This week I remained focused on efforts to provide for our national defense, keep the defense of our nation at the forefront, and support America’s service members. I have been working on a number of issues of importance to the nation and the Commonwealth, to include introducing a shipbuilding bill, supporting defense acquisition reform, and producing a report on professional military education.
Early Tuesday morning, I joined wounded warriors and the Commandant of the Marine Corps, General James Conway, for the Quantico Injured Military Sportsman Association Wounded Warrior Spring Turkey Hunt. I was honored to hunt alongside these brave young service members who have answered this nation’s toughest call of duty. Each and every one of them displays a continued high level of patriotism and morale that makes me proud to be an American.
On Thursday, after a year of work as the Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, I announced the completion of our assessment of the military’s professional military education (PME) system, titled “Another Crossroads? Professional Military Education Two Decades After the Goldwater-Nichols Act and the Skelton Panel.” The full report is available from the House Armed Services Committee website at: http://armedservices.house.gov/ and will serve as a guide for the PME of the future.
Just as important as our efforts to have the best and most highly trained military in the world are our efforts to ensure that we equip our military with the resources they need. Last week, I worked with my Armed Services colleagues to vote and support the Implementing Management for Performance and Related Reforms to Obtain Value in Every Acquisition (IMPROVE) Act of 2010 (H.R. 5013). This bill would require the Pentagon to begin to comprehensively manage the defense acquisition system and acquisition workforce to save taxpayer dollars and ensure that the right materials get to war fighters sooner.
As you know, since arriving in Congress, I have also been an advocate for strengthening the United States Navy and the shipbuilding industry. You may have heard about a speech Secretary of Defense Robert Gates gave this week about the future of our national defense and specifically our naval fleet. I am concerned that he undervalued the necessity of having a robust and strong naval fleet which projects a strong naval presence worldwide. As the Co-Chair of the Congressional Shipbuilding Caucus, I recently introduced H.R. 5035, the National Shipbuilding Budget Policy Act. This legislation supports a more robust and consistent annual shipbuilding budget to help reach the minimum goal of a 313-ship Navy.
Lastly, we all know that terrorism is a threat which does not sleep, as we witnessed with the attempted car bombing in New York this past weekend. Local and Federal law enforcement handed this situation effectively and professionally, and are to be commended for the arrest of the suspect. We must continue to remain vigilant and this incident is a strong warning that the U.S. must not slip back into a false sense of security. Please be assured that I will continue to do everything in my power to protect our nation from the continuing threat of terrorism and provide our military service members and our nation’s law enforcement officials with the tools they need to keep America safe.
Congressman Rob Wittman represents the First District of Virginia. He was elected to his first full term in November 2008 and serves on the Natural Resources Committee and the Armed Services Committee, where he is the Ranking Member of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee.
