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Wittman Opening Statement at Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee FY24 NDAA Markup

| Posted in Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01), chairman of the Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces, delivered the following opening statement at the subcommittee markup for H.R. 2670 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024. The subcommittee's mark is available here. Rep. Wittman’s remarks as prepared for delivery: There are two immutable facts with…

Wittman Appointed to Bipartisan Indo-Pacific Task Force

| Posted in Press Releases
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01) released the following statement after being appointed to the House Committee on Natural Resource’s bipartisan Indo-Pacific Task Force for the 118th Congress: “The People’s Republic of China is the free world’s greatest threat – especially to the island nations and territories in the Indo-Pacific region. The bipartisan…

Wittman: Why manned-unmanned teaming could be the Fourth Offset for America’s military

| Posted in Opinion Pieces by Rob

In the early 2000s, Congress tracked a rising discussion in defense circles about the extent to which a revolution in the character of war — driven by technological advancement — would shape how war is fought in the future. By the early 2010s, former Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work introduced the concept of the “third offset” strategy, urging the US military to…

Wittman Joins Bipartisan Legislation to Improve Mental Health Care for U.S. Servicemembers

| Posted in Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This month, Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01) joined his colleagues in introducing multiple bipartisan bills that improve mental health care and services for U.S. servicemembers. The introduced bills include the Sailor Standard Care Act and the Servicemembers’ Mental Health Improvement Act, and the reintroduction of the Comforting Our Families through On-base or Remote…

Wittman Recognizes National Maritime Day and Critical Role Maritime Plays in Virginia, and National Security

| Posted in Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01) issued the following statement to recognize National Maritime Day and the role of the Maritime Industry in Virginia and the United States following a recent study by PricewaterhouseCoopers:  “The U.S. Maritime Industry plays an important role in Virginia’s economy and workforce, especially in the First District. The…

Wittman Delivers Remarks on Accelerating Autonomy Technology Deployment Within DoD at Applied Intuition, Atlantic Council Nexus 23 Symposium

| Posted in Press Releases
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01), Vice Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, participated in a discussion with Applied Intuition and Atlantic Council at the Nexus 23 Symposium. During his discussion, Congressman Wittman emphasized the importance of autonomous technology and systems in U.S. military operations, competing with the Chinese Communist…

Wittman, Houlahan, Fallon Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen Defense Technology Capabilities

| Posted in Press Releases

WASHIGTON, D.C. – On Thursday, May 15, 2023, Representatives Rob Wittman (VA-01), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), and Pat Fallon (TX-04) reintroduced the Investing in American Defense Technologies Act. This bill would establish a federal public-private partnership to scale, support, and invest in American defense-centric small businesses producing advanced capabilities, including…

Wittman, Ruppersberger Introduce Legislation to Accelerate Autonomous Systems Across U.S. Military

| Posted in Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Tuesday, May 9, 2023, Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01) and Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-02) introduced the bipartisan H.R.3168 – Autonomous Systems Adoption & Policy Act (ASAP Act), which will establish a Joint Autonomy Office (JAO) at the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO) at the Department of Defense (DoD) to…

Wittman, Bipartisan Group of Lawmakers Lead Effort to Tackle Mental Health Issues Across U.S. Military

| Posted in Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representatives Rob Wittman (VA-01), Derek Kilmer (WA-06), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), and Guy Reschenthaler (PA-14) introduced the Servicemembers Mental Health Improvement Act, legislation to develop and provide recommendations for a comprehensive strategy to tackle mental health issues across the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). The bill would establish a…

Wittman Statement on the Navy's 30-Year Shipbuilding Plan

| Posted in Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01), Vice Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, released the following statement in response to the Navy’s recently released 30-year shipbuilding plan: “With this 30-year shipbuilding plan, the Navy demonstrates that it has lost its way. It trades decisive and bold decision-making for endless studies, vast short-term…