. 110-146) accompanying the
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008
indicated that the fiscal year 2008 budget request for ongoing
military operations failed to adequately resource the MRAP
vehicle funding requirement despite the urgent need for the
program and, as such, authorized $4.6 billion for the MRAP
vehicle program, an increase of $4.1 billion; this fully funded
the known MRAP vehicle requirement. The committee also required
a monthly report be provided to Congress on the status of the
MRAP vehicle program to include acquisition strategy,
requirements, funding, and implications for the industrial
base.
To evaluate if maximum effort and productivity were
achieved in producing and fielding MRAP vehicles, subcommittee
oversight teams engaged in activities that included, but were
not limited to: oversight delegations to all five qualified
MRAP prime contractors where teams observed and analyzed
production capability and met with senior company officials; a
delegation visit to the primary steel mill being used to
produce the majority of MRAP armor to assess its capacity to
meet demand; an oversight delegation to the suppliers for low
density/high demand items such as radio-controlled electronic
counter measures; travel to Aberdeen Proving Grounds to observe
test and evaluation procedures, analyze lessons learned
regarding the performance of current armor solutions in
Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, as well
as development, testing, and fielding of add-on armor kits for
MRAP vehicles to protect against explosively formed penetrators
(EFP); multiple oversight delegations to the primary facility
being used for all government furnished equipment integration
and installation on MRAP vehicles in order to observe this
facility's capability to meet demand and determine whether
possible chokepoints existed for MRAP production; meeting with
officials from United States Transportation Command to assess
airlift and sealift capacity for transporting MRAP vehicles to
theater in the most expeditious manner; and meeting with
officials from the DOD Office of Industrial Policy and the
Defense Contract Management Agency to review ongoing Industrial
Capabilities Assessments for the MRAP vehicle program.
These committee activities helped raise awareness of the
importance of the MRAP vehicle program. In June 2007, the
Secretary of Defense established an MRAP vehicle task force and
made MRAP vehicle production and fielding the top priority of
the Department of Defense. The Subcommittee on Seapower and
Expeditionary Forces and Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces
held two joint hearings to receive updates from the MRAP Task
Force and representatives from industry. The subcommittees
continued to urge the Task Force to mobilize the industrial
base and referenced the possibility of implementing provisions
of the Defense Production Act to provide higher production
priority. The subcommittees also raised the issue of having
adequate vehicles for home station training requirements and
encouraged the use of simulators for next-to-deploy units.
Concurrently, the MRAP vehicle requirement continued to
increase and stands at 15,807.
In order to assist in detailed oversight of this program,
the committee also authorized the Government Accountability
Office to monitor and observe the MRAP vehicle program and is
receiving quarterly updates on the Government Accountability
Office's preliminary observations and findings.
Because of direct congressional involvement and the
willingness of the Secretary of Defense to make this program a
top priority, over 15,000 MRAP vehicles will have been produced
by December 2008. Department of Defense officials have stated
that the casualty rate for MRAP vehicles is six percent, making
it ``the most survivable vehicle we have in our arsenal by a
multitude.'' Largely as a result of committee activity,
Congress has authorized and appropriated full funding for the
MRAP vehicle program, totaling approximately $25.0 billion
through fiscal year 2009.
BODY ARMOR AND HELMET SUSPENSION SYSTEMS
The committee continued its intensive oversight of
individual body armor programs throughout the 110th Congress
through hearings and other activities. The committee maintains
strong interest in new developments that could lead to
significant improvements in body armor, in particular,
advancements in lighter-weight solutions. A full committee
hearing on Department of Defense body armor programs was
followed by the Army agreeing to rewrite the current body armor
solicitation to verify that all possible body armor designs
such as flexible systems would be part of the on-going
competition.
To ensure fairness and transparency, the committee required
the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation as well as the
Government Accountability Office to provide procedural and
technical oversight of the test and evaluation to occur as part
of this competition. The committee intends the outcome of the
test and evaluation to result in an authoritative procurement
decision upon which the Secretary of the Army can act
immediately, ensuring that the best possible individual body
armor capability is qualified, produced, procured, and issued
to the warfighter.
Regarding head protection against traumatic brain injury,
the committee continued its in-depth oversight of the
effectiveness of the internal helmet suspension systems
currently fielded to military personnel. Section 1048 of the
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public
Law 110-181), initiated by the committee, required the
Secretary of Defense to carry out a limited field user
evaluation on all qualified helmet pad suspension systems to
obtain feedback from the warfighter on the different pad
systems' relative advantages and disadvantages beyond their
technical performance specifications and capability. This
feedback is being applied to ongoing tests and evaluation of
current helmet pad suspension systems and should allow for the
military services to make a best value procurement decision and
help in the protection against traumatic brain injury.
Largely as a result of committee leadership, Congress
authorized and appropriated over $1.5 billion for individual
body armor and associated components in the 110th Congress.
EXPLOSIVELY FORMED PROJECTILE ADD-ON ARMOR KIT PRODUCTION AND ARMOR
TECHNOLOGY
During the 110th Congress, a new threat emerged in the
Republic of Iraq, the explosively formed penetrator (EFP),
requiring the development and production of new add-on armor
kits for protection against this threat. Committee oversight
teams traveled to Aberdeen Proving Grounds to observe and
evaluate possible solutions for EFP add-on armor kits and
worked with industry and the Army to assess industrial base
capacity for EFP add-on armor kit production.
In the conference report (H. Rept. 110-477) accompanying
the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008,
the conferees directed that the Under Secretary of Defense for
Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics (USD (AT&L)) ensure that
the Army and the Joint Improvised Explosive Defeat Organization
conduct a robust technology analysis as rapidly as possible to
determine whether reactive armor would provide superior
protection against EFPs and to determine the potential for
weight reduction with a longer-term effort to optimize the
reactive armor system. The conferees also directed the USD
(AT&L) to report on a plan for improving capabilities to
mitigate the effects of EFPs.
JOINT IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVICE DEFEAT ORGANIZATION
The committee continued its oversight of the Joint
Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO), the
Department of Defense's focal point for the battle against
improvised explosive devices (IED), during the 110th Congress.
The Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations conducted an
inquiry into the program, seeking answers to two questions: is
JIEDDO winning the counter-IED fight in the Republic of Iraq
and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan; and what is the
Department's long-term plan for JIEDDO and for addressing other
asymmetric threats?
The subcommittee found that although the nearly 3,100-
person strong JIEDDO spends over $4.0 billion annually, and it
reports significant progress in the counter-IED (C-IED) fight,
it is not clear how well the organization is accomplishing its
mission. The subcommittee found that JIEDDO: does not actively
lead all DOD C-IED efforts, as its charter calls for; needs
improvement in identifying appropriate metrics and
measurements; and would benefit from additional oversight of
its large budget and flexible appropriations. Moreover,
although the Deputy Secretary of Defense decided to
institutionalize the organization, questions concerning
JIEDDO's future remain. The services and the combatant commands
acknowledge that the capabilities that JIEDDO brings to the C-
IED fight are valuable, but it is not clear whether or how
JIEDDO as an organization will evolve as future disruptive
threats emerge.
The subcommittee made various recommendations to the
Department and its findings of the report contributed to the
committee's oversight of JIEDDO, and force protection, more
generally.
Military Modernization and Investment Issues
Throughout the 110th Congress, particular attention was
given to continuing examination of military equipment
modernization with respect to military capability. In many
cases, major weapons system development and acquisition
programs have experienced cost growth and schedule delays. The
committee assessed the need for legislative action by examining
causes of these problems including: proceeding with development
with immature technology; requirements growth; late
determination of requirements; poor cost estimating; improper
funding profiles; labor and material cost increases; poor
program execution; and program instability.
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008
(Public Law 110-181) included the following legislative
provisions to address acquisition-related cost, schedule, and
performance issues with programs: limitation on use of funds
for Increment 1 of the Warfighter Information Network-Tactical
program pending certification to Congress; prohibition on
closure of Army Tactical Missile System production line pending
a report; report on shipbuilding investment strategy;
assessments required prior to start of construction on first
ship of a shipbuilding program; limitation on Joint Cargo
Aircraft; budget and acquisition requirements for Missile
Defense Agency activities; requirements applicable to multi-
year contracts for the procurement of major systems of the
Department of Defense; changes to Milestone B certifications;
review of systemic deficiencies on major defense acquisition
programs; investment strategy for major defense acquisition
programs; and a report on implementation of recommendations on
total ownership cost for major weapon systems.
The Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417) included the following
legislative provisions to address acquisition-related issues:
separate procurement line items for Future Combat Systems
program; restriction on obligation of funds for Army tactical
radio pending a report; report on F/A-18 procurement costs,
comparing multi-year to annual funding; annual long-term plan
for the procurement of aircraft for the Navy and the Air Force;
additional determinations to be made as part of Future Combat
Systems milestone review; Future Combat Systems manned ground
vehicle selected acquisition reports; separate procurement and
research, development, test, and evaluation line items and
program elements for Sky Warrior Unmanned Aerial Systems
project; restriction on obligation of funds for the Warfighter
Information Network-Tactical program; independent study of
boost-phase missile defense; review of the ballistic missile
defense policy and strategy of the United States; and inclusion
of major subprograms to major defense acquisition programs
under acquisition reporting requirements.
ARMY AND MARINE CORPS ARMORED VEHICLE MODERNIZATION
The committee focused on oversight of the Army and Marine
Corps' ambitious and evolving plans to recapitalize their
entire fleets of armored vehicles over the next two decades,
including new versions of the M1 Abrams tank, updated M2
Bradley Fighting Vehicles, new Stryker Vehicles, research on
the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle, upgrades for Light Armored
Vehicles, and upgrades to Paladin artillery systems. In
particular, the committee focused on ensuring that the existing
fleet of armored vehicles was properly upgraded and reset after
very heavy use in the Republic of Iraq and the Islamic Republic
of Afghanistan. The upgrade programs pursued and supported by
the committee improved crew and vehicle protection, mobility,
and the fleet's ability to use new digital communications
systems. The committee also pursued legislative provisions to
ensure proper testing of the Stryker Mobile Gun System,
additional analysis of active protection systems, and multi-
year procurement authority for a variety of armored vehicle
programs in order to reduce costs and provide program
stability.
FUTURE COMBAT SYSTEMS
Based on long-standing committee concerns about Future
Combat Systems (FCS) program cost increases, schedule delays,
and diminishing content, the committee continued its efforts to
oversee and shape the FCS program. These efforts focused first
on ensuring that the program was appropriately structured and
sufficiently transparent to allow future Congresses to make
informed decisions. In particular, the Duncan Hunter National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-
417) contained six legislative provisions intended to provide
additional program information to Congress while requiring the
Department of Defense to thoroughly review and test the
program's elements prior to committing to production. The
committee also advocated for modest program funding reductions
in order to eliminate waste and unnecessary overhead. Finally,
the committee continued to work with the Government
Accountability Office and Congressional Budget Office to
conduct continuous oversight and evaluation of the Army's most
costly modernization program in its history.
ARMY COMMUNICATIONS PROGRAMS
Due to a dramatic increase in Army spending on tactical
communications systems in fiscal years 2008 and 2009, the
committee pursued a combination of program budget reductions
and restrictive legislative provisions in an effort to
encourage the Army to clarify its plans for its future
battlefield network and the research programs now in place to
achieve it. In particular, the committee focused its oversight
efforts on the Warfighter Information Network-Tactical (WIN-T),
Joint Network Node (JNN), and Army tactical radio programs. In
each case, the committee's oversight efforts identified a lack
of clear requirements, unrealistic cost estimates, and the lack
of an overall plan to integrate these program elements in the
future. The committee's efforts led the Army to consolidate and
streamline the WIN-T and JNN programs into one integrated
program, and to reevaluate more than $2.0 billion in funding
for Army tactical radios, pending more thorough Army analysis
about tactical radio acquisition and its relation to the Army's
future battlefield network, allowing the Army to reallocate
those funds to more pressing needs.
ARMY AVIATION PROGRAMS
As the Army sustained operations in the Republic of Iraq
and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan during the 110th
Congress, it maintained large numbers of legacy rotorcraft
deployed to those theaters and operated those aircraft at high
tempos. Aircraft deployed included the CH-47, UH-60, AH-64, and
OH-58. The committee fully supported funding requirements for
these aircraft, including research and development and
procurement of significant aircraft survivability equipment
upgrades to provide warning and protection against the
insurgent surface-to-air missile threat.
Oversight hearings on Army programs raised significant
concerns about three programs. First, the Armed Reconnaissance
Helicopter (ARH), projected to cost $6.3 billion as of December
2007, came to the attention of the committee because of delays
in delivery of test aircraft and the accidental loss of one of
the test aircraft. In the first session of the 110th Congress,
the committee concluded that significant costs increases and
schedule delays no longer justified continuing the program, as
it could no longer be executed without significant increases in
costs and schedule delays. The committee report (H. Rept. 110-
146) accompanying the National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2008 provided no funding in fiscal year 2008 for
the ARH and recommended program cancellation. While the program
was ultimately authorized by the National Defense Authorization
Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181), the program
continued to experience cost increases and schedule delays, and
was cancelled by the Department of Defense in 2008.
The second program of concern to the committee was the
Joint Heavy Lift/Joint Future Theater Lift program. In response
to a reprogramming action in 2008, the committee approved the
Department's request, but noted that while the committee
supports science and technology efforts to develop and test
next generation rotorcraft capabilities, the DOD has funded
this program primarily through reprogramming actions over a
five year period. The committee observed that the services have
yet to establish validated requirements for this program that
might ultimately cost $50.0 billion to $75.0 billion. While the
Department of Defense estimates the cost of pre-systems design
and demonstration activities through fiscal year 2014 at $2.3
billion, it has not formally budgeted any funding to meet the
requirement. The committee expects to continue its close
oversight of this program into the 111th Congress.
Finally, the committee has been concerned about delays in
fielding the Advanced Threat Infrared Countermeasures (ATIRCM)/
Common Missile Warning System program which was intended to
provide warning and protection of rotorcraft from threat
surface to air missiles and has been in development since the
mid-1990s. In the committee report (H. Rept. 110-652)
accompanying the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization
Act for Fiscal Year 2009, the committee noted that the
Department had fielded other laser-based countermeasures and
was considering developing additional technologies that could
significantly reduce the size and weight of this capability
when compared to current systems. Given the delays in the
fielding of ATIRCM, the committee encouraged the Department to
take immediate steps to accelerate the fielding of laser-based
countermeasures for the protection of Army rotary aircraft in
theater. The committee directed the Secretary of Defense to
submit a report to the congressional defense committees on
laser-based surface-to-air missile countermeasures across the
Department.
SHIPBUILDING PROGRAMS
During the 110th Congress, the committee investigated a
series of significant challenges in Navy shipbuilding and ship
modernization programs including modernization efforts in major
shipyards and control of spiraling acquisition costs. The
Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces held a
hearing on March 20, 2007, to investigate the need for the
government to invest in capital improvements at major shipyards
which might lower total acquisition costs and life cycle costs
of naval vessels. Witnesses included Vice Admiral Paul
Sullivan, Commander, Naval Sea Systems Command, Ms. Allison
Stiller, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Ship Programs,
Mr. Mike Petters, President, Northrop Grumman Newport News
Shipyard, and Mr. Mike Toner, Corporate Vice President, General
Dynamics Ship Sector. The subcommittee also held a hearing on
March 8, 2007, concerning submarine acquisition plans and
policy to determine the earliest time that the Virginia-class
submarine program could increase production to two submarines
per year. Witnesses at that hearing included Vice Admiral Jay
Donnelly, Commander, Naval Submarine Forces, and Rear Admiral
William Hilarides, Program Executive Officer, Submarines.
The Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces
conducted a series of hearings and briefings on the Littoral
Combat Ship (LCS) program during both sessions. Hearings were
held on February 8, 2007, and July 24, 2007, with a follow-on
briefing conducted April 23, 2008. Witnesses at these hearings
and briefings included the Honorable Delores Etter, Assistant
Secretary of the Navy, Research, Development, and Acquisition,
Rear Admiral Charles Goddard, Program Executive Officer, Ships
Programs, Vice Admiral Paul Sullivan, Commander, Naval Sea
Systems Command, and Ms. Allison Stiller, Deputy Assistant
Secretary of the Navy, Ship Programs. Additionally, the
subcommittee held two separate hearings on surface combatant
programs to investigate Navy acquisition strategies and war-
fighting requirements for procurement of DDG 51 Burke-class
destroyers or DDG 1000 Zumwalt-class destroyers. Hearings were
held on March 14, 2008, and July 31, 2008.
The committee enacted several initiatives in the National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-
181) addressing many issues directly affecting efficient ship
construction, including: authorization for multi-year
procurement of Virginia-class submarines; a requirement for a
detailed analysis of shipbuilding investment strategies; a
requirement for the Secretary of the Navy to personally certify
completion of development and design of new classes of ship
prior to the start of production; and a modification of cost
controls for the LCS program.
Additional provisions relating to Navy shipbuilding were
also enacted in the Duncan Hunter National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417),
including a provision restructuring cost controls for the LCS
program and authorization for construction in advance of
authorization for submarines included in the multi-year
procurement contract authorized in the previous fiscal year.
FIGHTER FORCE STRUCTURE ADEQUACY
During the 110th Congress, the committee investigated the
adequacy of fighter force structure in both the Navy and the
Air Force. The Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary
Forces and the Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces held a joint
hearing on March 22, 2007. The Navy witness testified that the
Navy predicts a shortfall of 60-90 strike fighters that could
begin in 2010 and peak at 82-226 aircraft in 2013 to 2016. The
Navy witness also testified that the Navy had hoped to mitigate
this shortfall by extending the F/A-18 A through D fleets to
10,000 hours and increasing procurement of the Joint Strike
Fighter. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
2008 (Public Law 110-181) authorized both Navy and Air Force
requests for the procurement of new fighter aircraft, including
F/A-18E/Fs and EA-18Gs for the Navy, F-22s for the Air Force,
and F-35s for both the Navy and the Air Force.
On March 11, 2008, the Subcommittee on Seapower and
Expeditionary Forces and the Subcommittee on Air and Land
Forces held a joint hearing on fiscal year 2009 Navy and Air
Force aviation programs. At this hearing, Navy witnesses noted
that inventory objective reductions, delays in procurement of
the JSF, and F/A-18A through D service life limits combine to
create a projected Navy strike fighter shortfall of 60-125
aircraft between the years 2016 and 2022. The most optimistic
projected peak is a 125-strike fighter aircraft shortfall in
2017. Also at this hearing, Air Force witnesses described a
requirement for 2250 fighter aircraft to meet National Military
Strategy requirements, and noted that current budget plans
would result in shortfalls beginning in 2017 and growing to
about 800 fighter aircraft by 2024. The Duncan Hunter National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-
417) authorized budget requests for all Navy and Air Force new
fighter aircraft procurement, and existing fighter aircraft
modifications, except a decrease of one F-35 in each of the
Navy and Air Force F-35 budget requests. Additionally, Public
Law 110-417 provided a $523.0 million increase for the advance
procurement of 20 Air Force F-22 aircraft in fiscal year 2010.
Public Law 110-417 also mandated an annual report to Congress
on the Navy and Air Force 30-year plan for the procurement of
aircraft.
JOINT STRIKE FIGHTER
During the 110th Congress, the committee continued
oversight of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Program,
particularly the competitive propulsion system program. The JSF
competitive propulsion system program is developing the F136
engine, which would eventually provide JSF customers a
competitive choice between the existing F135 engine and the
F136 engine. Congress has supported this initiative since 1995,
but the Department of Defense had not included funding for the
competitive propulsion system program in its budget requests
since 2006. The Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary
Forces and the Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces held a joint
hearing on March 22, 2007. At that hearing, the Department of
Defense's Cost Analysis Improvement Group witness testified
that it would cost about $300.0 million more for the Department
to develop an alternate JSF engine than to continue with a sole
source engine program. The Institute for Defense Analyses
witness testified that competition would need to save about 18
percent of total procurement and operations and support costs
to make the alternate engine cost effective. The Government
Accountability Office (GAO) witness testified that 10 to 12
percent savings would need to be achieved through competition,
but that, based on savings of 21 percent in the competition for
the F-16's F100 and F110 engines, this savings is achievable in
the JSF engine program. The committee enacted an initiative in
the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008
(Public Law 110-181) that required the Department of Defense to
obligate and expend funds for development of a JSF competitive
propulsion system. The National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2008 also authorized an increase of $480.0 million
for continued development of the JSF competitive propulsion
system.
On March 11, 2008, the Subcommittees on Seapower and
Expeditionary Forces and Air and Land Forces held a joint
hearing on fiscal year 2009 Navy and Air Force aviation
programs. The Department of Defense witness testified that the
Department did not support a competitive propulsion system
program for the JSF because the Department believes that those
funds could be used for higher Department of Defense
priorities. The GAO witness testified that an additional $3.5
billion to $4.5 billion would be required to develop, produce,
and sustain a competitive JSF engine; however potential
advantages from a competitive strategy could result in savings
equal to or exceeding that amount across the life cycle of the
engine. The GAO's updated cost analysis suggests that a savings
of 9 to 11 percent--about 2 percent less than what the GAO
estimated last year--would recoup that investment. The Duncan
Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009
(Public Law 110-417) authorized a $495.0 million increase for
continued development of the JSF competitive propulsion system
and an increase of $35.0 million for the long-lead procurement
of F136 engines.
F-22
During the 110th Congress, the committee continued
oversight of the Air Force F-22 procurement program. Fiscal
year 2009 is the final year of a three-year, 60-aircraft
multiyear procurement program that would result in a Department
of Defense-approved force structure of 183 F-22 aircraft. The
Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces and the
Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces held a joint hearing on
March 22, 2007. At that hearing, the Air Force witness
testified that the Air Force requires 381 F-22 aircraft to meet
requirements of the National Military Strategy. The National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-
181) authorized the Air Force request of $3.2 billion for 20 F-
22s and $426.7 million for the advance procurement of 20 F-22s
in fiscal year 2009.
On March 11, 2008, the Subcommittee on Seapower and
Expeditionary Forces and the Subcommittee on Air and Land
Forces held a joint hearing on fiscal year 2009 Navy and Air
Force aviation programs. At this hearing, the Department of
Defense (DOD) witness indicated that 183 F-22A aircraft is the
best trade-off between cost and capability. Additionally, he
testified that further funds for the F-22A program would be
best spent in modernizing the 183-aircraft inventory rather
than procuring additional aircraft. The Duncan Hunter National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-
417) authorized the budget request of $2.9 billion for 20 F-22
aircraft, and authorized an increase of $523.0 million for the
advance procurement of 20 additional F-22s in fiscal year 2010.
Public Law 110-417 also included a provision that restricted
the obligation of the $523.0 million to $140.0 million until
the President certifies, by March 1, 2009, that either
additional F-22s should be procured or the F-22 production line
should be closed.
On November 18, 2008, the Subcommittee on Air and Land
Forces held an F-22 hearing to address committee concerns that
the Department of Defense was not complying with the spirit and
intent of the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2009 by not obligating the entire $140.0
million and thereby resulting in higher F-22 costs should the
next President decide to continue F-22 production. The
Department of Defense witness indicated that the Department
intended to obligate advance procurement for four F-22 aircraft
in November 2008, with an option for 16 additional aircraft,
providing an adequate bridge until at least January, 2009,
without imposing significant additional costs on the taxpayer
for any future course of action.
B-52 BOMBER FORCE STRUCTURE
The 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) directed the Air
Force to reduce the B-52 bomber force to 56 aircraft and use
the savings to fully modernize the remaining B-52 bombers, B-1
bombers, and B-2 bombers to support global strike operations.
The committee believed that the B-52 combat coded force
structure of 44 was insufficient to meet combatant commander
requirements for conventional long-range strike, if the need
should arise to conduct near simultaneous operations in two
major regional conflicts. The committee noted that the 2006 QDR
indicated that the Air Force planned to modernize and upgrade
only 56 of the total 76 B-52 aircraft in the inventory. The
committee strongly opposed an Air Force strategy to reduce
capability for conventional long-range strike capability
without a replacement long-range strike aircraft projected to
achieve initial operational capability until well into the
future.
As a result, the National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181) prohibited the Secretary
of the Air Force from placing any of the 76 B-52 bomber
aircraft into a storage status.
KC-135R AERIAL REFUELING AIRCRAFT RECAPITALIZATION
The committee continued to support the Air Force's number
one acquisition program of tanker recapitalization, believing
that the ability for aerial refueling during military
operations is a critical capability in meeting National
Military Strategy objectives. The committee notes that
recapitalization of the KC-135 fleet of 415 aircraft, currently
delayed 7 years because of failures internal to the Pentagon's
acquisition system, once initiated, will take over 30 years to
complete based on current budget constraints and other
Department of Defense priorities that require significant
funding.
Given this timeline and the continuing difficulty with this
procurement, the committee was disappointed that the Air Force
was unable to successfully conduct a source-selection to award
a contract during the span of the two-year congressional
session due to yet another flawed procurement process. The
Secretary of Defense indefinitely suspended the KC-(X)
competition on September 10, 2008.
INTER/INTRA-THEATER AIRLIFT PROGRAMS
On September 27, 2007, the Secretary of the Air Force
notified Congress that the C-5 Reliability Enhancement and Re-
engining Program (RERP) experienced a critical Nunn-McCurdy
cost growth. On February 14, 2008, the Undersecretary of
Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (USD (AT&L))
certified the C-5 RERP program to Congress during the Nunn-
McCurdy process. The committee understood that USD (AT&L)
concluded that a program to perform RERP on only 52 C-5B/C
aircraft and perform only the Avionics Modernization Program on
the remaining 59 C-5A aircraft was the most cost-effective
solution to meet airlift requirements contained in the 2005
Mobility Capabilities Study (MCS).
In testimony to the Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces on
March 11, 2008, USD (AT&L) stated that the 2005 MCS concluded
that a ``fleet of 112 modernized C-5s, provided sufficient
strategic airlift capacity'' to meet the Department's future
airlift requirements. However, on April 1, 2008, written
testimony from the Commander, Air Mobility Command to the
Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces stated that ``the current
program for 190 C-17s, 52 RERP modified C-5s, and 59 legacy C-
5As will not quite provide the organic strategic airlift
capacity of 33.95 million ton miles per day specified by the
Joint Requirements Oversight Council.
The committee concluded that the MCS used by the Department
to make critical decisions concerning the C-17 production line
was inadequate because the MCS: did not take into account the
end strength increases of 92,000 personnel for the Army and
Marine Corps; did not consider any mobility requirements of the
Army's Future Combat Systems and Modularity concepts of
employment; did not consider the fact that the Army Manned-
Ground Vehicle is too large to be transported by a C-130
aircraft; did not consider the 159 percent over-utilization
rate of the current fleet of C-17 aircraft; did not consider
the use of C-17s in multi-use roles for which the C-17 is being
used extensively in current operations; and, did not have or
use historical mobility forces operational data in its analysis
to verify actual mobility requirements and operations.
As a result, the committee included a provision in the
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public
Law 110-181) that requires the Secretary of Defense to perform
an inter/intra-theater airlift capabilities and requirements
study. In addition, Congress authorized $4.4 billion for
procurement of 14 additional C-17s in title XV of the National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-
181) and title XV of the Duncan Hunter National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417).
Concerning intra-theater airlift programs, the committee
questioned whether the Joint Cargo Aircraft (JCA) is needed to
fulfill Department of Defense intra-theater airlift
requirements, and whether the Army or Air Force should operate
the platform. As a result, the National Defense Authorization
Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181) restricted the
program from obligating or expending appropriated funds until
submission of six Department of Defense initiated studies to
the congressional defense committees.
On April 1, 2008, the Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces
received testimony from the Commander, Air Mobility Command
stating that the JCA is 60 to 70 percent less cost-effective
than the C-130J in performing missions considered in the 2005
Mobility Capabilities Study.
After thorough oversight of the program during the second
session of the 110th Congress, the committee concluded that
funding for JCA should be redirected for procurement of
additional C-130J aircraft to support future missions of the
Air Force and Air National Guard, and included language in the
Joint Explanatory Statement (Committee Print 10) accompanying
the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 2009 strongly encouraging the Secretary of the Air Force
to take such action.
INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE (ISR) PROGRAMS
Throughout the 110th Congress, the committee continued to
provide close oversight over myriad intelligence, surveillance,
and reconnaissance (ISR) programs included throughout the
Department of Defense. Long-standing concerns of the committee
included: lack of oversight and management by the Office of the
Secretary of Defense of the military services' programs; lack
of an adequate long-term ISR architecture and acquisition
strategy; failure of the Joint Capabilities Integration and
Development System to fulfill its role in screening proposed
programs from the services and commands; lack of supporting
analysis for programmatic decisions; failure to balance
collection programs data output with adequate resources to
process, exploit, and disseminate data and analysis; and
unnecessary proliferation of unmanned and manned vehicles,
sensors, and ground stations.
In the committee report (H. Report 110-146) accompanying
the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008,
the committee directed that the Secretary of Defense review and
determine whether the designation of one military department as
executive agent for unmanned aerial systems (UAS) would serve
as the best means for eliminating duplication of effort and
enhancing interoperability. In lieu of establishing an
executive agent for UAS, the Department created a UAS Task
Force in October 2007, to coordinate critical UAS issues and to
develop a way ahead to enhance operations, enable inter-
dependencies, and streamline acquisition.
The committee continued to be concerned that joint
requirements be integrated to provide required capabilities to
warfighters as efficiently and effectively as possible. In the
committee report (H. Rept. 110-652) accompanying the Duncan
Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009,
the committee directed the Secretary of Defense to report by
March 15, 2009, on his determination of the appropriate mix of
national overhead systems and manned and unmanned airborne
platforms to achieve strategic goals that is based on an
analysis of future ISR demand, and a comprehensive set of
metrics to assess ISR effectiveness in meeting the Department's
strategic goals. Further, the Secretary was asked to ensure the
report be consistent with and reflect the Secretary's efforts
to comply with section 942 of the National Defense
Authorization Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-181) and include
detailed recommendations on how funding authorizations and
appropriations can be structured to support a fully integrated
ISR architecture. Finally, the committee directed the Secretary
to include information in all future funding requests that
explains how each request fits into the Department's ISR
architecture without unnecessarily duplicating or overlapping
with existing systems or capabilities.
In its consideration of the Department's reprogramming
request (FY08-33 PA) in July 2008, for $1.26 billion in ISR-
related programs and projects, the committee expressed its
support for the increased emphasis the Department was placing
on ISR capabilities by planning to field improved capabilities,
but expressed concern that the reprogramming would negatively
impact other required capabilities and replicated deficiencies
evident in command and control of current ISR assets. The
committee expressed its intent to closely follow the execution
of the numerous ISR programs covered in the reprogramming.
SPACE PROGRAMS
With the Chinese decision to test a direct ascent anti-
satellite weapon in January 2007, the committee expanded its
oversight of the policies and programs associated with the
protection of national security space assets. Committee members
regularly received highly classified briefings on threats to
our space assets and space security issues, and the committee's
oversight was coordinated with the House Permanent Select
Committee on Intelligence. The committee's recognition of the
expanding role of space in military operations and increasing
threats led to a requirement in the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181) for
the Secretary of Defense, in conjunction with the Director of
National Intelligence, to develop a space protection strategy
that would identify the capabilities necessary to ensure
freedom of action in space for the United States. This strategy
was prepared jointly by the Department of Defense and the
intelligence community, and delivered to the committee during
the summer of 2008. The committee was encouraged by the
cooperation between the ``black'' and ``white'' space
communities that was engendered to produce this strategy.
In addition, particular attention was given to efforts that
increase the responsiveness of space capabilities to meet the
evolving needs of the warfighter. The committee has been at the
forefront of encouraging the Department to develop low-cost,
rapid reaction, operationally responsive space (ORS) satellite
and launch capabilities that can provide prompt, focused space
support to warfighters in their theaters of operations and more
rapidly fill the void that exists between space science,
technology efforts, and operational space requirements
development. The committee has closely monitored the
development of the ORS program and is encouraged by the
interest combatant commands have shown in meeting military
requirements through low-cost ORS solutions.
With a number of military space programs behind schedule
and over cost, the committee continued its oversight of
national security space acquisitions. The committee continued
tracking the performance of several high profile space programs
including the Transformational Satellite Communications System,
Space Radar, Space-Based Infrared System High, and National
Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System, and
tasked the Government Accountability Office to examine several
of these programs and the cost estimating processes employed by
the Department.
In an effort to more clearly establish the requirement for
protected communications using satellites, the committee
included a provision in the Duncan Hunter National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417)
requiring the Secretary of Defense and the Director of National
Intelligence to jointly review the bandwidth capacity
requirements.
Committee delegations visited the United States Strategic
Command and several military installations to gain insight into
warfighter needs and the integration of space in military
operations, as well as service laboratories and industry sites
to assess technology development in tactical satellites,
responsive launch vehicles, and progress on major space
acquisition programs.
MISSILE DEFENSE PROGRAMS
In addition to the annual Missile Defense Agency oversight
hearings, the committee focused significant attention on
evaluating the Administration's proposal to deploy a long-range
missile defense interceptor site in the Republic of Poland and
an X-band radar site in the Czech Republic to defend against a
potential Iranian long-range missile threat. As a result of
this evaluation, the committee imposed specific conditions in
the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417) that must be met before the
proposed deployment could proceed.
The committee also examined options to improve the role
that the warfighter plays in the missile defense development
and requirements processes. In the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181),
the committee directed an independent assessment of the Missile
Defense Agency to study the future roles and missions of the
agency. The assessment, conducted by the Institute for Defense
Analysis, made a number of recommendations as to how the agency
can be made more effective to support the needs of the
warfighter, especially with regard to near-term missile defense
requirements.
The committee conducted consultations with combatant
commands to discuss the roles that the commands play in the
missile defense development process. It also received a
briefing from the Joint Staff on the Joint Capabilities Mix
Study II, which examined the near-term missile defense
inventory requirements of regional combatant commanders.
Finally, the committee continued its longstanding discussions
with the military services and the Missile Defense Agency to
review plans to transition individual ballistic missile defense
elements from the Missile Defense Agency to the military
services.
CONVENTIONAL PROMPT GLOBAL STRIKE AND HARD AND DEEPLY BURIED TARGET
DEFEAT
The committee considered the Department of Defense's
efforts to develop a conventional prompt global strike (CPGS)
capability. The Subcommittees on Strategic Forces, Terrorism,
Unconventional Threats and Capabilities, and Seapower and
Expeditionary Forces held a classified briefing on the National
Academy of Sciences interim report on CPGS on July 24, 2007.
This briefing and continued committee oversight resulted in the
inclusion of a provision in the National Defense Authorization
Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181) which required a
research, development, and testing plan and a plan for
obligation of funds for fiscal year 2008 including correlations
between technology applications and the prompt global strike
alternative or alternatives toward which the technology
application applied. In the Duncan Hunter National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417),
the committee included a provision which requires additional
reporting to maintain transparency in the CPGS program and
requires a review of all CPGS concepts being considered,
including the policy, legal, and treaty-related issues
associated with each.
The committee also conducted oversight on the Department of
Defense's Hard and Deeply Buried Target Defeat (HDBTD) program.
The Subcommittees on Strategic Forces and Terrorism,
Unconventional Threats and Capabilities held a joint classified
briefing on HDBTD on October 3, 2007. The committee directed
the Department of Defense to continue to coordinate and pursue
HDBTD capabilities and modified the congressional reporting
requirements on these efforts with section 1041 of the National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-
181).
CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL DEFENSE PROGRAM
During the 110th Congress, the committee continued to
provide oversight of the Department of Defense Chemical
Biological Defense (CBD) program and maintained a special focus
on the Department's Transformational Medical Technology
Initiative (TMTI).
The committee monitored the Department's implementation of
the 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) with regard to these
programs and recommended a number of funding increases and
decreases to various CBD efforts. With respect to the QDR
recommendations, the committee reviewed the development of both
traditional and broad-spectrum medical countermeasures for
combating chemical and biological threats, including:
collective protection and exposure avoidance; rapid detection
and early warning; training and decontamination; and advanced
research in vaccine and prophylaxis development.
In accordance with a concurrent review of the QDR, the
committee recommended several funding increases for CBD science
and technology efforts in the respective reports accompanying
both the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
2008 (Public Law 110-181) and the Duncan Hunter National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-
417). In addition, the Joint Explanatory Statement (Committee
Print 10) accompanying the Duncan Hunter National Defense
Authorization Act for 2009 recommended a significant reduction
from the requested amount of funding for the TMTI initiative,
and cited both development and delivery delays in the program.
More generally, the committee maintained an interest in the
effectiveness of the Department's consequence management
efforts and its integration with other chemical and biological
consequence management activities throughout the federal
government. As a result, at the recommendation of the
Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and
Capabilities, the committee authorized the Comptroller General
to assess the planning and integration of federal consequence
management efforts involving chemical, biological,
radiological, nuclear, and high-yield explosives.
Military Applications of Nuclear Energy
As the nation's nuclear weapons arsenal continues to age,
the committee has closely examined policy options for continued
stewardship of our nuclear deterrent forces. One of the
committee's primary objectives has been to foster and help
frame a high-level discussion of nuclear weapons policy. This
objective led to provisions in the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181)
that established a congressionally appointed bipartisan
commission to reevaluate the U.S. strategic posture and
requires the next administration to submit a new Nuclear
Posture Review with the 2009 Quadrennial Defense Review.
The Subcommittee on Strategic Forces continued its
intensive oversight of the National Nuclear Security
Administration (NNSA), the organization within the Department
of Energy (DOE) responsible for the safety, security, and
reliability of United States nuclear weapons. Committee members
and staff visited every laboratory and site within the NNSA
nuclear weapons complex. The subcommittee was briefed regularly
on the proposed Reliable Replacement Warhead (RRW) program as
well as the broader Stockpile Stewardship Program, and took
numerous classified briefings regarding specific areas of
concern.
Issues identified during these briefings and visits led the
committee to impose limitations on the proposed RRW program
that were included in the National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181). This Act also
included requirements that the NNSA examine the feasibility of
using existing pits in refurbished weapons within the RRW
program; that the Department of Energy and the General
Accountability Office examine alternatives for providing and
managing protective forces for DOE sites with special nuclear
materials; and that the NNSA prepare and maintain an investment
plan for addressing physical and cyber security threats to the
nuclear weapons complex.
The subcommittee also conducted oversight of the Department
of Energy's management of defense nuclear waste and defense
environmental management activities, including critical cleanup
activities at the Hanford Site in Washington State and the
Savannah River Site in South Carolina, as well as the
Miamisburg Mound Closure Project in Ohio. In addition, the
subcommittee regularly reviewed the Department's efforts to
consolidate and dispose of special nuclear materials. Concerns
about the plutonium disposition program led to a requirement in
the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417) that the mixed-oxide fuel
manufacturing facility at the Savannah River Site be managed
and executed by the NNSA.
Nuclear Surety
On August 30, 2007, the Air Force performed an unauthorized
transfer of nuclear weapons from Minot Air Force Base in North
Dakota to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. This extremely
troubling incident began a series of oversight activities
focused on understanding and correcting the erosion of nuclear
competence within the Air Force.
In September 2007, committee staff traveled to Minot Air
Force Base to investigate this incident. On November 1, 2007,
the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces was briefed on the
commander-directed investigation into the unauthorized transfer
by Major General Douglas Raaberg, Director of Air and Space
Operations for Air Force Air Combat Command.
On August 1, 2006, Defense Distribution Depot Hill, Utah
initiated a shipment to the Republic of China on Taiwan of what
was believed to be four helicopter batteries in order to fill a
foreign military sales order. The items shipped had been
misidentified, however, and were actually four classified MK-12
forward section reentry vehicle assemblies, which are used on
the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile.
On March 25, 2008, Admiral Kirkland Donald, Director of
Naval Nuclear Propulsion was directed by the Secretary of
Defense to conduct an investigation into the facts and
circumstances surrounding the accountability for, and shipment
of, sensitive missile components to Taiwan in August 2006. On
April 3, 2008, the committee received an initial briefing on
this incident. On June 18, 2008, the committee received a
briefing by Admiral Kirkland Donald on the results of his
investigation into shipments of sensitive missile components to
Taiwan.
As a result of these oversight activities, the committee
agreed to include a provision in the Duncan Hunter National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-
417) that expressed the sense of Congress that the Secretary of
Defense should clarify the lines of responsibility and
accountability for nuclear weapons matters within the Office of
the Secretary of Defense to place greater emphasis on strategic
and nuclear weapons policy and management.
Special Operations
During the 110th Congress, the committee continued
oversight of issues related to the United States capacity and
capability in counter-terrorism response. The committee devoted
substantial attention to the planned expansion of the Special
Operations Forces (SOF) as called for by the 2006 Quadrennial
Defense Review in response to the challenges of prosecuting the
ongoing Global War on Terror. On January 31, 2007, the
Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and
Capabilities held a hearing to assess the manning, equipping,
and readiness of the Special Operations Forces. In a related
hearing held on February 14, 2007, the subcommittee received
testimony on the global terrorist threat confronting the
Department of Defense and Special Operations Command (SOCOM).
The members of the subcommittee also received a classified
briefing which further examined the nature of terrorist groups
and networks and the Department's engagement of those groups
and networks. Additionally, the subcommittee held a series of
briefings focused on special operations activities in several
geographic regions including: the Republic of Iraq, the Islamic
Republic of Afghanistan, the Republic of the Phillipines, the
Republic of Colombia, and the nations encompassing the Horn of
Africa. These briefings, supported by the Theater Special
Operations Commands, provided the committee with updated
information of SOF activities and challenges they face around
the globe.
The committee made significant contributions to assist the
special operations community with meeting their emerging
requirements of global SOF operations. In section 1202 of the
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public
Law 110-181) and section 1208 of the Duncan Hunter National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-
417), the committee extended and expanded the authority to
provide assistance to foreign and irregular forces, groups, or
individuals supporting or facilitating SOF operations to combat
terrorism. The authority extended the operational lifetime for
the assistance and expanded the amount of funds authorized for
use.
As a result of the fiscal year 2008 posture hearing and
follow-on SOCOM budget and acquisition discussions, the
committee included in the National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181) a provision to codify
the position of the acquisition executive at Special Operations
Command. This section clarifies that the same individual may
act as both acquisition executive and senior procurement
executive.
Chemical Demilitarization Program
The committee continued its oversight activities of the
chemical demilitarization (Chem-Demil) program during the 110th
Congress. Established by the Department of Defense
Authorization Act, 1986 (Public Law 99-145) and directed by
many subsequent laws, the Chem-Demil program is designed to
eliminate chemical warfare materiel and former production
facilities and consists of two components: the Assembled
Chemical Weapons Alternatives program and the efforts of the
Chemical Materials Agency.
The committee continued the efforts of the 109th Congress
and monitored the Department of Defense's compliance with the
Convention on Prohibition of the Development, Production,
Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and Their Destruction
(i.e., the Chemical Weapons Convention, or CWC). Despite ample
evidence of long-term technical and funding issues, political
and environmental controversies, and persistent legal
challenges, the committee monitored successful Chem-Demil
activities during the 110th Congress that resulted in a 50
percent reduction in the total of the declared CWC U.S.
chemical stockpile.
Science, Technology, Environment, And Energy Issues
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
During the 110th Congress, the committee focused on the
commitment of the Department of Defense (DOD) to invest in
science and technology (S&T) initiatives. Defined as the
disciplines of both basic and applied research and advanced
development, DOD S&T funding initiatives constitute the core of
research and development relevant to distant yet emerging
military requirements.
Committee oversight activities during the 110th Congress
highlighted the virtues of a successful S&T investment posture
and noted that such a strategy often leads to advanced, leap-
ahead technology products. During meetings, briefings and
hearings, the committee reminded DOD representatives that
previous S&T efforts eventually produced stealth, precision-
guided weaponry, and information exchange capabilities decades
after initial investment and subsequent and sustained efforts
to fund both science and engineering exploration. The committee
further reminded DOD officials that such investments ideally
should remain both unfettered by the need to produce immediate
results and free from any pressure to justify near-term
programmatic relevance. The committee therefore urged DOD
officials to support initiatives designed to improve the
overall level of understanding within the respective fields of
science and engineering as they pertain to military-related
challenges.
Pursuant to such goals, the Subcommittee on Terrorism,
Unconventional Threats and Capabilities held both meetings and
hearings designed to ensure that the Department executed a
properly balanced S&T program aimed at addressing the evolving
needs of the military. For example, the Subcommittee on
Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities held a
hearing on April 24, 2008, to explore and assess the viability
of cultural and behavioral awareness initiatives as a non-
traditional or ``irregular warfare'' solution for improving
operations in the Republic of Iraq and the Islamic Republic of
Afghanistan.
During the 110th Congress the committee also promoted
legislative solutions designed to encourage prototyping,
demonstrations, and other rapid fielding initiatives. Sections
1107 through 1109 of the Duncan Hunter National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417),
for example, required and authorized the Secretary of Defense
to pursue and implement novel personnel management approaches
throughout the DOD S&T enterprise. Perhaps most important,
section 219 of the National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181) authorized a four-year
pilot program authorizing the Secretary of Defense to permit
directors of DOD labs to utilize up to three percent of
available funding for innovative research and development,
technology transition, and workforce development activities.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
The committee focused significant attention on the
management and acquisition of Department of Defense information
technology programs. Particular attention was given, but not
limited, to the following: implementation by the Department of
the information security reforms authorized by the E-Government
Act of 2003; the Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996 as a section of the
Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act of 1997 (Public Law
104-208); the role of the Department in the proposed
government-wide cyber-security initiative and the radio
frequency spectrum management effort; and the execution of
numerous provisions in various national defense authorization
acts.
During the 110th Congress, the committee took action on
several key issues. As a result of holding hearings and
briefings on bandwidth and large data management, the committee
included section 1047 of the Duncan Hunter National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417),
which established a joint review requirement for near- and far-
term bandwidth capacity needs within the Department of Defense
and the intelligence community. The committee expects to review
and assess the report with a particular focus on potential
technology innovations designed to increase the use of the
existing bandwidth architecture.
ENVIRONMENT
During the 110th Congress, the committee conducted
oversight of environmental issues resulting from Department of
Defense activities on military installations and training
ranges. On July 12, 2007, the Subcommittee on Readiness held a
hearing to address emerging contaminants and environmental
management on Department of Defense installations. Based on the
committee's findings, the National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181) included a provision
that requires notification of certain residents and civilian
employees of exposure to drinking water contamination at Camp
Lejeune, North Carolina. In addition, the committee included a
provision in the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization
Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417) that provides the
Department of Defense with the authority to participate in
conservation banking programs and expands the Department's
authority to participate in off-installation environmental
impact mitigation. Both aforementioned authorization bills
included provisions addressing the Department's management of
the brown tree snake, an invasive species on Guam.
In the committee report (H. Rept. 110-146) accompanying the
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008, the
committee directed the Secretary of the Navy to report on
actions taken under the authority of the two-year National
Defense Exemption from the Marine Mammal Protection Act (Public
Law 92-522), authorized on January 23, 2007. The committee also
directed the Comptroller General of the United States to report
on whether the Department's exemptions to environmental laws
resulted in a measured increase in military readiness. Building
on the results of these reports and additional congressional
oversight, the committee directed further action in the
committee report (H. Rept. 110-652) accompanying the Duncan
Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009,
including a broad assessment of the ability of the Department
to measure the impacts of encroachment on military readiness.
ENERGY SECURITY
The committee conducted vigorous oversight related to
energy security and closely examined the governing policies and
strategies for energy management on military installations and
for military operations. On March 13, 2008, the Subcommittee on
Readiness received testimony on Department of Defense energy
posture from the Department, the Defense Science Board Task
Force on Energy Strategy, and the Government Accountability
Office. This oversight resulted in several provisions in the
Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417). These provisions established a
Director of Operational Energy Plans and Programs, required
annual reporting on operational energy consumption, provided
for consideration of fuel logistics support requirements in
planning and acquisition processes, and strengthened annual
reporting on installation energy management and oversight for
installation energy projects. The legislation also directed
studies on renewable and alternative energy, risk assessments
on the vulnerability of Department installations and activities
to disruptions in the commercial electricity supply, and a
report on the use of Base Closure and Realignment sites for
energy production facilities.
Homeland Defense and Support to Civil Authorities
The committee remained focused on Department of Defense
(DOD) efforts and requirements related to military support of
civil authorities during the 110th Congress and continued to
assess relationships between the Department of Defense and the
Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the community of state
governors, and other local officials.
Several homeland defense-related legislative provisions
were enacted during the 110th Congress. With respect to so-
called weapons of mass destruction (WMD), section 1082 of the
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public
Law 110-181) required the establishment of an advisory panel to
assess and make recommendations on DOD civil support
capabilities for events involving WMD or chemical, biological,
radiological, and nuclear materials or high-yield explosives.
Furthermore, section 944 of the Duncan Hunter National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417)
established a requirement for the Secretary of Defense to
provide a detailed description of the plans and progress at the
Department and U.S. Northern Command for establishing the force
structure necessary to manage WMD events. In addition, section
885 of Public Law 110-417 provided authority for state and
local governments to purchase specialized homeland security and
emergency response equipment through the Department of Defense.
With respect to inter-departmental coordination for civil
support efforts, at least two provisions were enacted into law
during the 110th Congress (both in Public Law 110-417). First,
section 1042 established a requirement to review the use of the
DOD Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems in support of
wildfire response. Second, section 1036 included a sense of
Congress encouraging the Secretary of Defense to seek an
agreement with the Administrator of the Federal Aviation
Administration to establish an executive committee for a
conflict and dispute resolution of homeland defense-related
issues of mutual concern.
With respect to the relationship between presidential
prerogative and the collective responsibilities resident within
the community of state governors, the committee reviewed the
question of unity of command during public emergencies or a
domestic terrorist incident. Section 1068 of Public Law 110-181
repealed section 1076 of the John Warner National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007 (Public Law 109-364) and
thus re-established the traditional federal deference to a
state governor with respect to the responsibility of providing
and maintaining public order. Still, the Joint Explanatory
Statement (Committee Print 10) accompanying the Duncan Hunter
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public
Law 110-417) referenced support for providing the President
with maximum capability and flexibility when necessary; the
statement further urged the Secretary of Defense negotiate with
the community of state governors and attempt to forge a better
understanding for domestic response incidents.
The committee also focused on force protection measures at
DOD facilities abroad and within the extended boundaries of the
United States, and examined the inter-departmental efforts
between the Department of Defense and the Department of
Homeland Security, especially those between the Department of
the Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard with respect to the maritime
border points of entry. As a result, the committee supported
inclusion of section 1063 of the Duncan Hunter National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417).
Section 1063 requires the Secretary of Defense to provide an
assessment of security measures at the consolidated center of
U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense
Command.
Military Construction
The committee reviewed issues pertaining to military
construction, family housing, and Base Closure and Realignment
activities (BRAC) of the Department of Defense. The
Subcommittee on Readiness held a hearing on March 20, 2007, on
the fiscal year 2008 budget request and a hearing on February
28, 2008, to review military construction, family housing, Base
Closure and Realignment activities, and facility operations and
maintenance. On December 12, 2007, the subcommittee also
received testimony on the cost escalation and decreased savings
associated with BRAC.
As a result of this oversight, a comprehensive review of
the BRAC implementation process was conducted and several
legislative provisions were included. Specifically, the
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public
Law 110-181) provided authority to the Department of Defense to
expedite development of family housing required as a result of
a BRAC action, provided expanded notification requirements
associated with cost and scope variations for military
construction and provided clarity to the Department of Defense
on options available to select the best site that supports the
realignment of forces to Fort Belvoir, Virginia. The Duncan
Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009
(Public Law 110-417) also included a provision that would
provide increased oversight of the National Naval Medical
Center and the Military Hospital at Fort Belvoir. Another
provision that was not adopted in conference would have
significantly altered the composition and functions of future
BRAC commissions.
The committee continued to closely scrutinize the
Department of Defense's global posture realignment efforts and
after appropriate modifications, provided military construction
in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008
(Public Law 110-181) and the Duncan Hunter National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417) to
support these objectives. The committee also conducted a
specific review of the Department of Defense's intent to
realign 8,000 Marines from Japan to Guam. Public Law 110-417
included several provisions that would support the realignment
of Marine Corps assets to Guam including: defining federal
assistance to support Guam; expanding community planning
assistance to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands;
and establishing a unified account to manage the relocation and
establishment of a Port of Guam Improvement Enterprise Program.
Finally, the committee continued its efforts to provide the
combatant commander limited authority to rapidly implement
contingency construction to address emerging construction
requirements. Both the National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181) and the Duncan Hunter
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public
Law 110-417) contained provisions that would authorize the use
of $200 million in Operations and Maintenance funds for
contingency construction. An additional $300 million for
Afghanistan could be authorized in fiscal year 2009 if the
Secretary of Defense certifies that additional authority is
necessary to meet urgent military requirements in Afghanistan.
National Security Aspects of the Merchant Marine
The committee continued strong oversight of the U.S.
Merchant Marine and government agencies tasked with operation
of the U.S. Merchant Marine and programs related to ensuring a
robust U.S. flagged commercial fleet capable of providing
sealift for national defense and national emergencies. The
Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces held a
hearing on March 15, 2007, to determine if the Maritime
Guaranteed Loan Program, commonly referred to as ``Title XI
Loans,'' was being managed by the Maritime Administration of
the Department of Transportation in accordance with the intent
of Congress to maintain a robust domestic commercial
shipbuilding industry to supply vessels for national defense
sealift and other purposes. Witnesses included the Honorable
Sean Connaughton, Administrator, Maritime Administration,
Department of Transportation, as well as a number of shipping
line owners and operators.
The committee enacted several initiatives in the National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-
181) addressing issues involving national sealift and support
for national sealift. Those included: commercial vessel
chartering authority; Maritime Administration vessel chartering
authority; chartering of vessels to local and state
authorities; and a required review of administrative procedures
with respect to the Maritime Guaranteed Loan Program.
The committee also enacted provisions in the Duncan Hunter
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public
Law 110-417) designed to strengthen the nation's sealift
capability. Those included: an increase in authorized incentive
payments to cadet's of the various state maritime academies who
agree to a term of service in the U.S. Merchant Marine; clearer
regulations on security requirements for personnel embarked in
vessels engaged in the carriage of cargo for the Department of
Defense; reauthorization of the Maritime Security Program and
the Maritime Guaranteed Loan Program; temporary authority to
resolve personnel issues at the United States Merchant Marine
Academy; an extension of authorities contained in section 53912
of title 46, United States Code, for marine war risk insurance,
a program to provide assistance to small shipyards and maritime
communities; and establishment of a Port of Guam improvement
program.
OTHER ACTIVITIES OF THE FULL COMMITTEE
Budget Activity
On March 1, 2007, the Committee on Armed Services forwarded
its views and estimates regarding the budget for the National
Defense Budget Function (050) for fiscal year 2008 to the
Committee on the Budget.
The Committee on Armed Services noted that the United
States has vital interests around the globe and that the
Department of Defense serves as one of the primary means by
which by which this nation protects and promotes those
interests. Our military faces the complex task of fighting
current wars in the Republic of Iraq and the Islamic Republic
of Afghanistan, putting a strain on personnel and equipment,
while preparing to deter or fight the next war wherever it
might emerge. Trends indicated an increasing risk in the
ability of the Department of Defense to deal with future
conflicts. The committee argued that Congress must act strongly
in support of national defense to forestall any serious erosion
in our ability to protect and promote our vital national
interests around the world.
The Committee further noted that the central national
security issue Congress must address is that of strategic risk
and that the President's budget request for national defense
was, at most, just sufficient to address the pressing needs of
the Department of Defense and defense-related activities of the
Department of Energy. The committee noted that serious and
urgent funding needs were left unmet in the President's budget,
including: more than $2.0 billion in the Defense Health
Program; significant additional funds for readiness (training
and equipment readiness continue to decline across the
services); $6.3 billion to satisfactorily fund the Army Modular
Force Initiative combat vehicle and communications
modernization requirements; $5.0 billion to fund Navy
Shipbuilding requirements; $5.4 billion to fund the Army and
Marine Corps mine resistant ambush protected vehicle
requirement; and $5.0 billion needed to fund shortfalls in
Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force aircraft requirements.
The committee noted that the President's budget request for
National Defense Budget Function (050) was $647.2 billion for
fiscal year 2008. This total included $483.2 billion for the
base budget of the Department of Defense, $141.4 billion for
the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, $17.4 billion for defense
activities in the Department of Energy, and $5.2 billion for
other defense-related activities. Given the shortfalls
described above, and in more detail in the body of the views
and estimates letter, the committee noted that an increase
above the President's request for defense was fully justified.
However, cognizant of the tremendous budget pressures
throughout the government, the committee requested that the
Budget Resolution allocate discretionary spending at least
equal to the President's budget request for the national
defense budget function.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\After the Committee on Armed Services sent its Views and
Estimate letter to the Committee on the Budget, the Congressional
Budget Office completed its re-estimate of the President's request and
found a $1.9 billion discrepancy. On March 16, 2007, the Committee on
Armed Services provided Additional Views to the Committee on the Budget
asking it to follow traditional practice and use CBO estimates to build
a budget a baseline for the budget resolution.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
On February 27, 2008, the Committee on Armed Services
forwarded its views and estimates regarding the budget for
National Defense Budget Function (050) for fiscal year 2009 to
the Committee on the Budget.
The Committee on Armed Services repeated its position
expressed in the prior year's views and estimates letter that
Congress must act strongly in support of national defense to
forestall any serious erosion in the nation's ability to
protect and promote our vital national interests around the
world. The committee noted that the President's request for the
base budget of the Department of Defense is meant to sustain
warfighting capabilities to conduct the full spectrum of combat
operations and support servicemembers and their families.
However, within the Department's base budget funding
request, the committee highlighted several concerns. First,
with respect to readiness, the committee noted that after six
and one-half years of war, the readiness of our military was
not where it needed to be and that it was critical to the
nation's security that our readiness levels be improved.
Second, with respect to acquisition programs, the committee
noted that all of the military services asserted that the
National Military Strategy creates requirements for some
systems that the base budget request did not adequately fund
and the budget deferred making decisions on important
questions. For example, the Air Force continued to assert that
it had a requirement for 381 F-22s while the budget request did
not include funds to continue out-year production. Third, the
committee noted concerns over matters that impacted military
personnel and their families including proposed increases in
enrollment and deductibles with the TRICARE health program and
the military pharmaceutical program. Finally, the committee
noted concerns that the cooperative threat reduction and
nonproliferation programs should receive sufficient funding.
The committee noted that the President's discretionary
budget request for National Defense Budget Function (050) was
$536.8 billion for fiscal year 2009. This total included $515.4
billion for the base budget of the Department of Defense, a
$70.0 billion bridge fund for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,
$16.1 billion for defense activities in the Department of
Energy, and $5.2 billion for other defense-related activities.
The President's 050 budget request also included another $4.3
billion in mandatory budget authority. Given the concerns
described above, and in more detail in the body of the views
and estimates letter, the committee noted that the President's
base budget request was the minimum level that should be
accommodated in the Budget Resolution.
With respect to the fiscal year 2009 $70.0 billion bridge
funding request, the committee noted that the Administration
provided this as a placeholder in violation of the law which
required a full request at the time of the base budget
submission. In 2007, the Administration included with its
February budget submission a full year fiscal year 2008 war
request for the Department of Defense totaling $142.0 billion
that was subsequently amended to $189.0 billion. The committee
authorized to the amended level. The committee was extremely
dissatisfied that the Administration did not provide a complete
budget request for the known costs of the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan.
The committee anticipated that the amended fiscal year 2009
supplemental request would be substantial and that for the
foreseeable future total funding requirements for the
Department of Defense would remain significant. The committee
noted that over time, given enduring programs currently funded
through supplemental appropriations, there would be greater
need for increased funding in the base budget. The committee
noted that it will continue to advocate for that increased
funding.
Full Committee Hearings
During the 110th Congress, the Committee on Armed Services
held numerous hearings in accordance with its legislative and
oversight roles. These hearings focused on areas including the
budget of the Department of Defense (DOD) and the posture of
the armed services and combatant commands, strategy, the war in
the Republic of Iraq, the war in the Islamic Republic of
Afghanistan, al Qa'ida, interagency reform, readiness,
Department of Defense management, detainee policy, wounded and
injured service members, acquisition policy and industrial base
policy, global security assessment, China, Pakistan, the
Commission on the National Guard and Reserve, force protection,
and electromagnetic pulse. A full account of these hearings is
below.
(H.A.S.C. 110-1; H.A.S.C. 110-2; H.A.S.C. 110-4; H.A.S.C.
110-5; H.A.S.C. 110-7; H.A.S.C. 110-8; H.A.S.C. 110-13;
H.A.S.C. 110-15; H.A.S.C. 110-18; H.A.S.C. 110-21; H.A.S.C.
110-23; H.A.S.C. 110-27; H.A.S.C. 110-29; H.A.S.C. 110-35;
H.A.S.C. 110-40; H.A.S.C. 110-43; H.A.S.C. 110-51; H.A.S.C.
110-53; H.A.S.C. 110-58; H.A.S.C. 110-61; H.A.S.C. 110-62;
H.A.S.C. 110-63; H.A.S.C. 110-67; H.A.S.C. 110-72; H.A.S.C.
110-79; H.A.S.C. 110-80; H.A.S.C. 110-85; H.A.S.C. 110-87;
H.A.S.C. 110-88; H.A.S.C. 110-89; H.A.S.C. 110-91; H.A.S.C.
110-92; H.A.S.C. 110-94; H.A.S.C. 110-97; H.A.S.C. 110-100;
H.A.S.C. 110-103; H.A.S.C. 110-105; H.A.S.C. 110-107; H.A.S.C.
110-108; H.A.S.C. 110-110; H.A.S.C. 110-112; H.A.S.C. 110-114;
H.A.S.C. 110-119; H.A.S.C. 110-122; H.A.S.C. 110-124; H.A.S.C.
110-127; H.A.S.C. 110-133; H.A.S.C. 110-136; H.A.S.C. 110-143;
H.A.S.C. 110-144; H.A.S.C. 110-146; H.A.S.C. 110-148; H.A.S.C.
110-153; H.A.S.C. 110-154; H.A.S.C. 110-156; H.A.S.C. 110-162;
H.A.S.C. 110-164; H.A.S.C. 110-166; H.A.S.C. 110-167; H.A.S.C.
110-170; H.A.S.C. 110-172; H.A.S.C. 110-176)
POSTURE AND BUDGET
During the 110th Congress, the Committee on Armed Services
held multiple hearings on the posture, financial requirements,
and status of the U.S. armed forces as they continue to fight
in several theaters of combat. These hearings, combined with
the committee's responsibility for assembling the annual
defense authorization bill, are a central element in the
discharge of the committee's oversight responsibilities.
During the first session of the 110th Congress, the
committee held a series of budget and posture hearings. On
February 7, 2007, the committee convened a hearing with Robert
M. Gates, Secretary of Defense; General Peter Pace, Chairman of
the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and Tina Jonas, Comptroller of the
Department of Defense, to review the budget request for funding
and authorities during fiscal year 2008.
In addition to this hearing, the committee held posture
hearings in which it sought and received testimony from each of
the military departments. On February 14, 2007, Francis J.
Harvey, Secretary of the Army, and the Chief of Staff of the
Army, General Peter J. Schoomaker, appeared before the
committee to discuss their service's portion of the fiscal year
2008 budget request. They were followed on February 28, 2007 by
Michael W. Wynne, Secretary of the Air Force, and General T.
Michael Moseley, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, who appeared
before the committee to testify on the United States Air
Force's portion of the fiscal year 2008 budget request. The
following month, on March 1, 2007, Donald C. Winter, Secretary
of the Navy; General James T. Conway, Commandant of the Marine
Corps; and Admiral Michael G. Mullen, Chief of Naval
Operations, testified on the budget as it related to the U.S.
Navy and Marine Corps.
In addition to the uniformed services, which are primarily
responsible for training and equipping their respective forces,
commanders of the unified combatant commands appeared before
the committee to discuss the security situation in their
respective areas of responsibility. These hearings began with
testimony from Admiral William J. Fallon, Commander of U.S.
Pacific Command, and General Burwell B. Bell III, Commander of
U.S. Forces Korea, on March 7, 2007. This hearing was followed
one week later by General Bantz J. Craddock, Commander of U.S.
European Command and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
Supreme Allied Commander, and General Lance Smith, Commander of
U.S. Joint Forces Command, on March 15, 2007. On March 21,
2007, the committee received testimony from General James E.
Cartwright, Commander of U.S. Strategic Command; Admiral
Timothy J. Keating, Commander of U.S. Northern Command and
North American Aerospace Defense Command; General Norton A.
Schwartz, Commander of U.S. Transportation Command; and Admiral
James G. Stavridis, Commander of U.S. Southern Command. The
following month, on April 18, 2007, the committee heard
testimony from Admiral William Fallon, Commander of U.S.
Central Command.
During the second session of the 110th Congress in 2008,
the committee continued its tradition of conducting intensive
hearings in preparation of the Duncan Hunter National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417). On
February 6, 2008, the committee received testimony on the
fiscal year 2009 budget request from the Department of Defense.
It heard testimony from Robert M. Gates, Secretary of Defense,
and Admiral Michael G. Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff. On February 27, 2008, Michael W. Wynne, Secretary of the
Air Force, and General T. Michael Moseley, Chief of Staff of
the Air Force, testified on the Air Force's portion of the
fiscal year 2009 budget request. The following day, on February
28, 2008, Pete Geren, Secretary of the Army, and General George
Casey, Jr., Chief of Staff of the Army, testified on the Army's
budget request. The committee concluded its service posture
hearings on March 6, 2008, when Donald C. Winter, Secretary of
the Navy; Admiral Gary Roughead, Chief of Naval Operations; and
General James T. Conway, Commandant of the Marine Corps
testified on the budget request from the U.S. Navy and Marine
Corps.
The committee also received testimony from the unified
combatant commanders on the posture of their commands in 2008.
On March 5, 2008, Admiral William Fallon, Commander of U.S.
Central Command, and Admiral Eric Olson, Commander of U.S.
Special Operations Command, testified before the committee on
the status of their commands. The committee received testimony
on March 12, 2008 from Admiral Timothy J. Keating, Commander of
U.S. Pacific Command; and General Burwell B. Bell, III,
Commander of U.S. Forces Korea. On March 13, 2008, the
committee held its final posture hearing, receiving testimony
from General Bantz J. Craddock, Commander of U.S. European
Command and North Atlantic Treaty Organization Supreme Allied
Commander; Admiral James G. Stavridis, Commander of U.S.
Southern Command; and General William E. ``Kip'' Ward,
Commander of U.S. Africa Command, on their relevant areas of
responsibility.
(H.A.S.C. 110-13; H.A.S.C. 110-18; H.A.S.C. 110-21;
H.A.S.C. 110-23; H.A.S.C. 110-27; H.A.S.C. 110-35; H.A.S.C.
110-40; H.A.S.C. 110-53; H.A.S.C. 110-110; H.A.S.C. 110-119;
H.A.S.C. 110-122; H.A.S.C. 110-127; H.A.S.C. 110-124; H.A.S.C.
110-133; H.A.S.C. 110-136)
STRATEGY
The committee places high emphasis on the primary role for
strategy in guiding the decision-making of the Department of
Defense. During the first session of the 110th Congress, on
September 26, 2007, the committee met to hear testimony on the
Department of the Army's strategic initiatives. It received
testimony from Pete Geren, Secretary of the Army, and General
George W. Casey, Jr., Chief of Staff of the Army.
On October 24, 2007, the committee met to hear testimony on
the Department of the Air Force's strategic initiatives. It
received testimony from the Michael W. Wynne, Secretary of the
Air Force, and General T. Michael Moseley, Chief of Staff of
the Air Force.
On December 13, 2007, the committee met to hear testimony
on the Department of the Navy's cooperative strategy for 21st
Century Seapower. It received testimony from Admiral Gary
Roughead, Chief of Naval Operations; General James T. Conway,
Commandant of the Marine Corps; and Admiral Thad W. Allen,
Commandant of the Coast Guard.
During the second session of the 110th Congress, the
committee held a two-part series of hearings on American grand
strategy considerations for the next administration. On
September 16, 2008, the committee met to hear testimony on
considerations for an American grand strategy from the
Honorable Madeline Albright, former Secretary of State. On
September 24, 2008, the committee met to hear testimony on
grand strategy from General Jack Keane, U.S. Army (Ret.),
former Vice Chief of Staff of the Army. The Subcommittee on
Oversight and Investigations held additional hearings on this
topic.
(H.A.S.C. 110-92; H.A.S.C. 110-97; H.A.S.C. 110-105; 110-
172; 110-176)
WAR IN IRAQ
The committee devoted a substantial amount of its oversight
resources to the war in the Republic of Iraq and the effect of
that war on the Department of Defense and the broader national
security interests of the United States. In the first three
weeks of the 110th Congress, the committee held three hearings
on the strategy for, and status of, the war in Iraq. On January
11, 2007, the committee met to hear testimony from the
Honorable Robert M. Gates, Secretary of Defense, and General
Peter Pace, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on the way
forward in Iraq. The following week, on January 17, 2007, the
committee invited outside experts Dr. William J. Perry, former
Secretary of Defense and Director of the Center for
International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University;
Dr. Lawrence J. Korb, Senior Fellow at the Center for American
Progress; and Dr. Frederick W. Kagan, Resident Scholar at the
American Enterprise Institute, to provide testimony on
alternative perspectives on the President's strategy for Iraq.
The next day, on January 18, 2007, David M. Walker, Comptroller
General of the United States; Thomas E. Gimble, Acting
Inspector General of the Department of Defense; Howard J.
Krongard, Inspector General of the Department of State; and
Stuart W. Bowen, Jr., Special Inspector General for Iraq
Reconstruction, testified on approaches to the audit of
reconstruction and support activities in Iraq.
Continuing with its vigorous oversight of the war in Iraq,
the committee held a series of hearings on the Iraq war in the
latter half of the first session of the 110th Congress. On July
18, 2007, the committee met to hear testimony on trends and
recent security developments in Iraq, from Dr. William Perry,
former Secretary of Defense and Director of the Center for
International Security Cooperation, Stanford University; Dr.
Jessica Tuchman Mathews, President of the Carnegie Endowment
for International Peace; and Dr. Frederick W. Kagan, Resident
Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. Later that month,
on July 27, 2007, the committee met to hear testimony on H.R.
3087, a bill ``to require the President, in coordination with
the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, and other senior military leaders, to develop
and transmit to Congress a comprehensive strategy for the
redeployment of United States armed forces in Iraq;'' and H.R.
3159, the ``Ensuring Military Readiness Through Stability and
Predictability Deployment Policy Act of 2007.'' It heard
testimony from General John M. Keane, U.S. Army (Ret.), former
Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, and Dr. Lawrence J. Korb,
Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress. On September
5, 2007, the committee held a hearing with the Comptroller
General of the United States, David M. Walker, on his
assessment of the Iraqi Government's record of performance.
General James Jones, U.S. Marine Corps (Ret.), Chairman of the
Independent Commission on the Security Forces of Iraq; Dr. John
Hamre, former Deputy Secretary of Defense and member of the
Independent Commission on the Security Forces of Iraq; General
George Joulwan, U.S. Army (Ret.), Member of the Independent
Commission on the Security Forces of Iraq; and Chief Charles H.
Ramsey (Ret.), member of the Independent Commission on the
Security Forces of Iraq testified on the report of the
Independent Commission on the Security Forces of Iraq on
September 6, 2007. That same day, the committee held the first
of two joint hearings with the Committee on Foreign Relations
entitled: ``What's Next for Iraq: Beyond the September
Report.'' Dr. William J. Perry, former Secretary of Defense and
Director of the Center for International Security Cooperation,
Stanford University; Major General John Batiste, U.S. Army
(Ret.), former commander of the First Infantry Division; and
General John M. Keane, U.S. Army (Ret.), former Vice Chief of
Staff of the Army testified. On September 10, 2007, the
committee held the second joint hearing with the Committee on
Foreign Relations on the status of the war and political
developments in Iraq, receiving testimony from General David
Petraeus, Commander of Multi National Force--Iraq, and
Ambassador Ryan Crocker, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq.
The committee continued its active oversight of operations
in Iraq in the second session of the 110th Congress. On January
17, 2008, Lieutenant General James Dubik, Commander of Multi
National Security Transition Command--Iraq and Mark Kimmitt,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Middle Eastern
Affairs, testified before the committee on the status of
efforts to develop Iraqi Security Forces. On April 9, 2008, the
committee met for a second time during the 110th Congress to
hear testimony from General David Petraeus, Commander, Multi-
National Force--Iraq and Ambassador Ryan Crocker, U.S.
Ambassador to Iraq, on the status of the war and political
developments in Iraq. The committee held a hearing on updates
on efforts to develop and support the Iraqi Security Forces on
July 9, 2008, receiving testimony from Lieutenant General James
Dubik, Commander, Multi National Security Transition Command--
Iraq, and Christopher Straub, Deputy Assistant Secretary of
Defense for Middle Eastern Affairs. Gene Dodaro, Acting
Comptroller General of the United States, and Joseph Christoff,
Director for International Affairs, Government Accountability
Office, testified before the committee on the comptroller
general's progress report on Iraq on July 23, 2008. The
committee held a final hearing on operations in Iraq on
September 10, 2008 entitled ``Security and Stability in
Afghanistan and Iraq: Developments in U.S. Strategy and
Operations and the Way Ahead.'' It received testimony from
Robert M. Gates, Secretary of Defense; Admiral Michael G.
Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Ambassador Eric
S. Edelman, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy; and Vice
Admiral James A. Winnefeld, Jr., Director of Strategic Plans
and Policy for the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Additional hearings
were held by the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
on topics relating to the war in Iraq.
(H.A.S.C. 110-2; H.A.S.C. 110-4; H.A.S.C. 110-5; H.A.S.C.
110-72; H.A.S.C. 110-80; H.A.S.C. 110-85; H.A.S.C. 110-87;
H.A.S.C. 110-88; H.A.S.C. 110-89; H.A.S.C. 110-107; H.A.S.C.
110-143; H.A.S.C. 110-154; H.A.S.C. 110-162; H.A.S.C. 110-170)
WAR IN AFGHANISTAN
In the 110th Congress, the committee renewed its commitment
to provide focused oversight to the war in the Islamic Republic
of Afghanistan. The committee met twice in its first two months
to hear testimony on the war in Afghanistan. On January 30,
2007, outside experts Dr. Anthony H. Cordesman, Arleigh A.
Burke Chair in Strategy at the Center for Strategic and
International Studies; Ambassador James Dobbins, Director of
RAND's International Security and Defense Policy Center;
Ambassador Karl F. Inderfurth, John O. Rankin Professor of the
Practice of International Affairs at George Washington
University; and Ali A. Jalali, Professor at the Near East South
Asia Center for Strategic Studies of the National Defense
University, provided the committee with testimony on security
and stability in Afghanistan. On February 13, 2007, the
committee met to hear testimony from Lieutenant General Karl W.
Eikenberry, former Commanding General of Combined Forces
Command-Afghanistan; John A. Gastright, Jr., Deputy Assistant
Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs and
Coordinator for Afghanistan at the Department of State; and
Mary Beth Long, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense
for International Security Affairs of the Department of
Defense, on assessing security and stability in Afghanistan and
developments in U.S. strategy and operations.
The committee held another hearing on Afghanistan on
December 11, 2007, when it received testimony from Robert M.
Gates, Secretary of Defense; Admiral Michael G. Mullen,
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Ambassador Eric S.
Edelman, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy; and Lieutenant
General John F. Sattler, Director of Strategic Plans and Policy
for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on the status of U.S. strategy
and operations and the way ahead in Afghanistan.
The committee received additional assessments on U.S.
strategy and operations in Afghanistan and the way ahead from
outside experts Lieutenant General David W. Barno, U.S. Army
(Ret.), Director of the Near East South Asia Center for
Strategic Studies at the National Defense University;
Ambassador Karl F. Inderfurth, John O. Rankin Professor of the
Practice of International Affairs, George Washington
University; and Dr. Barnett R. Rubin, Director of Studies and
Senior Fellow of the Center on International Cooperation at New
York University, on January 23, 2008. The committee conducted a
final hearing on ongoing operations in Afghanistan on September
10, 2008, entitled ``Security and Stability in Afghanistan and
Iraq: Developments in U.S. Strategy and Operations and the way
ahead.'' It received testimony from Robert M. Gates, Secretary
of Defense; Admiral Michael G. Mullen, Chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff; Ambassador Eric S. Edelman, Under Secretary of
Defense for Policy; and Vice Admiral James A. Winnefeld, Jr.,
Director of Strategic Plans and Policy for the Joint Chiefs of
Staff.
(H.A.S.C. 110-8; H.A.S.C. 110-15; H.A.S.C. 110-103;
H.A.S.C. 110-108; H.A.S.C. 110-170)
AL QA'IDA
On July 25, 2007, the committee met jointly with the
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence to receive testimony
on implications of the national intelligence estimate regarding
al Qa'ida from James Clapper, Undersecretary of Defense for
Intelligence; Edward Gistaro, National Intelligence Officer for
Transnational Threats; Mary Beth Long, Assistant Secretary of
Defense for International Security Affairs; Pete Verga, Acting
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense; and
Michael Leiter, Deputy Director of the National
Counterterrorism Center and Director of the Interagency Task
Force on Homeland Threats.
(H.A.S.C. 110-77)
INTERAGENCY REFORM
The deep complexity of the wars in the Republic of Iraq and
the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan have led the committee to
increasingly focus on the need for reform of the interagency
process to allow the United States to bring all instruments of
national power to bear in support of achieving the nation's
strategic objectives. While significant elements of this
problem lie outside of the committee's jurisdiction, reform of
the interagency process is critical to the Department of
Defense. In the second session of the 110th Congress, the
committee met on April 15, 2008, to hear testimony on building
partnership capacity and developing the interagency process. It
received testimony from Robert M. Gates, Secretary of Defense,
and Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State. Additional hearings
on this topic were held by the Subcommittee on Oversight and
Investigations.
(H.A.S.C. 110-46)
READINESS
In light of the engagement of the U.S. armed forces in two
major wars in the Republic of Iraq and the Islamic Republic of
Afghanistan, the committee met immediately in the first session
of the 110th Congress to examine concerns over the readiness of
U.S. forces to address both existing as well as emerging
threats. On January 23, 2007, the committee met to discuss
implications of Iraq policy on total force readiness, hearing
testimony from General Peter J. Schoomaker, Chief of Staff of
the Army, and General James T. Conway, Commandant of the Marine
Corps, and also from First Sergeant Ciaran T. Allison, A Co. 2-
23 Infantry, Ft. Lewis, Washington, U.S. Army; Anel Zimmerman,
Spouse of Gunnery Sergeant Chad Zimmerman from the 3rd
Battalion, 4th Marines, Twentynine Palms, California; and Cori
Shuster, Spouse of Lieutenant Colonel Scott Shuster, Commanding
Officer of 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines, Twentynine Palms,
California.
During the second session of the 110th Congress, on
February 14, 2008, the committee met to hear testimony on
military readiness and its implications for our strategic
posture. It heard testimony from Michele Flournoy, President of
the Center for a New American Security; Steve Kosiak, Vice
President of Budget Studies at the Center for Strategic and
Budgetary Assessments; and Sharon Pickup, Director for Defense
Capabilities and Management, Government Accountability Office.
The committee followed up with an additional readiness-related
hearing on April 9, 2008 regarding the current status of U.S.
ground forces. It heard testimony from General Richard A. Cody,
Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, and General Robert Magnus,
Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps. Additional hearings
on this topic were held by the Subcommittee on Readiness.
(H.A.S.C. 110-7; H.A.S.C. 110-114; H.A.S.C. 110-144)
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE MANAGEMENT
The committee actively engaged in reviewing the
organization and structure of the Department of Defense. In the
first session of the 110th Congress, on June 20, 2007, the
committee met to hear testimony on organizing the roles,
missions, and requirements of the Department of Defense. It
heard testimony from Dr. John J. Hamre, former Deputy Secretary
of Defense, President and CEO of the Center for Strategic and
International Studies, and Dr. Andrew F. Krepinevich, President
of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. The
following week, on June 26, 2007, the committee met to hear
testimony on structure, process, and tools for improving
Department of Defense management. It heard testimony from
Gordon R. England, Deputy Secretary of Defense.
The committee continued its interest in the Unified Command
Plan, which specifies the organization and responsibilities of
the combatant commanders. On November 14, 2007, the committee
met to hear testimony from Christopher Ryan Henry, Principal
Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy; Ambassador
Stephen Mull, Acting Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of
Political-Military Affairs; and General William E. ``Kip''
Ward, Commander of U.S. Africa Command, on the establishment of
U.S. Africa Command.
(H.A.S.C. 110-62; H.A.S.C. 110-110-79; H.A.S.C. 110-100)
DETAINEE POLICY
Over the course of the 110th Congress, the committee held a
series of hearings on issues related to the treatment of
detainees in U.S. custody at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. On March 29,
2007, the committee convened for a hearing on the strengths and
weaknesses of the Military Commissions Act of 2006 and the
future of the detention and interrogation facilities at U.S.
Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. It heard testimony from
William H. Taft IV, of Counsel, Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver &
Jacobson, L.L.P, former Legal Advisor at Department of State;
Patrick F. Philbin, former Associate Deputy Attorney General,
United States Department of Justice; Neal Katyal, Professor of
Law at the Georgetown University Law School; and Elisa
Massimino, Director of the Washington, D.C. Office of Human
Rights First.
On July 26, 2007, the committee met to hear testimony on
upholding the principle of habeas corpus as applied to the
detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. It heard testimony from
Stephen Oleskey, Partner at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and
Dorr, L.L.P; David Keene, Chairman of the American Conservative
Union; Patrick F. Philbin, former Associate Deputy Attorney
General, U.S. Department of Justice; Stephen Abraham,
Lieutenant Colonel in the Army Reserve (appearing as a
civilian); Daniel Dell'Orto, Principal Deputy General Counsel
of the Department of Defense; and Greg Katsas, Principal Deputy
Associate Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice.
During the second session of the 110th Congress, the
committee held two consecutive hearings on issues related to
detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The first of these hearings,
held on July 30, 2008, focused on non-governmental perspectives
on the Supreme Court's Boumediene decision for the detainees at
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The committee heard testimony from
Stephen Oleskey, Partner at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and
Dorr, LLP; Neal Katyal, Professor of Law at Georgetown
University Law School; Richard Klingler, former Senior
Associate Counsel to the President and National Security
Council General Counsel; and Colonel Morris Davis, U.S. Air
Force, former Chief Prosecutor for the Office of Military
Commissions of the Department of Defense (appearing in personal
capacity while on terminal leave). The second hearing took
place on July 31, 2008, in which the committee met to hear
testimony on Administration perspectives on the implications of
the Supreme Court's Boumediene decision for detainees at
Guantanamo. It heard testimony from Daniel Dell'Orto, Acting
General Counsel of the Department of Defense; Greg Katsas,
Assistant Attorney General, Department of Justice; and Colonel
Steve David, U.S. Army, Chief Defense Counsel of the Office of
Military Commissions of the Department of Defense.
(H.A.S.C. 110-51; H.A.S.C. 110-79; H.A.S.C. 110-166;
H.A.S.C. 110-167)
WOUNDED AND INJURED SERVICE MEMBERS
Recognizing the incredible debt owed to military service
members injured in the line of duty, the committee met on March
8, 2007, to receive testimony on the handling and treatment of
the nation's wounded warriors. It received testimony from Dr.
David S. C. Chu, Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and
Readiness; Dr. William Winkenwerder, Assistant Secretary of
Defense for Health Affairs; General Peter J. Schoomaker, Chief
of Staff of the Army; and Lieutenant General Kevin C. Kiley,
Surgeon General of the Army.
(H.A.S.C. 110-29)
ACQUISITION POLICY AND INDUSTRIAL BASE POLICY
Recognizing the importance of a smoothly functioning,
efficient acquisition process, the committee remained extremely
interested in all aspects of reforming the acquisition process.
During the first session of the 110th Congress, the committee
met on September 20, 2007, for a hearing entitled:
``Accountability During Contingency Operations: Preventing and
Fighting Corruption in Contracting and Establishing and
Maintaining Appropriate Controls on Materiel.'' It heard
testimony from Thomas Gimble, Deputy Inspector General of the
Department of Defense; Shay Assad, Director of Procurement and
Acquisition Policy in the Office of the Secretary of Defense;
Lieutenant General N. Ross Thompson, Military Deputy to the
Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and
Technology; and Kathryn Condon, Executive Deputy to the
Commanding General of Army Materiel Command.
During the second session of the 110th Congress, on April
10, 2008, the committee met for a hearing entitled:
``Contingency Contracting: A Call for Urgent Reform, Which
Explored the Department of Defense's Response to the Commission
on Army Acquisition and Program Management in Expeditionary
Operations.'' It heard testimony from John J. Young, Under
Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics;
Jeffrey P. Parsons, Executive Director of Army Contracting
Command; and Dr. Jacques S. Gansler, former Under Secretary of
Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics and Chairman
of the Commission on Army Acquisition and Program Management in
Expeditionary Operations.
As part of the committee's responsibility for maintaining a
strong industrial base, the committee met on April 16, 2008,
for a hearing entitled: ``The National Industrial Security
Program: Addressing the Implications of Globalization and
Foreign Ownership for the Defense Industrial Base.'' It heard
testimony from Troy Sullivan, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense
for Counterintelligence and Security; Kathleen Watson, Director
of the Defense Security Service; Dr. William Schneider,
Chairman of Defense Science Board; and Ann Calvaresi-Barr,
Director for Acquisition and Sourcing Management at the
Government Accountability Office.
(H.A.S.C. 110-91; H.A.S.C. 110-164; H.A.S.C. 110-148)
GLOBAL SECURITY ASSESSMENT
During the first session of the 110th Congress, the
committee heard testimony on July 11, 2007 from Dr. Thomas
Fingar, Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Analysis;
Robert Cardillo, Deputy Director for Analysis at the Defense
Intelligence Agency; and John A. Kringen, Director for
Intelligence at the Central Intelligence Agency, on global
security assessment.
In the second session of the 110th Congress, on February
13, 2008, the committee convened again to receive testimony on
global security assessment. It heard testimony from Dr. Thomas
Fingar, Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Analysis;
Robert Cardillo, Deputy Director for Analysis at the Defense
Intelligence Agency; and John A. Kringen, Director for
Intelligence at the Central Intelligence Agency.
(H.A.S.C. 110-67; H.A.S.C. 110-112)
CHINA
The committee continued its effort to remain cognizant of
longer-term security issues beyond those relating to current
operations. In the first session of the 110th Congress, on June
13, 2007, the committee met to hear testimony on recent
security developments involving the People's Republic of China.
It received testimony from Richard P. Lawless, Deputy Under
Secretary of Defense for Asia-Pacific Affairs, and Major
General Philip M. Breedlove, Vice Director for Strategic Plans
and Policy of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
During the second session of the 110th Congress, the
committee convened on June 25, 2008, to receive testimony on
recent security developments involving the People's Republic of
China. It heard testimony from James J. Shinn, Assistant
Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs,
and Major General Philip M. Breedlove, Vice Director for
Strategic Plans and Policy of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
(H.A.S.C. 110-61; H.A.S.C. 110-153)
PAKISTAN
On October 10, 2007, the committee met to hear testimony on
security challenges involving Pakistan and policy implications
for the Department of Defense. It received testimony from
Ambassador Teresita C. Schaffer, Director of the South Asia
Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies;
Dr. Martin G. Weinbaum, Scholar-in-Residence at the Middle East
Institute; Husain Haqqani, Director of the Center for
International Relations at Boston University; and Lisa Curtis,
Senior Research Fellow in the Asian Studies Center at the
Heritage Foundation.
(H.A.S.C. 110-94)
COMMISSION ON THE NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVE
The committee remains interested in ensuring that the
National Guard and Reserves are properly trained, resourced,
and led. On March 23, 2007, the committee met to hear testimony
on the second report to Congress by the Commission on the
National Guard and Reserves. It heard testimony from Major
General Arnold L. Punaro, U.S. Marine Corps (Ret.), Chairman of
the Commission on the National Guard and Reserves.
(H.A.S.C. 110-43)
FORCE PROTECTION
All members of the committee are committed to ensuring that
every service member deployed to the theater of combat
operations has the necessary force protection equipment needed
to keep them safe. During the first session of the 110th
Congress, on June 6, 2007, the committee met to hear testimony
on Department of Defense body armor programs. It heard
testimony from the Honorable Philip E. Coyle, III, Senior
Advisor at the World Security Institute; Dr. Jonathon Morgan,
Deputy Director of the National Institute of Justice; Murray
Neal, CEO of Pinnacle Armor, Inc.; Colonel Kevin S. Noonan,
Program Executive Officer of Special Operations Forces Warrior
Programs; Colonel Edward J. Smith, Product Group Director of
Combat Equipment and Support Systems for the Marine Corps;
Roger M. Smith, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy
(Expeditionary Warfare); William ``Bill'' M. Solis, Director
for Defense Capabilities and Management, Government
Accountability Office; Douglas D. Thomas, Executive Director
for the Air Force Office of Special Investigations; and
Lieutenant General N. Ross Thompson, III, Military Deputy to
the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics,
and Technology.
(H.A.S.C. 110-58)
ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSE
On July 10, 2008, the committee met to hear testimony on
the threat posed by electromagnetic pulse attack. It heard
testimony from Dr. William Graham, Chairman of the Commission
to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic
Pulse (EMP) Attack.
(H.A.S.C. 110-156)
OTHER ACTIVITIES OF SUBCOMMITTEES
Air and Land Forces Subcommittee
The Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces provided oversight
of all Departments of the Army and Air Force acquisition
programs (except space programs, strategic missile and
information technology programs), including Army and Air Force
Reserve and National Guard equipment programs and selected
Marine Corps aviation programs.
The subcommittee conducted 11 oversight hearings during its
consideration of the fiscal year 2008 and fiscal year 2009
Department of Defense (DOD) budget requests, including: January
18, 2007, Army force protection equipment for Operation Iraqi
Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom; January 31, 2007, Army
equipment reset; March 7, 2007, Air Force and Army airlift and
aerial refueling fixed-wing aircraft programs; March 22, 2007,
Department of Defense aircraft programs; March 27, 2007, Army
ground force acquisition programs; April 19, 2007, unmanned
aerial vehicles and intelligence, surveillance, and
reconnaissance capabilities; March 11, 2008, Departments of the
Navy and Air Force tactical aviation programs; April 1, 2008,
United States Transportation Command and Air Force mobility
aircraft programs; April 3, 2008, Army National Guard and Army
Reserve equipment; April 10, 2008, Army acquisition programs;
and April 16, 2008, House Resolution 834: Ground Force
Readiness Shortfalls.
In addition to its traditional oversight responsibilities
regarding DOD budget requests, the subcommittee conducted
oversight hearings on the following: July 19, 2007, Mine
resistant ambush protected vehicle program; November 8, 2007,
Joint mine resistant ambush protected vehicle program; July 10,
2008, source selection and path forward regarding the Air Force
KC-(X) program; and November 19, 2008, F-22 Program. In
addition to formal hearings, the subcommittee conducted member
briefings on the following: force protection, improvised
explosive device (IED), aviation safety, unmanned aerial
vehicles-intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, body
armor, Air Force bomber, Joint IED Defeat Organization, KC-(X)
(and the Government Accountability Office review of the Boeing
Company protest of the Air Force contract award), and mine
resistant ambush protected vehicle programs.
The subcommittee considered and reported legislation on May
2, 2007, that was included in the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181),
and met to consider and report legislation on May 7, 2008, that
was included in the Duncan Hunter National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417).
The legislation covered a range of issues, including the M1A2
Tank; the Bradley Fighting Vehicle; the CH-47 Helicopter; the
Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter; Vertical Lift Aircraft and
Rotorcraft; the Stryker Mobile Gun System; the Joint Cargo
Aircraft; the C-130E/H Aircraft; the KC-(X) Aircraft; the KC-
135E Aircraft; the B-52 Aircraft; the Future Combat Systems;
the F-22A Aircraft; the Joint Strike Fighter; intelligence,
surveillance and reconnaissance sensor; body armor acquisition;
small arms acquisition; and the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle
programs.
(H.A.S.C. 110-6; H.A.S.C. 110-10; H.A.S.C. 110-28; H.A.S.C.
110-42; H.A.S.C. 110-46; H.A.S.C. 110-54; H.A.S.C. 110-75;
H.A.S.C. 99; H.A.S.C. 110-128; H.A.S.C. 110-140; H.A.S.C. 110-
142; H.A.S.C. 110-145; H.A.S.C. 110-149; H.A.S.C. 110-157; and
H.A.S.C. 110-176)
Subcommittee on Readiness
The Subcommittee on Readiness reviewed the programs within
the operation and maintenance accounts for fiscal years 2008
and 2009 to ensure that appropriate funds were available to
maintain a high level of military readiness. Oversight
activities of the subcommittee included hearings on March 13,
2007, March 27, 2007, and April 1, 2008, to examine the current
state of military readiness, including Army and Air Force
Reserve and National Guard readiness, and the adequacy of the
fiscal year 2008 and 2009 budget requests. As a result, the
subcommittee authorized $142.8 billion in the operation and
maintenance accounts in the National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181) and authorized $152.9
billion in operation and maintenance accounts in the Duncan
Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009
(Public Law 110-417) to fund critical readiness needs.
In order to assess the military forces' preparedness for
Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom and the
effects of these ongoing campaigns on military readiness, the
subcommittee performed a number of oversight activities.
Readiness-related oversight activities of the full committee
also played an integral role. The full committee addressed
readiness in a hearing held on January 23, 2007, and received
testimony on the implications of the United States' Iraq policy
on total force readiness. The full committee also met on March
9, 2007, for a briefing on Army readiness and Army
prepositioned stocks. The Subcommittee on Readiness then met on
July 31, 2007, to receive testimony on the employment of airmen
and sailors in combat outside their services' traditional core
missions and the impact on service readiness of using these
forces in lieu of, as individual augmentees to, or as ad hoc
replacements for soldiers and Marines. On October 16, 2007, the
subcommittee received a classified briefing from the Army on
the current state of readiness of both deployed and non-
deployed units.
The Subcommittee on Readiness continued to assess readiness
issues in 2008. On January 23, 2008, the subcommittee received
a classified briefing from the Army regarding the state of Army
readiness. On February 14, 2008, the full committee held a
hearing on military readiness and its implications for United
States strategic posture. The full committee held another
hearing on April 9, 2008, to receive testimony from the United
States Army and United States Marine Corps on the current
status of United States ground forces. The Subcommittee on
Readiness followed up on April 16, 2008, with a hearing on H.
Res. 834, a resolution regarding the significant readiness
decline of the ground forces, and the implications for national
security. No further action was taken on the resolution by the
subcommittee.
During the 110th Congress, the Subcommittee on Readiness
devoted attention to equipment readiness and assessing programs
for the repair, modernization, and replacement of equipment
used in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring
Freedom (OEF). The subcommittee met in a joint session on
January 31, 2007, with the Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces
to receive testimony on Army reset strategies for ground
equipment and rotorcraft utilized in OIF and OEF. The
subcommittee then met in a joint session with the Subcommittee
on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces on February 6, 2007, to
receive a briefing from the United States Department of the
Navy and the Marine Corps on equipment reset. The Subcommittee
on Readiness and the Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary
Forces met again in a joint hearing on February 13, 2007, to
receive testimony on United States Navy and United States
Marine Corps reset requirements. In addition to formal
subcommittee meetings to evaluate equipment readiness, the
subcommittee charged staff to conduct multiple meetings with
service representatives and undergo several fact-finding staff
delegations to military facilities in the United States and the
theater of operations.
The subcommittee received two briefings on specific
incidents affecting readiness. On December 13, 2007, the
subcommittee received a briefing from the Air Force regarding
the Chief of Staff of the Air Force's decision to stand-down F-
15A/D flight operations following a November 2, 2007, crash of
a Missouri Air National Guard F-15C during a training mission.
The subcommittee met on April 23, 2008, in a joint session with
the Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces to
receive a briefing from the United States Navy on the condition
of the Navy ships USS Stout and USS Chosin.
The subcommittee also met on various occasions regarding
civilian personnel, inherently governmental functions, and
security clearances. On March 6, 2007, the subcommittee met to
receive testimony on the background and implementation of the
Department of Defense National Security Personnel System
(NSPS). As a result, the subcommittee recommended a provision
in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008
(Public Law 110-181) to restore employee collective bargaining
rights, exempted wage grade employees from NSPS, and modified
the pay for performance process as well as extended the
exemption from NSPS to defense laboratories until 2011.
On March 14, 2007, the subcommittee received a briefing
from the Department of Defense, Army, Navy, and Air Force on
the A-76 program. The briefing resulted in the subcommittee
recommending an extensive revision to the Department's
competitive sourcing program in the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181). On
February 13, 2008, a subcommittee hearing was held on the
Department's security clearance process, and its costs and
delays. On March 11, 2008, the subcommittee received testimony
from the Department and the Government Accountability Office on
issues related to inherently governmental functions, and the
proper role of contractors versus federal civilian personnel in
accomplishing Department of Defense missions. As a result, the
subcommittee recommended several initiatives to address the
performance of government functions by government employees
versus contractors in the Duncan Hunter National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417).
In addition, the subcommittee reviewed issues pertaining to
military construction, family housing, and Base Closure and
Realignment activities (BRAC) of the Department. The
subcommittee held a hearing on March 20, 2007, on the fiscal
year 2008 budget request for military construction, family
housing, BRAC, and facilities operations and maintenance. It
held the same hearing on February 28, 2008, for the fiscal year
2009 budget request. The subcommittee also held a hearing on
December 12, 2007, to receive testimony on the administration's
implementation of the BRAC 2005 process.
On September 18, 2008, the full committee met in closed
session for a briefing on United States Northern Command and
North American Aerospace Defense Command's decision to relocate
primary command and control functions from Cheyenne Mountain,
Colorado, to Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado.
Finally, the Subcommittee on Readiness held hearings
addressing energy and the environment. On July 12, 2007, the
subcommittee met to receive testimony from the Department of
Defense and the Government Accountability Office on the
emerging contaminants and environmental management at
Department installations in the United States and its
territories. As a result, the subcommittee recommended a
provision in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181) to require notification of
certain residents and civilian employees of exposure to
drinking water contamination at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
On March 13, 2008, the subcommittee met to receive
testimony on the energy posture of the Department of Defense.
This oversight resulted in provisions in the Duncan Hunter
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public
Law 110-417) that establishes a Director of Operational Energy
Plans and Programs, requires annual reporting on operational
energy consumption, and directs studies on renewable and
alternative energy, among other provisions. (H.A.S.C. 110-7;
H.A.S.C. 110-10; H.A.S.C. 110-14; H.A.S.C. 110-17; H.A.S.C.
110-26; H.A.S.C. 110-33; H.A.S.C. 110-38; H.A.S.C. 110-47;
H.A.S.C. 110-104; H.A.S.C. 110-113; H.A.S.C. 110-123; H.A.S.C.
110-130; H.A.S.C. 110-134; H.A.S.C. 110-139; H.A.S.C. 110-144;
H.A.S.C. 110-149; H.A.S.C. 110-170; H.A.S.C. 110-181)
Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities
The Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and
Capabilities conducted a series of hearings to review programs,
policies, and Department of Defense budget requests relevant to
the jurisdictional responsibility of the subcommittee. Hearings
pertaining to a review of the budget request for fiscal year
2008 included: January 31, 2007, Current manning, equipping,
and readiness challenges facing Special Operations forces;
February 14, 2007, Challenges for the Special Operations
Command posed by the global terrorist threat; March 14, 2007,
Harnessing technological innovation: challenges and
opportunities; March 21, 2007, Department of Defense
counterproliferation and counterterrorism science and
technology priorities; March 28, 2007, Information technology;
July 10, 2007, Strategic communication and the battle of
ideas--winning the hearts and minds in the global war against
terrorists; and November 15, 2007, Strategic communications and
counter-ideological support for terrorism.
Hearings pertaining to the budget request for fiscal year
2009 included: February 26, 2008, Irregular warfare and
stability operations--approaches to interagency integration
(held jointly with the Subcommittee on Oversight and
Investigations); March 5, 2008, U.S. Special Operations Command
and U.S. Northern Command; March 13, 2008, Department of
Defense science and technology priorities responding to the
changes and challenges of the twenty-first century irregular
warfare threat environment; April 24, 2008, Role of the social
and behavioral sciences in national security (held jointly with
the Subcommittee on Research and Science Education of the House
Committee on Science and Technology); and September 18, 2008,
Lessons for countering al Qa'ida and the way ahead.
The subcommittee considered and reported legislation on May
3, 2007, that was included in the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181).
The subcommittee considered and reported legislation on May 8,
2008, that was included in the Duncan Hunter National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417).
The legislative provisions covered a range of issues, to
include: a provision to codify the position of the acquisition
executive at Special Operations Command; provisions to provide
an extension and expansion of authority for support of special
operations to combat terrorism; a requirement to improve
government-wide strategic communication initiatives; and
greater acquisition authority to improve information technology
capabilities.
In addition to formal hearings, the subcommittee held a
total of 22 briefings. These included: February 28, 2007, The
perspectives of the theater Special Operations Commands; March
1, 2007, Special Operations Command activities in the
Philippines; March 15, 2007, Special Operations Command
activities in Colombia; March 22, 2007, Special Operations
Command activities in the Horn of Africa; June 14, 2007,
Defense modeling and simulation; June 19, 2007, Information
operations and cyberspace; July 17, 2007, Chemical and
biological threats and U.S. Efforts to respond; September 18,
2007, Discussion with Special Operations combatant commanders;
September 27, 2007, Department of Defense response to chemical/
biological attacks; October 3, 2007, Hard and deeply buried
targets, held jointly with the Subcommittee on Strategic
Forces; and October 17, 2007, Revolutionizing prosthetics with
the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Additional
scheduled briefings included: January 17, 2008, Special
Operations Command unconventional warfare activities; January
29, 2008, Bandwidth challenges for the 21st century military;
April 2, 2008, Cyber-security; April 10, 2008, Irregular
warfare; April 15, 2008, Special Operations Command interagency
coordination and integration efforts; April 23, 2008, Chemical
de-militarization programs; and September 16, 2008, Irregular
warfare efforts in the Department of the Navy.
(H.A.S.C. 110-12; H.A.S.C. 110-19; H.A.S.C. 110-34;
H.A.S.C. 110-41; H.A.S.C. 110-50; H.A.S.C. 110-68; H.A.S.C.
110-101; H.A.S.C. 110-118; H.A.S.C. 110-125; H.A.S.C. 110-135;
H.A.S.C. 110-141; H.A.S.C. 110-165; H.A.S.C. 110-174)
Subcommittee on Military Personnel
The Subcommittee on Military Personnel conducted a series
of hearings to review and evaluate matters under its
jurisdiction in the fiscal years 2008 and 2009 budget requests:
February 13, 2007, Health care budget and the challenges facing
the military health care system; February 15, 2007, Overview of
recruiting and retention; February 28, 2007, Impact of changes
to the Montgomery G.I. Bill for members of the Selected
Reserve; March 1, 2007, View of military advocacy and
beneficiary groups; March 15, 2007, Continuance of the March
1st hearing to receive testimony on views of military advocacy
and beneficiary groups; February 7, 2008, Beneficiary advocacy
overview; February 26, 2008, Recruiting, retention, and
compensation overview; March 12, 2008, Future of military
health care system; and March 14, 2008, Mental health overview.
In addition to its budget request hearings, the
subcommittee conducted hearings related to the following
topics: January 30, 2007, Examination of the force requirements
determination process; March 13, 2007, Overview of military
resale programs; March 27, 2007, State of the military health
care system; March 29, 2007, Overview of morale, welfare, and
recreation (MWR) programs; June 26, 2007, Findings of the
Independent Review Group and an in-progress review of actions
at Walter Reed Army Medical Center; June 27, 2007, Review of
the policies and procedures regarding the notification of next
of kin of wounded and deceased service members; July 12, 2007,
Findings of the Department of Defense Task Force on Mental
Health; August 1, 2007, Current status of Army recruiting and
retention programs; August 2, 2007, Further inquiry into Marine
Corps policies and procedures regarding next of kin
notification; February 15, 2008, Army Medical Action Plan &
Other support for wounded service members; April 17, 2008,
Military resale, and morale, welfare, and recreation overview;
July 10, 2008, Oversight and status of POW/MIA activities; July
22, 2008, Army Medical Action Plan: is it working?; and July
23, 2008, Don't ask, don't tell review.
The subcommittee also conducted a briefing on the following
topic: September 25, 2007, AHLTA: DOD's Electronic Health
Record.
The subcommittee considered and reported legislation on May
2, 2007, that was included in the National Defense
Authorization Act For Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181) and
met to consider and report legislation on May 7, 2008, that was
included in the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization
Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417). The legislation
covered a range of issues, including the following: increased
active component end strength for the Army and Marine Corps,
support for the Defense Health Program, improvements to the
care of injured and wounded service members and their families,
and bonuses and incentive pay for service members.
(H.A.S.C. 110-9; H.A.S.C. 110-16; H.A.S.C. 110-20; H.A.S.C.
110-22; H.A.S.C. 110-24; H.A.S.C. 110-32; H.A.S.C. 110-45;
H.A.S.C. 110-52; H.A.S.C. 110-64; H.A.S.C. 110-66; H.A.S.C.
110-69; H.A.S.C. 110-83; H.A.S.C. 110-84; H.A.S.C. 110-111;
H.A.S.C. 110-116; H.A.S.C. 110-117; H.A.S.C. 110-131; H.A.S.C.
110-137; H.A.S.C. 110-150; H.A.S.C. 110-158; H.A.S.C. 110-161;
H.A.S.C. 110-163)
Subcommittee on Strategic Forces
The Subcommittee on Strategic Forces addressed strategic
forces programs (except deep strike systems), space programs,
ballistic missile defense programs, intelligence policy and
national programs, as well as Department of Energy national
security programs (except nuclear non-proliferation programs),
by conducting hearings during its consideration of the fiscal
year 2008 and fiscal year 2009 budget requests, including:
March 8, 2007, the posture of the U.S. Strategic Command; March
20, 2007, the Department of Energy's atomic energy defense
activities; March 23, 2007, military space activities; March
27, 2007, missile defense programs; February 27, 2008, U.S.
strategic posture and budget request for strategic programs;
March 5, 2008, the status of military space activities; March
12, 2008, the Department of Energy's atomic energy defense
activities; and April 17, 2008, missile defense programs.
In addition to its oversight responsibilities regarding the
budget requests, the subcommittee conducted oversight hearings
on the following: January 31, 2007, the Department of Energy's
implementation of the National Nuclear Security Administration
Act of 2000; July 18, 2007, U.S. nuclear weapons policy; and
July 17, 2008, nuclear weapons complex modernization.
In addition to formal hearings, the subcommittee conducted
briefings on the following topics: January 19, 2007, military
space activities; February 15, 2007, ballistic missile threats;
June 27, 2007, the nuclear weapons stockpile; July 11, 2007,
Russian and Chinese missile capabilities; July 24, 2007, joint
briefing with the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional
Threats and Capabilities and the Subcommittee on Seapower and
Expeditionary Forces on the National Academy of Sciences
interim report on Conventional Prompt Global Strike; July 31,
2007, nuclear threats; October 3, 2007, joint briefing with the
Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and
Capabilities on hard and deeply buried targets defeat; October
10, 2007, joint briefing with the House Permanent Select
Committee on Intelligence on the imagery way-ahead; November 1,
2007, Air Force commander-directed investigation into the
unauthorized transfer of weapons; January 29, 2008, nuclear
weapons accountability and inventory control; February 7, 2008,
the status of the nuclear weapons stockpile; April 3, 2008,
Chinese threats to satellite systems; April 9, 2008, space
protection and control programs; April 16, 2008, ballistic
missile threats; and July 30, 2008, the Joint Capabilities Mix
Study II.
The subcommittee considered and reported legislation on May
2, 2007, that was included in the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181).
Among other initiatives, that legislation: established a
congressionally appointed bipartisan commission to reevaluate
U.S. strategic posture; required the next administration to
submit a new Nuclear Posture Review with the 2009 Quadrennial
Defense Review; reduced investment in future ballistic missile
defense efforts and increased funding for systems to address
current vulnerabilities; boosted funding for space capabilities
that can deliver near-term benefits to the warfighter and
improve space situational awareness and survivability; and
required the Secretary of Defense to submit a research,
development, and testing plan for Prompt Global Strike. The
subcommittee also considered and reported legislation on May 7,
2008, that was included in the Duncan Hunter National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417).
Legislation initiated by the subcommittee: expressed the Sense
of Congress that the Secretary of Defense should clarify lines
of responsibility and accountability within his office for
nuclear weapons; funded the Stockpile Stewardship Program, but
did not fund the Reliable Replacement Warhead program; fully
authorized the construction of the Mixed Oxide Fuel facility;
authorized funding for critical defense environmental cleanup
activities; limited the availability of funds for procurement,
construction, and deployment of missile defenses in Europe;
required a review of the ballistic missile defense policy and
strategy of the United States; and required the Secretary of
Defense and the Director of National Intelligence to jointly
report national security bandwidth needs and strategy.
(H.A.S.C. 110-11; H.A.S.C. 110-31; H.A.S.C. 110-37;
H.A.S.C. 110-44; H.A.S.C. 110-48; H.A.S.C. 110-73; H.A.S.C.
110-120; H.A.S.C. 110-126; H.A.S.C. 110-132; H.A.S.C. 110-151;
H.A.S.C. 110-160)
Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces
The Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces
conducted a series of hearings to review programs included in
the Department of Defense (DOD) acquisition budget requests for
fiscal years 2008 and 2009 during the 110th Congress,
including: January 16, 2007, Marine Corps force protection
equipment for Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring
Freedom; February 13, 2007, U.S. Marine Corps and U.S Navy
reset requirements (Joint hearing with Subcommittee on
Readiness); March 15, 2007, Federal ship loan programs; June
26, 2007, Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV); July 19, 2007,
Mine resistant ambush protected vehicle program (Joint with
Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces); July 24, 2007, Surface
combatant construction update; November 2, 2007, Mine resistant
ambush protected vehicle program (Joint with Subcommittee on
Air and Land Forces); February 27, 2008, United States Marine
Corps; and March 14, 2008, Navy shipbuilding.
In addition to its traditional oversight responsibilities
regarding DOD budget requests, the subcommittee conducted
oversight hearings on the following: February 8, 2007, The
Navy's Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program; March 1, 2007,
Integrated nuclear power systems for the Navy's next generation
surface combatants; March 8, 2007, Submarine Force Structure
and Acquisition Policy; March 20, 2007, Shipyard Modernization;
June 6, 2007, Navy force protection barriers; and July 31,
2008, Navy destroyer acquisition programs.
Furthermore, in addition to formal hearings, the
subcommittee conducted numerous briefings on the following
topics: the Navy's Littoral Combat Ship program, nuclear power
alternatives for Navy surface combatants, emerging weapons
technology, submarine requirements and force structure,
ballistic missile defense modifications for Navy surface
combatants, United States Merchant Marine Academy financial
irregularities, and efforts to rapidly deploy mine resistant
ambush protected vehicles.
The subcommittee considered and reported legislation on May
3, 2007 that was included in the National Defense Authorization
Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181) and considered
and reported legislation on May 8, 2008 that was included in
the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 2009 (Public Law 110-417). The legislation covered a range
of issues, including requirements that future classes of battle
force vessels of the United States Navy are constructed with
integrated nuclear power systems, granting multi-year
procurement authority for Virginia-class submarines and advance
construction authority for vessels in the multi-year contract,
requiring an assessment by the Secretary of the Navy for
readiness to begin construction of new classes of Navy vessels,
modifications to the limitations on cost associated with the
Littoral Combat Ship program, and authority to begin refueling
and complex overhaul of the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Theodore
Roosevelt. The subcommittee also reported legislation in its
oversight and authorization responsibilities for the Maritime
Administration of the Department of Transportation. That
legislation included: requirements on the disposal of obsolete
vessels, a requirement for review of applications for the
Maritime Loan Guarantee Program, a series of technical
corrections in the ongoing re-codification of title 46, United
States Code, modifications to the Student Incentive Pay Program
at the various State maritime academies, modifications to
riding gang member requirements for vessels engaged in the
carriage of cargo for the Department of Defense, temporary
waivers for certain positions at the United States Merchant
Marine Academy, actions required to address sexual harassment
and violence at the United States Merchant Marine Academy, a
reaffirmation of cargo preference rules for the transportation
of government personnel and certain cargoes, and the
establishment of the Port of Guam enterprise improvement
program.
(H.A.S.C. 110-3, H.A.S.C. 110-14, H.A.S.C. 110-17, H.A.S.C.
110-25, H.A.S.C. 110-30, H.A.S.C. 110-36, H.A.S.C. 110-39,
H.A.S.C. 110-42, H.A.S.C. 110-59, H.A.S.C. 110-65, H.A.S.C.
110-75, H.A.S.C. 110-76, H.A.S.C. 110-99, H.A.S.C. 110-121,
H.A.S.C. 110-138, H.A.S.C. 110-169)
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
The Committee on Armed Services re-established its
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations in January 2007
after a twelve year absence. In 1995, the subcommittee was
disbanded and oversight and investigative responsibilities were
spread out among the full committee and the six other
subcommittees. With the Nation engaged in war on two fronts,
the committee believed it prudent to reestablish the
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation to provide
increased oversight of the Department of Defense. In June 2007,
the subcommittee completed its first in-depth investigation
with the publication of Stand-up and Be Counted: the Continuing
Challenge of Building the Iraqi Security Forces (Committee
Print 6). In April 2008, the subcommittee concluded a case
study of interagency operations with the release of Agency
Stovepipes vs Strategic Agility: Lessons We Need to Learn from
Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Iraq and Afghanistan
(Committee Print 8). Also in April 2008, the subcommittee
completed a review across agencies and published Deploying
Federal Civilians to the Battlefield: Incentives, Benefits, and
Medical Care (Committee Print 9). The subcommittee also
reviewed progress on and challenges associated with the Defense
Travel System and dental readiness for National Guard and
Reserve Component. The subcommittee also held a hearing on the
impact of presidential signing statements on the Department of
Defense's implementation of the National Defense Authorization
Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181). The Chairman and
Ranking Member reported the subcommittee's findings on the
Defense Travel System, dental readiness, and the presidential
signing statements to the full committee in memoranda in June
and July of 2008. In November 2008, the subcommittee concluded
two studies: the first concerned the Department's foreign
language and cultural training of U.S. general purpose forces
and the second concerned the Joint Improvised Explosive Device
Defeat Organization (JIEDDO). The subcommittee issued reports
memorializing its efforts on foreign language and culture
training and JIEDDO titled respectively: Building Language
Skills and Cultural Competencies in the Military: DOD's
Challenge in Today's Educational Environment (Committee Print
12) and The Joint IED Defeat Organization: DOD's Fight Against
IEDs Today and Tomorrow (Committee Print 11). Each of these
reports was bipartisan and unanimous. All were done in
coordination and cooperation with other Committee on Armed
Services subcommittees and the full committee, and in addition
to, where appropriate, the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, the Committee on
Appropriations subcommittee on Foreign Operations, the
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and the Committee
on Education and Labor. These efforts resulted in
recommendations to the Department of Defense as well as other
departments and agencies. The Committee on Armed Services and
several other subcommittees used these products to support
legislative initiatives and inform their oversight activities.
In addition to more in-depth projects, the subcommittee
completed other substantive efforts. The subcommittee embarked
on a series of six exploratory hearings and discussions with
retired military officers, administration officials, defense
policy experts, and academics in July 2007 and January 2008, to
suggest alternatives for U.S. strategy in Iraq. The
subcommittee also held a series of hearings and discussions
with retired military officers, administration officials,
defense policy experts, and academics to explore alternatives
for a new U.S. grand strategy and in support of full committee
hearings in September 2008, on the same subject. Finally, the
subcommittee staff conducted an inquiry into matters related to
mobilization training of Army National Guard (ARNG) units
through a case study of a Washington, DC ARNG company that
deployed to Iraq.
The Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations conducted
30 oversight hearings to review programs under the jurisdiction
of the Committee on Armed Services including: March 28, 2007,
Outside perspectives on transitioning security to the Iraqi
security forces; April 25, 2007, Contracting for the Iraqi
security forces; May 22, 2007, Training of Iraqi security
forces (ISF) and Employment of transition teams; May 24, 2007,
Development of the Iraqi police service; June 12, 2007,
Development of the Iraqi security forces; July 12, 2007, A
Third Way: alternatives for Iraq's future (Part 1 of 4); July
18, 2007, A Third Way: alternatives for Iraq's future (Part 2
of 4); July 25, 2007, A Third Way: alternatives for Iraq's
future (Part 3 of 4); July 31, 2007, A Third Way: alternatives
for Iraq's future (Part 4 of 4); September 5, 2007, The Role of
the Department of Defense in Provincial Reconstruction Teams;
September 18, 2007, The benefits and medical care for federal
and U.S. contractor employees deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan;
October 4, 2007, The Role of the Department of Defense in
Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Afghanistan and Iraq;
October 16, 2007, Incentives, benefits and medical care for
federal civilian employees deployed to combat zones; October
18, 2007, Measuring and increasing the effectiveness of
Provincial Reconstruction Teams; October 30, 2007,
Stabilization and reconstruction operations: learning from the
Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) experience; December 5,
2007, Provincial Reconstruction Teams--historical and current
perspectives on doctrine and strategy; January 16, 2008, A
continuing dialogue: post-surge alternatives for Iraq (Part 1
of 2); January 23, 2008, A continuing dialogue: post-surge
alternatives for Iraq (Part 2 of 2); January 29, 2008,
Interagency reform: can the Provincial Reconstruction Team
(PRT) case study illuminate the future of reconstruction and
stabilization operations?; February 14, 2008, Provincial
Reconstruction Teams: a case for national security reform?;
February 26, 2008, Irregular warfare and stability operations:
approaches to interagency integration (joint with Subcommittee
on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities); March
11, 2008, The impact of the presidential signing statement on
the Department of Defense implementation of the fiscal year
2008 National Defense Authorization Act; April 15, 2008,
Oversight of the defense travel system; April 23, 2008,
Challenges associated with achieving full dental readiness in
the Reserve Component; July 9, 2008, Defense language and
cultural awareness transformation: to what end? At what cost?;
July 15, 2008, A new U.S. grand strategy (Part 1); July 31,
2008, A new U.S. grand strategy (Part 2); September 10, 2008,
Transforming the U.S. military's foreign language, cultural
awareness, and regional expertise; September 16, 2008,
Defeating the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and other
asymmetric threats: today's efforts and tomorrow's
requirements; September 23, 2008, The Department of Defense's
work with states, universities and students to transform the
nation's foreign language capacity; and March 28, 2007, Outside
perspectives on transitioning security to the Iraqi security
forces.
The subcommittee also held briefings and panel discussions
on the following topics: February 6, 2007: Congressional
Research Service and Government Accountability Office briefing
on investigations; February 28, 2007: Project on Government
Oversight briefing on investigative process and methods; March
9, 2007, Iraqi security forces logistics and equipment;
Integrating 21st century development and security assistance;
March 13, 2007, Iraqi security forces, personnel and training
issues; March 22, 2007, Iraqi security forces, cost and
financial transition; April 19, 2007, Iraqi security forces--
personal experiences of U.S. military advisors on transition
teams; September 7, 2007, Panel discussion with former members
of Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) in Afghanistan;
September 27, 2007, Panel discussion with former members of
Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Iraq; October 2, 2007, Panel
discussion with wounded federal civilian employees and
representatives from their advocacy organizations; December 19,
2007, Non-governmental organizations and Provincial
Reconstruction Teams; January 17, 2008, National security
interagency reform working group; January 23, 2008, Panel
discussion with authors of the recent CSIS report: Integrating
21st century development and security assistance; April 15,
2008, Panel discussion with users of the Defense Travel System;
June 5, 2008, Provincial Reconstruction Team report discussions
with Ambassador Ryan Crocker; June 8, 2008, ``Grand Strategy''
academic panel discussion; June 18, 2008, Defense language
transformation roadmap briefing with Dr. David S. Chu, Under
Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness; July 14,
2008, Congressional Delegation Cooper to JIEDDO's counter-IED
operations integration center; and September 9, 2008, Closed
member briefing on JIEDDO's counter-IED operations integration
center.
(Committee Print 6, Committee Print 8, Committee Print 9,
Committee Print 11, Committee Print 12) H.A.S.C. 110-49;
H.A.S.C. 110-55; H.A.S.C. 110-56; H.A.S.C. 110-57; H.A.S.C.
110-60; H.A.S.C. 110-71; H.A.S.C. 110-74; H.A.S.C. 110-78;
H.A.S.C. 110-82; H.A.S.C. 110-86; H.A.S.C. 110-90; H.A.S.C.
110-93; H.A.S.C. 110-95; H.A.S.C. 110-96; H.A.S.C. 110-98;
H.A.S.C. 110-102; H.A.S.C. 110-106; H.A.S.C. 110-109; H.A.S.C.
110-115; H.A.S.C. 110-118; H.A.S.C. 110-129; H.A.S.C. 110-147;
H.A.S.C. 110-152; H.A.S.C. 110-155; H.A.S.C. 110-159; H.A.S.C.
110-168; H.A.S.C. 110-171; H.A.S.C. 110-173; H.A.S.C. 110-175)
Special Oversight Panel on Roles and Missions
On July 25, 2007, the committee created a seven member
bipartisan Roles and Missions panel with a six month charter to
consider implications regarding the organization of the
national defense structure across the Department of the Defense
and other governmental entities. The panel held multiple
meetings and briefings with a wide variety of defense and
security officials and non-governmental experts. In January
2008, the Panel released its final report to the public, which
discussed several areas of national security related activities
that the panel desired to highlight for further consideration.
In the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008
(Public Law 110-181), the committee established a requirement
for a quadrennial review of the roles and missions of the armed
forces. The results of the first review will be delivered with
the budget request for fiscal year 2010.
(Committee Print 7)
PUBLICATIONS
Committee Prints
Committee Print 1--Committee Rules of the Committee on
Armed Services in the 110th Congress. Adopted January 10,
2007.\1\
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\1\Note: Due to an administrative error, the committee print
numbering system skipped numbers two, three, four, and five, and thus
there are no publications numbered as such.
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Committee Print 6--Oversight and Investigations
Subcommittee report--Stand Up and Be Counted: The Continuing
Challenge of Building the Iraqi Security Forces. June 2007.
Committee Print 7--Roles and Missions Panel report--Initial
Perspectives. January 2008.
Committee Print 8--Oversight and Investigations
Subcommittee report--Agency Stovepipes vs Strategic Agility:
Lessons We Need to Learn from Provincial Reconstruction Teams
in Iraq and Afghanistan. April 2008.
Committee Print 9--Oversight and Investigations
Subcommittee report--Deploying Federal Civilians to the
Battlefield: Incentives, Benefits and Medical Care. April 2008.
Committee Print 10--Joint Explanatory Statement to
accompany S. 3001 (H.R. 5658)--The Duncan Hunter National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009. September 2008.
Committee Print 11--Oversight and Investigations
Subcommittee report--The Joint IED Defeat Organization: DOD's
Fight Against IEDs Today and Tomorrow.
Committee Print 12--Oversight and Investigations
Subcommittee report--Building Language Skills and Cultural
Competencies in the Military: DOD's Challenge in Today's
Educational Environment.
Published Proceedings
H.A.S.C. 110-1--Full Committee hearing on Committee
Organization. January 10, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-2--Full Committee hearing on The Way Forward
in Iraq. January 11, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-3--Seapower and Expeditionary Forces
Subcommittee hearing on Marine Corps Force Protection Equipment
for Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
January 16, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-4--Full Committee hearing on Alternative
Perspectives on the President's Strategy for Iraq. January 17,
2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-5--Full Committee hearing on Approaches to
Audit of Reconstruction and Support Activities in Iraq. January
18, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-6--Air and Land Forces Subcommittee hearing on
the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 and
Oversight of Previously Authorized Programs--Budget Request on
Army Force Protection Equipment for Operation Iraqi Freedom and
Operation Enduring Freedom. January 18, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-7--Full Committee hearing on Implications of
Iraq Policy on Total Force Readiness. January 23, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-8--Full Committee hearing on Security and
Stability in Afghanistan: Challenges and Opportunities. January
30, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-9--Military Personnel Subcommittee hearing on
Examination of the Force Requirements Determination Process.
January 30, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-10--Air and Land Forces Subcommittee hearing
on the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008
and Oversight of Previously Authorized Programs--Budget Request
on Army Equipment Reset. (Joint with Subcommittee on
Readiness). January 31, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-11--Strategic Forces Subcommittee hearing on
the Department of Energy's Implementation of the National
Nuclear Security Administration Act of 2000. January 31, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-12--Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and
Capabilities Subcommittee hearing on Current Manning, Equipping
and Readiness Challenges Facing Special Operations Forces.
January 31, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-13--Full Committee hearing on the National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 and Oversight of
Previously Authorized Programs--Budget Request from the
Department of Defense. February 7, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-14--Seapower and Expeditionary Forces
Subcommittee hearing on Acquisition Oversight of the U.S.
Navy's Littoral Combat System. February 8, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-15--Full Committee hearing on Assessment of
Security and Stability in Afghanistan and Developments in U.S.
Strategy and Operations. February 13, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-16--Military Personnel Subcommittee hearing on
the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 and
Oversight of Previously Authorized Programs--Military Health
Care and the Challenges Facing the Military Health Care System.
February 13, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-17--Readiness Subcommittee hearing on U.S.
Marine Corps and U.S. Navy Reset Requirements. (joint with
Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces.) February
13, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-18--Full Committee hearing on the National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 and Oversight of
Previously Authorized Programs--Budget Request from the
Department of the Army. February 14, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-19--Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and
Capabilities Subcommittee hearing on Challenges for the Special
Operations Command (SOCOM) Posed by the Global Terrorist
Threat. February 14, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-20--Military Personnel Subcommittee hearing on
the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 and
Oversight of Previously Authorized Programs--Budget Request on
Overview of Recruiting and Retention. February 15, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-21--Full Committee hearing on the National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 and Oversight of
Previously Authorized Programs--Budget Request from the
Department of the Air Force. February 28, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-22--Military Personnel Subcommittee hearing on
Fiscal Year 2008 National Defense Authorization Budget Request
on Impact of Changes to the Reserve Montgomery G.I. Bill.
February 28, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-23--Full Committee hearing on the National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 and Oversight of
Previously Authorized Programs--Budget Request from the
Department of the Navy. March 1, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-24--Military Personnel Subcommittee hearings
on the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008
and Oversight of Previously Authorized Programs--Views of
Military Advocacy and Beneficiary Groups. March 1 and 15, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-25--Seapower and Expeditionary Forces
Subcommittee hearing on Integrated Nuclear Power Systems for
Future Naval Surface Combatants. March 1, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-26--Readiness Subcommittee hearing on The
National Security Personnel System--Is it Really Working? March
6, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-27--Full Committee hearing on the National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 and Oversight of
Previously Authorized Programs--Budget Request from the U.S.
Pacific Command and U.S. Forces Korea. March 7, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-28--Air and Land Forces Subcommittee hearing
on the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008
and Oversight of Previously Authorized Programs--Budget Request
on Air Force and Army Airlift and Aerial Refueling Fixed-Wing
Aircraft Programs. March 7, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-29--Full Committee hearing on Challenges and
Obstacles Wounded and Injured Service Members Face During
Recovery. March 8, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-30--Seapower and Expeditionary Forces
Subcommittee hearing on Submarine Force Structure and
Acquisition Policy. March 8, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-31--Strategic Forces Subcommittee hearing on
The Posture of the U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM). March
8, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 1109-32--Military Personnel Subcommittee hearing
on Overview of Military Resale Programs. March, 13, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-33--Readiness Subcommittee hearing on the
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 and
Oversight of Previously Authorized Programs--Budget Request on
Adequacy to Meet Readiness Needs. March 31, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-34--Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and
Capabilities Subcommittee hearing on the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 and Oversight of
Previously Authorized Programs--Budget Request on Harnessing
Technological Innovation: Challenges and Opportunities. March
14, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-35--Full Committee hearing on the National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 and Oversight of
Previously Authorized Programs--Budget Request from the U.S.
European Command and Joint Forces Command. March 15, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-36--Seapower and Expeditionary Forces
Subcommittee hearing on The Federal Ship Construction Loan
Guarantee Program. March 15, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-37--Strategic Forces Subcommittee hearing on
the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 and
Oversight of Previously Authorized Programs--Budget Request for
the Department of Energy's Atomic Energy Defense Activities.
March 20, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-38--Readiness Subcommittee hearing on Budget
Requests for Military Construction, Family Housing, Base
Closures and Facilities' Operations and Maintenance. March 20,
2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-39--Seapower and Expeditionary Forces
Subcommittee hearing on U.S. Shipyard Modernization Initiatives
and Ship Cost Reduction. March 20, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-40--Full Committee hearing on the National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 and Oversight of
Previously Authorized Programs--Budget Request from the U.S.
Strategic Command, Northern Command, Transportation Command,
and Southern Command. March 21, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-41--Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and
Capabilities Subcommittee hearing on the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 and Oversight of
Previously Authorized Programs--Budget Request on the
Department of Defense Counterproliferation, Counterterrorism,
and Science and Technology Priorities. March 21, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-42--Air and Land Forces Subcommittee hearing
on the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008
and Oversight of Previously Authorized Programs--Budget Request
on Department of Defense Airlift Programs. (Joint with
Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces). March 22,
2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-43--Full Committee hearing on The Second
Report to Congress by the Commission on the National Guard and
Reserves. March 23, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-44--Strategic Forces Subcommittee hearing on
the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 and
Oversight of Previously Authorized Programs--Budget Request and
the Status of Space Activities. March 23, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-45--Military Personnel Subcommittee hearing on
The State of the Military Health Care System. March 27. 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-46--Air and Land Forces Subcommittee hearing
on the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008
and Oversight of Previously Authorized Programs--Budget Request
on Army Ground Force Acquisition Programs. March 27, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-47--Readiness Subcommittee hearing on the
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 and
Oversight of Previously Authorized Programs--Budget Request on
Readiness of the Army and Air National Guard. March 27, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-48--Strategic Forces Subcommittee hearing on
the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 and
Oversight of Previously Authorized Programs--Budget Request for
Missile Defense Programs. March 27, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-49--Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee
hearing on Outside Perspectives on Transitioning Security to
the Iraqi Security Forces. March 28, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 109-50--Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and
Capabilities Subcommittee hearing on the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 and Oversight of
Previously Authorized Programs--Budget Request on Information
Technology. March 28, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-51--Full Committee hearing on The Military
Commission Act and the Continued Use of Guantanamo Bay as a
Detention Facility. March 29, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-52--Military Personnel Subcommittee hearing on
Overview of Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) Programs.
March 29, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-53--Full Committee hearing on the National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 and Oversight of
Previously Authorized Programs--Budget Request from the U.S.
Central Command. April 18, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-54--Air and Land Forces Subcommittee hearing
on the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008
and Oversight of Previously Authorized Programs--Budget Request
on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and Intelligence,
Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Capabilities. April 19,
2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-55--Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee
hearing on Contracting for the Iraqi Security Forces. April 25,
2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-56--Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee
hearing on Training of Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) and
Employment of Transition Teams. May 22, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-57--Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee
hearing on Development of the Iraqi Police Service. May 24,
2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-58--Full Committee hearing on Department of
Defense Body Armor Programs. June 6, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-59--Seapower and Expeditionary Forces
Subcommittee hearing on Procurement of Navy Boat Barriers. June
6, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-60--Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee
hearing on the Development of the Iraqi Security Forces. June
12, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-61--Full Committee hearing on China: Recent
Security Developments. June 13, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-62--Full Committee hearing on Organizing the
Roles, Missions, and Requirements of the Department of Defense.
June 20, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-63--Full Committee hearing on Structure,
Process, and Tools for Improving Department of Defense
Management. June 26, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-64--Military Personnel Subcommittee hearing on
Findings of the Independent Review Group and an In-Progress
Review of Actions at Walter Reed. June 26, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-65--Seapower and Expeditionary Forces
Subcommittee hearing on Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle Program
Update. June 26, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-66--Military Personnel Subcommittee hearing on
Review of the Policies and Procedures Regarding the
Notification of Next-of-Kin of Wounded and Deceased Service
Members. June 27, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-67--Full Committee hearing on Global Security
Assessment. July 11, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-68--Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee
hearing on Strategic Communications and The Battle of Ideas:
Winning the Hearts and Minds in the Global War Against
Terrorists. July 11, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-69--Military Personnel Subcommittee hearing on
Mental Health. July 12, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-70--Readiness Subcommittee hearing on Emerging
Contaminants and Environmental Management at the Department of
Defense Installations. July 12, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-71--Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee
hearing on A Third Way: Alternatives for Iraq's Future (Part 1
of 4). July 12, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-72--Full Committee hearing on Iraq: Trends and
Recent Security Developments. July 18, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-73--Strategic Forces Subcommittee hearing on
U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy. July 18, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-74--Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee
hearing on A Third Way: Alternatives for Iraq's Future (Part 2
of 4). July 18, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-75--Air and Land Forces Subcommittee hearing
on Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Vehicle Program.
(Joint with Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces.)
July 19, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-76--Seapower and Expeditionary Forces
Subcommittee hearing on Surface Combatant Construction Update.
July 24, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-77--Full Committee hearing on Implications of
the National Intelligence Estimate Regarding al-Qaeda (joint
with Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence). July 25,
2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-78--Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee
hearing on A Third Way: Alternatives for Iraq's Future (Part 3
of 4). July 25, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-79--Full Committee hearing on Upholding the
Principle of Habeas Corpus for Detainees. July 26, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-80--Full Committee hearing on H. R. 3087, To
require the President, in coordination with the Secretary of
State, the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and
other senior military leaders, to develop and transmit to
Congress a Comprehensive Strategy for the Redeployment of
United States Armed Forces in Iraq, and H. R. 3159, the
``Enduring Military Readiness Through Stability and
Predictability Deployment Policy Act of 2007.'' July 27, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-81--Readiness Subcommittee hearing on the Use
of In-Lieu-Of, Ad Hoc and Augmentee Forces in Operation
Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. July 31, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-82--Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee
hearing on A Third Way: Alternatives for Iraq's Future (Part 4
of 4). July 31, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-83--Military Personnel Subcommittee hearing on
Active Army, Army National Guard, and Army Reserve Recruiting
and Retention. August 1, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-84--Military Personnel Subcommittee hearing on
Further Inquiry into Marine Corps Policies and Procedures
Regarding Next-of-Kin Notification. August 2, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-85--Full Committee hearing on The Comptroller
General's Assessment of the Iraqi Government's Record of
Performance. September 5, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-86--Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee
hearing on The Role of the Department of Defense in Provincial
Reconstruction Teams. September 5, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-87--Full Committee hearing on Beyond the
September Report: What's Next for Iraq? (Joint with the
Committee on Foreign Affairs). September 6, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-88--Full Committee hearing on the Report of
the Independent Commission on the Security Forces of Iraq.
September 6, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-89--Full Committee hearing on The War and
Political Developments in Iraq. (Joint with Committee on
Foreign Affairs). September 10, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-90--Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee
hearing on the Benefits and Medical Care for Federal and U.S.
Contractor Employees Deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.
September 18, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-91--Full Committee hearing on Accountability
During Contingency Operations: Preventing and Fighting
Corruption in Contracting and Establishing and Maintaining
Appropriate Control on Materiel. September 20, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-92--Full Committee hearing on Army Strategic
Initiatives. September 26, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-93--Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee
hearing on The Role of the Department of Defense in Provincial
Reconstruction Teams in Afghanistan and Iraq. October 4, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-94--Full Committee hearing on Security
Challenges Involving Pakistan Implications for the Department
of Defense. October 10, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-95--Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee
hearing on Incentives, Benefits, and Medical Care for Federal
Civilian Employees Deployed to Combat Zones. October 16, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-96--Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee
hearing on Measuring and Increasing the Effectiveness of
Provincial Reconstruction Teams. October 18, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-97--Full Committee hearing on Air Force
Strategic Initiatives, October 24, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-98--Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee
hearing on Stabilization and Reconstruction Operations:
Learning from the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT)
Experience. October 30, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-99--Seapower and Expeditionary Forces
Subcommittee on the Current Status of the Joint Mine Resistant
Ambush Protected (MRAP) Vehicle Program. (Joint with
Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces). November 8, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-100--Full Committee hearing on Africa Command.
November 14, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-101--Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and
Capabilities Subcommittee hearing on Strategic Communications
and Countering Ideological Support for Terrorism. November 15,
2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-102--Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee
hearing on Provincial Reconstruction Teams--Historical and
Current Perspectives on Doctrine and Strategy. December 5,
2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-103--Full Committee hearing on Security and
Stability in Afghanistan: Status of U.S. Strategy and
Operations and the Way Ahead. December 11, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-104--Readiness Subcommittee hearing on
Implementation of the Base Realignment and Closure 2005
Decisions. December 12, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-105--Full Committee hearing on A Cooperative
Strategy for the 21st Century Seapower. December 13, 2007.
H.A.S.C. 110-106--Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee
hearing on A Continuing Dialogue: Post-Surge Alternatives for
Iraq (Parts 1 and 2). January 16 and 23, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-107--Full Committee hearing on the Status of
Efforts to Develop Iraqi Security Forces. January 17, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-108--Full Committee hearing on Assessment of
U.S. Strategy and Operations in Afghanistan and the Way Ahead.
January 23, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-109--Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee
hearing on Interagency Reform: Can the Provincial
Reconstruction Team (PRT) Case Study Illuminate the Future of
Reconstruction and Stabilization Operations? January 29, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-110--Full Committee hearing on the National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 and Oversight of
Previously Authorized Programs--Budget Request from the
Department of Defense. February 6, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-111--Military Personnel Subcommittee hearing
on the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009
and Oversight of Previously Authorized Programs--Budget Request
on the Views of Military Advocacy and Beneficiary Groups.
February 7, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-112--Full Committee hearing on Global Security
Assessment. February 13, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-113--Readiness Subcommittee hearing on
Readiness at Risk: Department of Defense Security Clearance
Processes. February 13, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-114--Full Committee hearing on Military
Readiness Implications for Our Strategic Posture. February 14,
2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-115--Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee
hearing on Provincial Reconstruction Teams: A Case for
Interagency National Security Reform. February 4, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-116--Military Personnel Subcommittee hearing
on The Status of the Implications of the Army's Medical Action
Plan and Other Services' Support for Wounded Service Members.
February 15, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-117--Military Personnel Subcommittee hearing
on the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009
and Oversight of Previously Authorized Programs--Budget Request
on Overview of Recruiting, Retention, and Compensation.
February 26, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-118 Terrorism, Unconventional Threats, and
Capabilities Subcommittee hearing on Irregular Warfare and
Stability Operations: Approaches to Interagency Integration
(Joint with Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations).
February 26, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-119--Full Committee hearing on the National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 and Oversight of
Previously Authorized Programs--Budget Request from the
Department of the Air Force. February 27, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-120--Strategic Forces Subcommittee hearing on
the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 and
Oversight of Previously Authorized Programs--Budget Request on
Posture and Budget Request for Strategic Programs. February 27,
2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-121--Seapower and Expeditionary Forces
Subcommittee hearing on the National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2009 and Oversight of Previously Authorized
Programs--Budget Request on Overview for the United States
Marine Corps. February 27, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-122--Full Committee hearing on the National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 and Oversight of
Previously Authorized Programs--Budget Request from the
Department of the Army. February 28, 2008. .
H.A.S.C. 110-123--Readiness Subcommittee hearing on the
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 and
Oversight of Previously Authorized Programs--Budget Request on
Military Construction. February 28, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-124--Full Committee hearing on Fiscal Year
2009 National Defense Authorization Budget Request from the
U.S. Central Command and the U.S. Special Operation Command.
March 5, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-125--Terrorism, Unconventional Threats, and
Capabilities Subcommittee hearing on the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 and Oversight of
Previously Authorized Programs--Budget Request from the U.S.
Special Operations Command and U.S. Northern Command. March 5,
2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-126--Strategic Forces Subcommittee hearing on
the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 and
Oversight of Previously Authorized Programs--Budget Request and
Status for Space Activities. March 5, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-127--Full Committee hearing on the National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 and Oversight of
Previously Authorized Programs--Budget Request from the
Department of the Navy. March 6, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-128--Air and Land Forces Subcommittee hearing
on the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009
and Oversight of Previously Authorized Programs--Budget Request
on Departments of the Navy and Air Force Tactical Aviation
Programs. (Joint with Subcommittee on Seapower and
Expeditionary Forces). March 11, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-129--Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee
hearing on The Impact of the Presidential Signing Statement on
the Department of Defense's Implementation of the Fiscal Year
2008 National Defense Authorization Act. March 11, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-130--Readiness Subcommittee hearing on
Inherently Governmental--What is the Proper Role of Government?
March 11, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-131--Military Personnel Subcommittee hearing
on the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009
and Oversight of Previously Authorized Programs--Budget Request
on the Future of the Military Health System. March 12, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-132--Strategic Forces Subcommittee hearing on
the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 and
Oversight of Previously Authorized Programs--Budget Request for
the Department of Energy National Security Programs. Mar. 12,
2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-133--Full Committee hearing on the National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 and Oversight of
Previously Authorized Programs--Budget Request from the U.S.
Pacific Command and U.S. Forces Korea. March 12, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-134--Readiness Subcommittee hearing on
Department of Defense Energy Posture. March 13, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-135--Terrorism, Unconventional Threats, and
Capabilities Subcommittee hearing on the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 and Oversight of
Previously Authorized Programs--Budget Request--Department of
Defense Science and Technology: Responding to the 21st Century
Irregular Warfare Threat Environment. March 5, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-136--Full Committee hearing on the National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 and Oversight of
Previously Authorized Programs--Budget Request from the U.S.
European Command, Southern Command and Africa Command. March
13, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-137--Military Personnel Subcommittee hearing
on Fiscal Year 2009 National Defense Authorization Budget
Request on Mental Health Overview. March 14, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-138--Seapower and Expeditionary Forces
Subcommittee hearing on the National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2009 and Oversight of Previously Authorized
Programs--Budget Request for Navy Shipbuilding. March 14, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-139--Readiness Subcommittee hearing on the
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 and
Oversight of Previously Authorized Programs--Budget Request on
the Readiness of the Army and Air Force Reserves and National
Guard Forces. April 1, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-140--Air and Land Forces Subcommittee hearing
on the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009
and Oversight of Previously Authorized Programs--Budget Request
from the United States Transportation Command and Air Force
Mobility Aircraft Programs. April 1, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-141--Terrorism, Unconventional Threats, and
Capabilities Subcommittee hearing on Holistic Approaches to
Cybersecurity Enabling Network Centric Operations. April 1,
2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-142--Air and Land Forces Subcommittee hearing
on the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009
and Oversight of Previously Authorized Programs--Budget Request
on Army National Guard and Army Reserve Equipment. April 3,
2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-143--Full Committee hearing on The Status of
the War and Political Developments in Iraq. April 9, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-144--Full Committee hearing on The Current
Status of U.S. Ground Forces. April 9, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-145--Air and Land Forces Subcommittee hearing
on the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009
and Oversight of Previously Authorized Programs--Budget Request
on Army Acquisition Programs. April 10, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-146--Full Committee hearing on Building
Partnership Capacity and Development of the Interagency
Process. April 10, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-147--Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee
hearing on Oversight of the Defense Travel System. April 15,
2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-148--Full Committee hearing on National
Industrial Security Program: Addressing the Implication of
Globalization and Foreign Ownership for the Defense Industrial
Base. April 16, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-149--Air and Land Forces Subcommittee hearing
on the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009
and Oversight of Previously Authorized Programs--Budget Request
on House Resolution 834: Ground Force Readiness Shortfalls.
(Joint with Subcommittee on Readiness). April 16, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-150--Military Personnel Subcommittee hearing
on Military Resale and Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR)
Overview. April 17, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-151--Strategic Forces Subcommittee hearing on
Fiscal Year 2009 National Defense Authorization Budget Request
for Missile Defense Programs. April 17, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-152--Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee
hearing on Challenges Associated with Achieving Full Dental
Readiness in the Reserve Component. April 23, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-153--Full Committee hearing on China: Recent
Security Developments. June 25, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-154--Full Committee hearing on An Update on
Efforts to Develop and Support the Iraq Security Forces. July
9, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-155--Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee
hearing on Defense Language and Cultural Awareness
Transformation: To What End? At What Cost? July 9, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-156--Full Committee hearing on Threat Posed by
Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack, July 10, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-157--Air and Land Forces Subcommittee hearing
on Source Selection and Path Forward Regarding the Air Force
KC-(X) Program. July 10, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-158--Military Personnel Subcommittee hearing
on Oversight and Status of POW/MIA Activities. July 10, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-159--Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee
hearing on A New U.S. Grand Strategy (Part 1). July 15, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-160--Strategic Forces Subcommittee hearing on
Nuclear Weapons Complex Modernization. July 17, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-161--Military Personnel Subcommittee hearing
on Army Medical Action Plan: Is it Working? July 22, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-162--Full Committee hearing on The Comptroller
General's Progress Report on Iraq. July 23, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-163--Military Personnel Subcommittee hearing
on Don't Ask, Don't Tell Review. July 23, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-164--Full Committee hearing on Contingency
Contracting: Implementing a Call for Urgent Reform. April 10,
2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-165--Terrorism, Unconventional Threats, and
Capabilities Subcommittee hearing on the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 and Oversight of
Previously Authorized Programs--Budget Request on Role of
Social and Behavioral Sciences in National Security (Joint with
the Subcommittee on Research and Science Education of the
Science and Technology Committee). April 24, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-166--Full Committee hearing on Implications of
the Supreme Court's Boumediene Decision for Detainees at
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba: Non Governmental Perspectives. July 30,
2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-167--Full Committee hearing on Implications of
the Supreme Court's Boumediene Decision for Detainees at
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba: Administration Perspectives. July 31,
2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-168--Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee
hearing on A New U.S. Grand Strategy (Part 2). July 31, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-169--Seapower and Expeditionary Forces
Subcommittee hearing on Navy Destroyer Acquisition Programs.
July 31, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-170--Full Committee hearing on Security and
Stability in Afghanistan and Iraq: Developments in U.S.
Strategy and Operations and the Way Ahead. September 10, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-171--Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee
hearing on Transforming the U.S. Military's Foreign Language,
Cultural Awareness, and Regional Expertise Capabilities.
September 10, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-172--Full Committee hearing on Considerations
for an American Grand Strategy. Part 1. September 16, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-173--Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee
hearing on Defeating the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and
Other Asymmetric Threats: Today's Efforts and Tomorrow's
Requirements. September 16, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-174--Terrorism, Unconventional Threats, and
Capabilities Subcommittee hearing on Lessons for Countering al
Qa'ida and the Way Ahead. September 18, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-175--Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee
hearing on The Department of Defense's Work with States,
Universities, and Students to Transform the Nation's Foreign
Language Capacity. September 23, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-176--Full Committee hearing on Considerations
for an American Grand Strategy. Part 2. September 24, 2008.
H.A.S.C. 110-177--Air and Land Forces Subcommittee hearing
on the F-22 program. November 19, 2008.
HOUSE REPORTS
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Report number Date filed Bill number Title
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
110-47, Part II.................... Mar. 14, 2007......... H.R. 1362............. To reform acquisition
practices of the Federal
Government.
110-68, Part I..................... Mar. 23, 2007......... H.R. 1538............. To amend title 10, United
States Code, to improve
the management of medical
care, personnel actions,
and quality of life issues
for members of the Armed
Forces who are receiving
medical care in an
outpatient status, and for
other purposes.
110-146, Part I and II............. May 11, 2007.......... H.R. 1585............. To authorize appropriations
for fiscal year 2008 for
military activities of the
Department of Defense, for
military construction, and
for defense activities of
the Department of Energy,
to prescribe military
personnel strengths for
such fiscal year, and for
other purposes.
110-282............................ Jul. 31, 2007......... H.R. 3159............. To mandate minimum periods
of rest and recuperation
for unites and members of
the regular and Reserve
Components of the Armed
Forces between deployments
for Operation Iraqi
Freedom and Operation
Enduring Freedom.
110-283............................ Jul. 31, 2007......... H.R. 3087............. To require the President,
in coordination with the
Secretary of State, the
Secretary of Defense, the
Joint Chiefs of Staff, and
other senior military
leaders, to develop and
transmit to Congress a
comprehensive strategy for
the redeployment of the
United States Armed Forces
in Iraq.
110-477............................ Dec. 6, 2007.......... H.R. 1585 Conf. Rept.. To authorize appropriations
for fiscal year 2008 for
military activities of the
Department of Defense, for
military construction, and
for defense activities of
the Department of Energy,
to prescribe military
personnel strengths for
such fiscal year, and for
other purposes.
110-652, Parts I and II............ May 16, 2008.......... H.R. 5658............. To authorize appropriations
for fiscal year 2009 for
military activities of the
Department of Defense, to
prescribe military
personnel strengths for
fiscal year 2009, and for
other purposes.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PUBLIC LAWS
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Public Law number Date enacted Bill number Title
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
110-115............................ Nov. 14, 2007......... H.R. 2779............. To recognize the Navy UDT/
SEAL Museum in Fort
Pierce, Florida, as the
official national museum
of the Navy SEALS and
their predecessors.
110-181............................ Jan. 28, 2008......... H.R. 4986 (H.R. 1585). To provide for the
enactment of the National
Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2008, as
previously enrolled, with
certain modifications to
address the foreign
sovereign immunities
provisions of title 28,
United States Code, with
respect to the attachment
of property in certain
judgments against Iraq,
the lapse of statutory
authorities for the
payment of bonuses,
special pay, and similar
benefits for members of
the uniformed services,
and other purposes.
110-203............................ Apr. 22, 2008......... H.J. Res. 70.......... Congratulating the Army
Reserve on its centennial,
which will be formally
celebrated on April 23,
2008, and commemorating
the historic contributions
of its veterans and
continuing contributions
of its soldiers to the
vital national security
interests and homeland
defense missions of the
United States.
110-417............................ Oct. 14, 2008......... S. 3001............... Duncan Hunter National
Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2009.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRESS RELEASES
First Session
January 5, 2007--Skelton Statement on Military Leadership
Changes
January 10, 2007--Skelton Announces January Hearing Topics
January 10, 2007--Skelton Opposes Troop Escalation
January 10, 2007--House Armed Services Committee Holds
110th Congress Organizational Meeting
January 18, 2007--Skelton Hopes New Military Manual Will
Result In Solid Convictions Of Terrorists
January 23, 2007--Skelton Says Costs Of Troop Escalation
Unacceptable: Troop Increase In Iraq Threatens Military
Readiness, Poses Significant Strategic Risk, And Harms Troop
And Family Morale
January 30, 2007--Afghanistan Demands Increased Attention,
Says Skelton
January 30, 2007--Snyder Concerned with Discrepancy between
End Strength Request and 2006 QDR
January 31, 2007--Subcommittees Begin Damage Assessment of
Army Forces
February 1, 2007--Skelton/Meehan: CBO Estimates Additional
Personnel and Costs for President's Troop Escalation
February 5, 2007--Skelton On The President's Defense Budget
Proposal
February 7, 2007--Skelton Questions Planning For Troop
Escalation
February 9, 2007--Skelton: DOD Office's Activities
Absolutely Indefensible
February 10, 2007--Skelton Statement on News Reports
Regarding Iranian Activities
February 11, 2007--Hoyer-Skelton-Reyes Letter To Gates And
Negroponte
February 13, 2007--Skelton Statement On House Iraq
Resolution
February 13, 2007--Skelton: NATO Partners Must Do More In
Afghanistan
February 14, 2007--Skelton: A Larger Army Will Help, But
Readiness Issues Must Be Addressed
February 16, 2007--Skelton On House Passage Of Iraq
Resolution
February 21, 2007--Skelton Statement On Conditions At
Walter Reed Army Medical Center
February 28, 2007--Skelton Concerned About Air Force's
Readiness And Personnel Levels
March 1, 2007--House Armed Services Committee To Hold
Hearing On Report Of The National Guard And Reserves Commission
March 1, 2007--Skelton Concerned About Navy Ships And
Marine Corps Readiness
March 2, 2007--Skelton Statement on Resignation of Army
Secretary Francis Harvey
March 2, 2007--Tauscher/Everett on Announcement of National
Nuclear Security Administration Reliable Replacement Warhead
Design
March 6, 2007--Meehan/Akin Announce Oversight Subcommittee
Will Examine Development of Iraqi Security Forces
March 8, 2007--Skelton Says Committee Will Consider
Legislation To Meet The Needs Of Wounded Service Members
March 12, 2007--Skelton On The Retirement Of Lt. Gen. Kevin
C. Kiley
March 13, 2007--House Armed Services Committee Reports H.R.
1362, The Accountability In Contracting Act
March 13, 2007--Skelton Congratulates Congressman Marty
Meehan
March 13, 2007--Readiness Subcommittee Hears From
Administration On Defense Budget
March 14, 2007--Skelton And Snyder Ask GAO To Review
Allegations About Wounded Soldiers Ordered To Combat Theater
March 14, 2007--Skelton Pledges To Work With Pentagon On
Defense Acquisition Transformation
March 14, 2007--Skelton and Ortiz Request Military
Readiness Studies
March 15, 2007--Skelton-Hunter-Snyder-McHugh-Filner
Introduce the Wounded Warrior Assistance Act Of 2007
March 19, 2007--Skelton Statement On Four Years Since The
Beginning Of The Iraq War
March 20, 2007--House Armed Services Committee Reports H.R.
1538, The Wounded Warrior Assistance Act of 2007
March 22, 2007--Skelton Says Budget Resolution Supports
Defense
March 23, 2007--Skelton Statement on the U.S. Troop
Readiness, Veterans' Health, and Iraq Accountability Act
March 23, 2007--Opening Statement of Chairman Ike Skelton
(D-MO) Hearing on the Second Report of the Commission on the
National Guard and Reserves
March 28, 2007--Skelton Praises House Approval of H.R.
1538, the Wounded Warriors Assistance Act of 2007
March 28, 2007--Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee
Hears Challenges and Recommendations on Iraqi Security Forces
from Outside Experts
March 29, 2007--Opening Statement of Chairman Ike Skelton
(D-MO) Hearing on the Military Commissions Act of 2006 and the
Future of the Detention and Interrogation Facilities at the
U.S. Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
April 3, 2007--Skelton Delivers Address at Historic
Westminster College
April 4, 2007--Skelton Responds to GOP Statements
Concerning the Global War on Terror
April 10, 2007--Skelton Questions Pentagon About the
Readiness of Units to be Deployed to Iraq
April 11, 2007--Skelton Statement on Pentagon Decision to
Extend Army Deployments
April 18, 2007--House Armed Services Committee Members on
the Passage of H. Res. 305, Commending the Special Operations
Community
April 18, 2007--Opening Statement of Chairman Ike Skelton
(D-MO) Hearing on U.S. Central Command
April 23, 2007--Skelton: Walls Will Not Bring Peace to
Baghdad Political Settlement Needed to Bring Security And
Stability to Iraq
April 25, 2007--Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee
Examines Role of Private Contractors in Training the Iraqi
Security Forces
April 30, 2007--Skelton: Iraqi Parliament Must Put
Political Progress Ahead of Summer Break
May 9, 2007--House Armed Services Committee Approves Fiscal
Year 2008 Defense Authorization Bill Restoring Military
Readiness and Taking Care of the Troops are Top Priorities
May 16, 2007--Skelton Remarks On H.R. 1585, The National
Defense Authorization Act For Fiscal Year 2008
May 17, 2007--Skelton Applauds House Passage of H.R. 1585,
The FY 2008 National Defense Authorization Bill
May 22, 2007--Meehan Comments on Limited DoD Cooperation
May 23, 2007--Skelton/Meehan Comment on Revised Joint
Campaign Plan May 24, 2007--Taylor Pledges Hearing on Navy Boat
Barriers
May 24, 2007--Meehan Looks for Balance Between Junior and
Senior DoD Witnesses
June 6, 2007--Opening Statement of Chairman Ike Skelton (D-
MO) Hearing on Department of Defense Body Armor Programs
June 8, 2007--Skelton Statement on the Nomination of
Admiral Michael Mullen as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
June 12, 2007--Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee on
the Development of Iraqi Security Forces
June 13, 2007--Opening Statement of Chairman Ike Skelton
(D-MO) Hearing on Recent Security Developments Involving China
June 14, 2007--HASC Democrats Elect New Subcommittee Chairs
June 22, 2007--Skelton/Conyers Introduce Habeas Reform
Legislation
July 3, 2007--Skelton: At Last, Administration May Seek
Responsible Redeployment From Iraq
July 12, 2007--Skelton Statement on Iraq Interim Report
July 12, 2007--Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee
Explores Third Way in Iraq
July 12, 2007--Taylor and Bartlett Applaud Appointment of
Navy Acquisition Deputy
July 12, 2007--Skelton Statement on H.R. 2956, The
Responsible Redeployment From Iraq Act
July 12, 2007--Skelton Praises House Passage of H.R. 2956,
The Responsible Redeployment From Iraq Act
July 17, 2007--Skelton Says NIE Confirms Need To Focus On
War Against Terrorists In Afghanistan
July 18, 2007--Opening Statement of Chairman Ike Skelton
(D-MO) Hearing on Iraq: Trends and Recent Security Developments
July 18, 2007--Skelton: I am happy to see the DoD finally
acknowledge the true magnitude of this need.
July 19, 2007--Taylor/Abercrombie Demand Improvement in
Obtaining MRAP Vehicles
July 25, 2007--Snyder/Akin: Knowing Root Causes of Violence
Will Help Construct Alternatives in Iraq
July 25, 2007--Skelton and Hunter Announce Roles and
Missions Panel
July 26, 2007--Skelton/Tauscher Letter re: Administration
Nuclear Weapons Policy Statement
July 27, 2007--HASC Approves Bipartisan Bill on Planning
and Oversight of Iraq Redeployment
July 27, 2007--Bill to Require Time Between Iraq
Deployments Approved by House Armed Services Committee
July 27, 2007--Skelton Praises Agreement on 9/11 Bill
July 31, 2007--Snyder/Akin: Final Hearing in Series Gives
Committee Broad Spectrum of Alternatives
August 2, 2007--Skelton Praises House Action to Ensure
Adequate Time For Troops Between Deployments
August 16, 2007--Skelton Warns of Increased Violence Prior
to Release of Iraq Progress Report
August 31, 2007--Skelton Leads Delegation to Visit Military
Sites In China
August 31, 2007--Skelton Honors WWII American-Chinese
Heroism on Delegation to China
September 5, 2007--Skelton: Mishandling of Nuclear Weapons
Deeply Disturbing
September 5, 2007--Opening Statement of Chairman Ike
Skelton (D-MO) Hearing on the Comptroller General's Assessment
of the Iraqi Government's Record of Performance
September 7, 2007--Skelton: Political Progress in Iraq is
the Missing Element
September 13, 2007--Skelton Statement on the President's
Address to the Nation
September 18, 2007--Snyder/Akin: Care for Deployed
Civilians Must be Improved
September 19, 2007--Members of Congress Discuss Missile
Defense in Europe
October 2, 2007--Skelton Statement On H.R. 3087, Bipartisan
Bill on Planning and Oversight of Iraq Redeployment
October 3, 2007--Skelton Statement on the Veterans'
Disability Benefits Commission Report
October 4, 2007--Skelton Supports H.R. 2740, Holding
Private Contractors in War Zones Accountable
October 9, 2007--Skelton/Hunter/Neal Letter re: Iraqi
Purchase of Chinese Weapons
October 18, 2007--Snyder/Akin: Effective Tools Needed to
Evaluate PRTs
October 24, 2007--Missouri National Guard to Help Farmers
in Afghanistan--Skelton Praises Innovative Agribusiness
Development Program
November 1, 2007--Skelton Statement on the Gansler
Commission Report
November 19, 2007--Skelton, Hunter Welcome Tsongas, Lamborn
to Committee
December 3, 2007--Skelton Statement on the National
Intelligence Estimate on Iran's Nuclear Intentions and
Capabilities
December 11, 2007--Skelton: War in Iraq Holds Back Effort
in Afghanistan
December 11, 2007--Skelton and Buyer Urge U.S. Navy to Name
Ship in Honor of the Marquis De Lafayette
December 12, 2007--Bipartisan House Majority Approves FY
2008 Defense Authorization Conference Report
December 17, 2007--Skelton Urges Administration to Focus on
Afghanistan
December 27, 2007--Skelton Spends Christmas With U.S.
Troops In Iraq
December 28, 2007--Skelton Disappointed By President's
Defense Bill Veto
Second Session
January 14, 2008--Skelton Leads Bipartisan Congressional
Delegation to the United Kingdom
January 15, 2008--Skelton Meets with Iraqi Minister of
Defense
January 16, 2008--House Approves H.R. 4986, The National
Defense Authorization Act For Fiscal Year 2008
January 23, 2008--Snyder/Akin: Expert Testimony Raises
Important Issues for Future of U.S. Policy in Iraq
January 28, 2008--Skelton Hails Enactment of the FY08
National Defense Authorization Act
January 29, 2008--Snyder/Akin: Interagency Change Necessary
for National Security
January 29, 2008--Skelton on the State of the Union
January 30, 2008--Skelton: New Submarine to be Named USS
Missouri
January 31, 2008--Skelton Statement on the Final Report of
the Commission on the National Guard and Reserves
January 31, 2008--Skelton/Ortiz Ask Gates to Address
Readiness Shortfalls at Committee Hearing
February 4, 2008--Skelton Statement on the Fiscal Year 2009
Defense Budget Request
February 11, 2008--Skelton Asks Army Secretary to Release
RAND Study
February 11, 2008--Skelton Disappointed by Call to Pause
Redeployment from Iraq
February 11, 2008--Skelton Statement on Congressman Tom
Lantos
February 14, 2008--Skelton, Hunter, Tauscher, Everett
Statements on DoD's Decision to Engage Non-Responsive U.S.
Satellite
February 14, 2008--Skelton Calls For Three-Star U.S.
Headquarters in Kabul
February 21, 2008--Skelton Statement on Destruction of
Failed Satellite
March 3, 2008--Skelton Statement on Annual Report to
Congress on China's Military Power
March 7, 2008--Skelton, Hunter Release HASC Roles and
Missions Report
March 12, 2008--Skelton Says Budget Resolution Supports
Defense
March 19, 2008--Skelton, Hunter, Tauscher, Everett Announce
Congressional Commission on U.S. Strategic Posture
March 24, 2008--Skelton Statement on U.S. Casualties in
Iraq
April 10, 2008--Skelton Responds to President's
Announcement On Troop Levels in Iraq
April 17, 2008--Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee
Releases New Report re: Lessons Learned from PRTs in Iraq and
Afghanistan
April 24, 2008--Skelton: Trust and Credibility at Stake in
Pentagon's Media Relations
April 30, 2008--Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee
Releases New Report re: Deploying Federal Civilians to the
Battlefield
May 1, 2008--Hanging By A Thread: The State of U.S.
Military Readiness and the Prospects for Success in Afghanistan
May 15, 2008--House Armed Services Committee Approves
Fiscal Year 2009 Defense Authorization Bill
May 21, 2008--Skelton Remarks on H.R. 5658, The National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009
May 22, 2008--House Approves FY09 Defense Authorization
Bill
May 22, 2008--House Approves Skelton-Berman-Lowey Amendment
to Create Interagency Advisory Panel
May 29, 2008--Skelton Asks Chairman of Joint Chiefs of
Staff to Brief 111th Congress on Military Threats
June 5, 2008--Skelton on Resignations of the Secretary of
the Air Force and the Air Force Chief of Staff
June 12, 2008--Skelton: Supreme Court Decision Will Better
Protect American Security and Values
June 18, 2008--Skelton Says Status of Forces Agreement Must
Protect U.S. Troops in Iraq
June 19, 2008--Skelton Supports Bipartisan Compromise on
FISA
June 19, 2008--Skelton: Afghanistan Must be an Urgent
Priority
June 26, 2008--Skelton and Abercrombie on Army FCS
Announcement
June 30, 2008--Skelton Renews Call to Make Afghanistan an
Urgent Priority--Reports to Congress Highlight Disturbing
Trends in Afghanistan
July 2, 2008--Skelton Salutes Rescue of 3 American Hostages
in Colombia
July 2, 2008--Skelton and Hunter Express Concerns Over
NORAD Move
July 9, 2008--Skelton: U.S. Needs Comprehensive Strategy to
Advance National Interests
July 9, 2008--Skelton Statement on Secretary Gate's Tanker
Announcement
July 10, 2008--Skelton on America's Strategic Context
July 16, 2008--Skelton on the United States' Role in the
World
July 23, 2008--Skelton and Taylor Applaud Navy Decision to
Modify Shipbuilding Plan
July 24, 2008--Skelton on our Role as the Indispensable
Nation
July 31, 2008--Skelton Speech on National Strategy at the
Brookings Institution
August 1, 2008--Skelton on the Principles for a National
Strategy
August 7, 2008--Skelton Letter Encourages TRADOC to
Incorporate Wounded Warriors
August 12, 2008--Skelton Statement on the Situation in
Georgia
August 19, 2008--Skelton Calls on Next Administration to
Address National Security Challenges
August 22, 2008--Skelton Encouraged by Agreement to
Redeploy U.S. Troops from Iraq by 2011
September 9, 2008--Members of Congress Discuss CODEL to
Afghanistan, Pakistan and Vienna
September 9, 2008--Skelton Statement on Planned Troop
Reductions in Iraq
September 10, 2008--Skelton Statement on 9/11
September 10, 2008--Skelton Statement on Cancellation of
the KC-X Tanker Solicitation
September 18, 2008--Skelton and Udall on GAO Findings
Regarding Relocation of Operations from Cheyenne Mountain to
Peterson AFB
September 24, 2008--House Approves FY09 Defense
Authorization Bill
September 24, 2008--House-Senate Committee Agreement
Reached On Fiscal Year 2009 Defense Authorization Bill
September 25, 2008--Skelton Statement on Disciplinary
Action Related to Nuclear Misshipment to Taiwan
September 27, 2008--Skelton Delivers Keynote Address at USS
Missouri Keel Laying Ceremony
October 2, 2008--Skelton Delegation Visits Missouri
National Guard in Kosovo
October 10, 2008--Skelton: We Cannot Drag Our Feet in
Afghanistan
November 17, 2008--Skelton Cautious on U.S.-Iraq Status of
Forces Agreement
November 19, 2008--Oversight and Investigations
Subcommittee Releases New Report re: The Joint Improvised
Explosive Device Defeat Organization
November 20, 2008--Oversight and Investigations
Subcommittee Releases New Report re: Building Foreign Language
and Cultural Skills in the Military
November 20, 2008--Skelton Re-elected As House Armed
Services Committee Chairman
November 28, 2008--Skelton Delegation Shares Thanksgiving
With U.S. Troops In Afghanistan
December 1, 2008--Skelton Praises President-elect's
National Security Team
December 2, 2008--Skelton Statement on WMD Commission
Report
December 10, 2008--Skelton Congratulates Congressman John
McHugh, New HASC Ranking Member
December 15, 2008--Skelton, Hunter, Tauscher, Everett
Comment on the Interim Report of the Congressional Commission
on the Strategic Posture of the United States
December 18, 2008--Tauscher and Lamborn Release Statement
after Visit to Czech Republic