Representative Bradley Byrne

Representing the 1st District of Alabama

Byrne to Surface Navy Association: Spread the Word

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Jan 11, 2017
Press Release

Congressman Bradley Byrne (R-AL), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, addressed the Surface Navy Association’s 29th Annual National Symposium today and stressed the importance of advocating for a larger fleet.

In his remarks, Byrne said: “I could stand up here all day and continue to explain why having a strong, capable fleet is so important, but you already know that. But are we spreading that message outside our sphere of influence? In Congress, I can tell you that not enough Members understand and respect the need for a larger, more capable fleet.

“It is easy to just talk to the people who know and agree with us, but we must reject that notion and spread our message to a larger audience. We need to broaden our outreach in order to have success in a complicated budgetary and political environment. This should matter to everyone because having a strong Navy is a key component of who we are as a nation.”

Byrne also shared his support for the Naval Surface Force strategy of “Distributed Lethality.”

Byrne said: “A larger Navy encompassing the correct compliment of capable ships disbursed globally changes the calculus for our adversaries.  Giving our Navy ‘Distributed Lethality’ poses a significant risk to our adversaries, unmatched by none.”

While at the Surface Navy Association Symposium, Congressman Byrne also visited the booths of companies with a presence on the Gulf Coast, including Austal USA, BAE Systems, and Ingalls Shipbuilding.