WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), participated in a SASC hearing Thursday where, during his time of questioning witnesses, Gen. Mark Milley, chief of staff of the U.S. Army, warned that our nation’s military would experience “significant risk” if faced with an additional contingency to our current operations against ISIL.
In the hearing, Inhofe asked for an honest assessment from the witnesses on the current stateof our military.
While Gen. Milley said the Army’s level of readiness and size can deal with the current day-to-day fight against terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan, the risk to our national security and to the lives of our military will “significantly increase” if another contingency arises, noting China, Russia, North Korea, or Iran as potential threats.
“If two [contingencies] happen at the same time, I think it’s high risk for the nation… But we have to be prepared for it,” Milley said. “And, just one last comment, you know, everything -- what we want is to deter. Nobody wants to have any of these wars with near peer competitors, high grade powers.
“And the only thing more expensive than deterrence, is actually fighting a war. And the only thing more expensive than fighting a war, is fighting one and losing one. This stuff's expensive. We're expensive. We recognize that. But the bottom line is, it's an investment that is worth every nickel.”
Click here for the full video Q&A between Inhofe and the witnesses.
Adm. John Richardson, chief of naval operations for the U.S. Navy, agreed with Gen. Milley and also noted that the Navy downsized to its current force structure of 308 ships “without consideration of the emerging threat of Russia, without considering the emergent threat of ISIS.”
Inhofe released the following statement in reflection of the hearing, “Gen. Milley said it best: deterrence is worth the investment. And the only way to deter the growing threats emerging from Russia, China, North Korea and Iran is to rebuild our nation’s military. Our national security and future generations of Americans cannot afford for a military that can only handle one contingency at a time. Having the strength to simultaneously confront two contingencies isn’t a call for ongoing war; it’s a call for ongoing peace because of the strength and leadership we exhibit to the world. The state of our military today has emboldened our enemies and our adversaries. It has also caused our allies to question our commitment. Gen. Milley’s honest response to my question was one of the greatest calls I’ve recently heard in an Armed Services hearing for the rebuilding of our military.”
The SASC hearing was titled “Long-term Budgetary Challenges Facing the Military Services and Innovative Solutions for Maintaining our Military Superiority.” It included the following witnesses: Gen. Mark Milley, chief of staff of the U.S. Army; Adm. John Richardson, chief of naval operations to the U.S. Navy; Gen. Robert Neller, commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps; and Gen. David Goldfein, chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force. The full transcript of the hearing is available by clicking here.
One of the many things Oklahoma does with excellence is taking care of our military – a fact known across the Department of Defense and the nation.
Because of the strong community support surrounding our five major military installations and our National Guard, Oklahoma is consistently being considered for new growth and investments from DoD and the defense industry, such as the new MC-12W mission at Will Rogers Air National Guard Base and Boeing opening an $80 million facility that will support new, well-paying jobs here in Oklahoma. And while the Obama administration has cut our military down to a dangerously small size – a size not seen since before World War II – Oklahoma has also remained an attractive place to base military units that are critical components for our national security.
A cornerstone of support for our military bases is the Military Construction (MilCon) and Veterans Affairs (VA) Appropriations Act that Congress should be sending to the president’s desk every year. This year, the Republican-led Senate worked to move this bill through regular order, a process meant to enforce transparency in how agencies are spending your taxpayer dollars and ensure funding is received before the end of the fiscal year.
In April, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved the MilCon-VA Appropriations bill with full support of all 30 committee members, Republicans and Democrats. The Majority Leader then brought the bill forward in May, where the Senate debated and amended the legislation before passing it by a vote of 89 to 8. During this process, my colleagues adopted an amendment Sen. Lankford and I authored to redirect $18 million within the bill to the Veterans Integrated Services Networks (VISN) for the purpose of allowing VA directors to contract with outside entities to investigate and audit their VA medical facilities.
Since the U.S. House of Representatives had also passed its version of the MilCon-VA Appropriations bill, the two chambers went into conference. Conference is where Members from both the House and the Senate work out the differences between the two bills to achieve a final product. The conferenced MilCon-VA bill was introduced a few weeks later and faced a simple final vote in both chambers. Unfortunately, when that vote came up on June 28, Senate Democrats blocked the bill from progressing to final passage.
What does this mean for Oklahoma? Let’s take a moment to look at what was in the final legislation:
Would include $77 million, as authorized in the Senate FY’17 NDAA, for military construction at Oklahoma’s bases:
Altus Air Force Base: $11.6 million to complete the KC-46 Simulator Facility Phase 2
Tinker Air Force Base: $17 million for the KC-46A Depot System Fuel Laboratory and $26 million for AWACS Mission and Flight Simulator Training Facility
Ardmore, Okla.: $22 million for a new National Guard Readiness Center
Would include a 4.1 percent funding increase for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which would be put toward improving benefit claims processing, provide for more inspections of VA medical facilities, and increase veterans’ access to quality care.
Would include $900 million to modernize VA hospitals to the standards of private hospitals, if it isn’t already, and to provide for new construction to increase access to care.
I have been an outspoken proponent of improving veterans’ care and holding the VA accountable for the services it provides. The MilCon-VA legislation is a step in the right direction for our veterans as well as for supporting our military bases in Oklahoma and our military families across the nation.
When the Senate returns in September, we will be weeks away from another fiscal cliff. Senate Democrats will likely get another chance to change their unreasonable opposition to this MilCon-VA funding bill. I hope they will vote like they first did back in May, when we had a showing of strong bipartisan support for our military and our veterans. Time to put the election season aside for a moment and do what is in the best interest for our nation and for the men and women who have served and continue to serve to make it great.
When I returned as Chairman of the Environment and Public Works (EPW) committee this Congress, my top priority was to pass a long-term transportation bill in order to update our nation’s crumbling roads and bridges. The FAST Act, which was signed into law last December and fully paid for, provides approximately $300 billion for the nation's surface transportation programs over five years and $3.6 billion just for Oklahoma. The law also supports American job creation, promotes safety, and preserves our global economic standing.
Funding our nation’s roads and bridges is one of Congress’s primary constitutional duties, and I am proud that my colleagues and I were able to accomplish this task. As we saw in the July jobs report, construction industry's pay rose at the fastest rate in seven years and the pool of unemployed, experienced construction workers shrank to the lowest level since 2000. Just as important, more than 4,400 jobs were created in the transit and ground transportation sector. The FAST Act has now given our states and local governments certainty in their partnership with the federal government to improve our nation’s vast transportation network, empowering the private sector to do what it does best – create jobs and stimulate our economy.
To further the efforts of the FAST Act, this past May the Senate passed the annual Transportation and House and Urban Development (THUD) appropriations bill. This bill affirmed FAST Act funding levels for the next fiscal year with strong bipartisan support, giving our states and local economies additional certainty in economy-boasting construction projects.
Specifically for Oklahoma, the THUD bill would appropriate $706.3 million for modernization of our roads and bridges in fiscal year 2017, as promised in the FAST Act.
It also includes a provision, at my request, that would require the Department of Transportation (DOT) to update its regulations to ensure natural gas vehicles are treated equally to other vehicles unless there is a compelling safety reason not to do so. Currently, a number of DOT regulations make it more difficult for natural gas vehicles to be adopted into widespread use. This includes regulations concerning the placement of natural gas fuel tanks on public transportation buses. Some localities have also placed inappropriate regulations regarding the use of natural gas powered semi-trucks and buses on bridges and in tunnels that are inconsistent with federal interstate highway regulations.
The appropriations bill would also fund important aviation priorities in Oklahoma, to include fully funding the Contract Towers program. This program supports our aviation industry that accounts for more than 120,000 jobs across Oklahoma. These towers impact not just general aviation safety but also serve emergency medical and law enforcement operations and agricultural activities and connect a number of businesses across the nation to our state.
The THUD bill would direct FAA to also work with airports to replace aging control towers and specifically would encourage the FAA to enter into cost recovery leases with airports, which would provide Tulsa the funding certainty necessary to quickly build a new tower. Furthermore, it would direct FAA to prioritize grant funding for airports that need to replace runways that are no longer in compliance with safety standards, such as Bristow’s Jones Memorial Airport.
What’s next for this legislation? The House Appropriations Committee approved their THUD Appropriations bill in May, and it awaits action on the House floor. Once the House can pass its THUD appropriations bill, the two chambers will merge the bills’ priorities and take a final vote to send it to be signed into law. As this process continues to play out, and as Congress works to avoid a fiscal cliff at the end of September, I will be working to ensure Oklahoma’s priorities remain intact.
Earlier this spring the Senate passed the Energy and Water (E&W) Development Appropriations Act (H.R. 2028) with vast bipartisan support – by a vote of 90 to 8. Passing this appropriations bill was a welcome sign that the Republican-led Senate was making progress in its goal to fund the federal government through regular order, which culminates inCongress sending 12 appropriations bills to be signed into law.
The E&W Development Appropriations Act funds the Department of Energy (DOE) programs as well as critical infrastructure projects administered by the Army Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation. This year, the E&W funding bill also provides added resources to strengthen the U.S. nuclear deterrence posture and prepare for existing and future nuclear threats. It also prioritizes America’s energy security and supports our economic competitiveness.
Most importantly, it includes many priorities for Oklahoma, such as improving water supply and quality in western Oklahoma and funding the Risk-Based Data Management System that supports Oklahoma’s FracFocus program at the Ground Water Protection Council. Here are those provisions in more detail:
Red River Chloride Control
Language in the bill directs the Army Corps of Engineers to prioritize projects in drought-stricken areas that would alleviate water supply issues, including projects that focus on treating brackish water. Authorized in the Flood Control Act of 1966, the Flood Control Act of 1970, and the Water Resources Development Act of 1986, the Red River Chloride Control Project seeks to control chloride and sulfite brine emissions that naturally occur in the upper Red River basin of Oklahoma and Texas. By removing chloride salts from the tributaries to the Red River, water quality will be improved for use by local and downstream communities. With the recent drought in Western Oklahoma, all avenues to increase water supply need to be explored and utilized to ensure our communities and military bases have the water they need when the next drought comes.
Risk Based Data Management System (RBDMS)
The appropriations bill would continue to fund the Risk Based Data Management System (RBDMS) within the Department of Energy. RBDMS, managed by the Ground Water Protection Council, operates in state oil and natural gas environmental agencies allowing them to provide many services regarding public transparency of State oil and gas related data, including FracFocus which provides public access to reported chemicals used for hydraulic fracturing within their area.
Ground Water Protection Council – Gateway for the Energy Information Administration (EIA)
The appropriations bill would direct the EIA to use available funding to build the interface of the National Oil and Gas Gateway. The EIA is a quasi-independent agency within the Department of Energy established to provide timely, objective, and accurate energy-related information to Congress, the executive branch, state governments, industry, and the public. However, the EIA has not kept pace with state-run databases and interfaces to provide near real-time statistics on production of oil and natural gas and well integrity. The Natural Oil and Gas Gateway will work in concert with state-run databases providing accurate and accessible information.
McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System
Despite President Obama’s request to cut the Army Corps budget, the appropriations bill would fund key Corps projects, including 20+ lakes in Oklahoma that provide essential water resources for drinking and agriculture purposes. It also would fund the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System, which is essential to maintaining Oklahoma’s ability to export products ranging from natural resources like oil and coal, agriculture products, and manufacturing components.
What’s next for this legislation? While this critical appropriations bill passed the Senate with strong bipartisan support, the House’s version is stalled due to House Democrats trying to add unrelated amendments onto the bill that advances their liberal social agenda.
Funding the government through 12 appropriations bills, passed by both the House and the Senate, is about enforcing transparency in how your taxpayer dollars are being spent. This has been our goal in the Republican majority and is what we will continue working towards in September as we quickly approach the end to another fiscal year.
I hope you will continue tuning in during the month of August to my e-newsletter series on the 12 appropriations bills the Senate is working on and the priorities that I am securing for Oklahomans. If you would like to encourage a friend to subscribe, click here and send along this link.
FIVE: the number of times Senate Democrats have blocked the appropriations bill to fund the Department of Defense (DOD) this year. Despite the fact that this bill adheres to spending caps set into stone by the Bipartisan Budget Agreement, Democrats are holding up important national security resources until they get an increase in spending for their liberal priorities.
The Senate Republican majority has been working hard to fund the government through regular order with 12 appropriations bills. The Senate Appropriations Committee passed the Defense Appropriation Act out of committee unanimously – with the full support of both Democrats and Republicans on the committee – just a couple months ago. In fact, the top Democrat on the defense subcommittee even called this bill “a responsible approach to protecting our country.”
So why the change of heart? Why won’t Senate Democrats allow this bill to be debated and amended on the Senate floor?
The Defense Appropriations Act would also provide funding to improve combat readiness, to support wartime efforts such as the president’s sustained military presence in Afghanistan and incrementally increasing number of troops in Iraq, and to support the training of our service members and maintenance of their equipment.
This legislation would provide an additional $150 million necessary for facility sustainment, restoration and moderation to assist all our military installations, to include Oklahoma’s five major installations.
In an effort to support our national security objectives, the Defense appropriations bill would block funding for detention facilities in the United States to house terrorists currently detained at Guantanamo Bay. It would also prevent the transfer of Guantanamo detainees to the United States and prevent the transfer of detainees to foreign counties except in accordance with certification and notification requirements in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2017.
It is our constitutional duty in Congress to provide for our nation’s defense. I firmly believe this. While I also believe our military needs more funding than this bill would appropriate, it's most important that the Senate can first even begin consideration of this vital piece of legislation that includes many provisions supporting our troops. It should be debated and given the opportunity to be amended on the Senate floor. We should be sending a signal to our all-volunteer force that we respect the sacrifices they have made for our nation. We owe it to them to show that they are prioritized and will be well-resourced for their missions.
My Democratic colleagues clearly think otherwise and are using this legislation to force unnecessary increased spending in other areas of the government. When Congress returns in September, they will have a small and narrow window to reverse course before we hit a fiscal cliff. As we continue to see instances of terrorism on the rise, it is unacceptable to put our national security, our citizens and our freedoms in jeopardy. It’s time to fund our defense needs and to do it through regular order.
