National Defense

Dear Friend- I just wrote an op-ed that was published in Defense News on Congress' role in the oversight and replacement of Air Force One. There is bipartisan agreement that the Air Force One fleet needs to be replaced, and I outline how Congress should move forward given its jurisdiction over replacement, otherwise known as the Presidential Aircraft Recapitalization program. The… Read more »

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01) released this statement following the Trump Administration's announcement on its new strategy regarding Iran. “In 2015 I voted against the Iran Nuclear Deal as I feared that agreement lacked sufficient safeguards to prevent the Iranian government from continuing its pursuit of a nuclear weapon. Two years later, Iran is testing launch… Read more »

Dear Friend- I wrote an op-ed that was published in Defense News explaining how the Navy, with the support of Congress, must take measures to ensure our ships are properly protected from cyber intrusion. The full article is below. Please do not hesitate to contact me anytime an issue that concerns you comes before the House, especially if it concerns defense and national… Read more »

Friend- As the Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces, I keep a careful eye on major international events that continuously unfold around the world; these events play a significant role in our daily lives and frequently impact our national and personal interests. Lately, there has been speculation that President Trump will not recertify the… Read more »

WASHINGTON – Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01) joined 152 Members of the House in sending a letter to President Trump supporting his call to restore America’s military strength. In his address to the UN General Assembly last month, President Trump said, “It has just been announced that we will be spending almost $700 billion on our military and defense. Our military will soon be the… Read more »

Wittman Joins 152 House Members in Letter to POTUS on Restoring America’s Military Strength WASHINGTON – Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01) joined 152 Members of the House in sending a letter to President Trump supporting his call to restore America’s military strength. In his address to the UN General Assembly last month, President Trump said, “It has just been announced that we will… Read more »

Dear Friend- Passing Continuing Resolutions has become the norm in Washington for the past eight years. As global threats are increasing, our defense budget stands still. We continue to ask more and more of our men and women in uniform, and we in Congress must do our part to ensure they have the tools they need to be successful. Despite the damage that CRs bring to our national… Read more »

WASHINGTON – Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-1) released the following statement after co-chairing the joint Readiness and Seapower and Projection Forces subcommittee hearing today on the underlying problems associated with the collisions of the USS Fitzgerald and USS John S. McCain: “Today’s hearing allowed Congress and the American people to hear directly from Navy leadership regarding… Read more »

Dear Friend- As you know, in the early hours of August 21, 2017, the USS John S. McCain collided with a merchant vessel on its way to Singapore. Just one month earlier, another Japan-based destroyer, the USS Fitzgerald, collided with a similar vessel off the coast of Japan. I was on official travel in the Pacific at the time of the USS John S. McCain collision, so I altered my… Read more »

Dear Friend- Earlier this week President Trump announced the United States’ renewed commitment to our operations in Afghanistan. The Administration’s new strategy: • Ends the era of giving the enemy our timeline to withdraw troops • Shifts the focus of our presence in Afghanistan to national security instead of nation building • Strengthens our partnership with India to promote… Read more »