[House Hearing, 118 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


 
                           [H.A.S.C. No. 118-1]

                      ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING FOR THE 
                              118TH CONGRESS

                               __________

                      COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES

                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                    ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS

                             FIRST SESSION

                               __________

                              HEARING HELD

                            FEBRUARY 2, 2023


                                     
[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]


                               __________

                                
                    U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE                    
51-700                     WASHINGTON : 2023                    
          
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------     
                                 
                      COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES
                    One Hundred Eighteenth Congress

                     MIKE ROGERS, Alabama, Chairman

JOE WILSON, South Carolina           ADAM SMITH, Washington
MICHAEL R. TURNER, Ohio              JOE COURTNEY, Connecticut
DOUG LAMBORN, Colorado               JOHN GARAMENDI, California
ROBERT J. WITTMAN, Virginia, Vice    DONALD NORCROSS, New Jersey
    Chair                            RUBEN GALLEGO, Arizona
AUSTIN SCOTT, Georgia                SETH MOULTON, Massachusetts
SAM GRAVES, Missouri                 SALUD O. CARBAJAL, California
ELISE M. STEFANIK, New York          RO KHANNA, California
SCOTT DesJARLAIS, Tennessee          WILLIAM R. KEATING, Massachusetts
TRENT KELLY, Mississippi             ANDY KIM, New Jersey
MIKE GALLAGHER, Wisconsin            CHRISSY HOULAHAN, Pennsylvania
MATT GAETZ, Florida                  JASON CROW, Colorado
DON BACON, Nebraska                  ELISSA SLOTKIN, Michigan
JIM BANKS, Indiana                   MIKIE SHERRILL, New Jersey
JACK BERGMAN, Michigan               VERONICA ESCOBAR, Texas
MICHAEL WALTZ, Florida               JARED F. GOLDEN, Maine
MIKE JOHNSON, Louisiana              SARA JACOBS, California
LISA C. McCLAIN, Michigan            MARILYN STRICKLAND, Washington
RONNY JACKSON, Texas                 PATRICK RYAN, New York
PAT FALLON, Texas                    JEFF JACKSON, North Carolina
CARLOS A. GIMENEZ, Florida           GABE VASQUEZ, New Mexico
NANCY MACE, South Carolina           CHRISTOPHER R. DELUZIO, 
BRAD FINSTAD, Minnesota                  Pennsylvania
DALE W. STRONG, Alabama              JILL N. TOKUDA, Hawaii
MORGAN LUTTRELL, Texas               DONALD G. DAVIS, North Carolina
JENNIFER A. KIGGANS, Virginia        TERRI A. SEWELL, Alabama
NICK LaLOTA, New York                STEVEN HORSFORD, Nevada
JAMES C. MOYLAN, Guam                JIMMY PANETTA, California
MARK ALFORD, Missouri                Vacancy
CORY MILLS, Florida
RICHARD McCORMICK, Georgia

                      Chris Vieson, Staff Director
             Zach Steacy, Director, Legislative Operations
             ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING FOR THE 118TH CONGRESS

                              ----------                              

                          House of Representatives,
                               Committee on Armed Services,
                        Washington, DC, Thursday, February 2, 2023.
    The committee met, pursuant to call, at 9:02 a.m., in room 
2118, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Mike Rogers (chairman 
of the committee) presiding.

 OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. MIKE ROGERS, A REPRESENTATIVE FROM 
         ALABAMA, CHAIRMAN, COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES

    The Chairman. The committee will come to order.
    I ask unanimous consent the chair be authorized to declare 
a recess at any time.
    Without objection, so ordered.
    Without objection, members have five legislative days 
within which to submit written statements to be made part of 
the record.
    So ordered.
    We have four items of official business to consider today: 
adoption of the committee rules, approval of the committee 
security procedures, approval of the committee authorization 
and oversight plan, and appointment of the committee staff.
    Before I begin consideration of the business, I want to 
recognize myself for a few minutes to welcome everybody to the 
Armed Services Committee.
    This committee has the fundamental duty to provide for our 
Nation's common defense. The work we do here is critical to the 
security of our country and that of its partners and allies 
around the world.
    And while we have our disagreements at times, we have a 
long tradition of carrying out our responsibilities in a very 
bipartisan manner. That tradition will continue.
    I look forward to working closely with my friend and 
colleague, Ranking Member Smith, to enact the NDAA [National 
Defense Authorization Act] that strengthens our national 
defense and provides for our warfighters. That effort starts 
next week with our first two hearings.
    On Tuesday, we will examine the threats we face from China 
and how best to prepare our military to deter and defeat them.
    On Wednesday, we will hear about the state of the defense 
industrial base and the work we need to do to ensure that they 
are prepared for future conflicts.
    I expect we will continue to have a very aggressive 
schedule of hearings and briefings that will lead up to the 
mark later this spring.
    Oversight is going to be very important to Congress. At 
both the full committee and subcommittee level, we will be 
closely examining the decisions made by this administration. We 
will demand to know how these decisions impact our ability to 
build the ready, capable, and lethal fighting force that we 
need to deter China and our other adversaries.
    As we build the fiscal year 2024 NDAA, we will be laser 
focused on the threats we face and the capabilities we need to 
defeat them. We will closely examine programs to determine if 
they actually provide the capabilities that we need to defeat 
the threats we face. If they don't, they will be cut.
    At the end of the day, I expect we will find a lot of 
savings in the Pentagon. But I want to be clear about this: 
modernizing our military will cost a lot of money and we cannot 
shy away from that investment.
    In many cases, our warfighters currently lack the advanced 
technologies needed to succeed in future battlefields. But 
China is fielding those technologies today.
    We don't have a choice, we need to make robust investments 
in our national defense.
    I look forward to working with all of you to enact the NDAA 
that accomplishes these goals.
    With that, I want to quickly introduce our 11 new 
Republican members.
    First, Representative Carlos Gimenez from Florida. He was 
born in Cuba and fled the island with his family shortly after 
the Communist takeover. He is the former mayor of Miami-Dade 
County and the first career firefighter ever elected to 
Congress.
    Number two, Ms. Nancy Mace of South Carolina represents 
South Carolina's First Congressional District, home to one-half 
of the State's military installations and one-third of the 
State's veterans. She is the daughter of a retired Army General 
and the first woman to graduate from the Citadel's Corps of 
Cadets.
    Number three, Brad Finstad, fourth-generation farmer. He is 
a graduate of the University of Minnesota with a degree in 
agriculture education, with an emphasis on rural leadership 
development.
    Next, we have a great Alabamian. Congressman Dale Strong 
represents Alabama's Fifth District, which is the home of 
Redstone Arsenal, where Army Materiel Command and Missile 
Defense Agency are located. He was the chairman of the Madison 
County Commission and he is a lifelong firefighter and EMT 
[emergency medical technician]. So if we have a fire we have 
got two firefighters now.
    Congressman Morgan Luttrell from Texas, Texas' Eighth 
Congressional District, is a native of Magnolia, Texas. He is a 
distinguished veteran of the Navy, serving over 14 years.
    Congresswoman Jen Kiggans represents Virginia's Second 
District. She is a former Navy helicopter pilot who completed 
two tours of duty in the Persian Gulf. She is the daughter of a 
Green Beret who served in Vietnam, the wife of a former F/A-18 
pilot, and the mother of four children, two of whom attend the 
United States Naval Academy and Virginia Military Institute.
    Next, we have Mr. Nick LaLota from New York's First 
District. He is a graduate of the Naval Academy and had a 
decorated career in the Navy, deploying overseas several times 
and serving as a surface warfare officer on the USS Curts and 
the USS Carl Vinson.
    Next, we have Congressman James Moylan, who serves Guam's 
congressional district. He served in the Army, protected his 
district as a law enforcement officer, and spent more than two 
decades in the private sector.
    Next, we have the new Vicky Hartzler. It is Representative 
Mark Alford. He is a proud husband, father, and former small 
business owner. He spent 25 years anchoring Kansas City's 
number one morning news show prior to his time in Congress.
    Next, we have Mr. Cory Mills of Florida. He spent the 
majority of his adult life serving our Nation. Through his 
military and government service, he spent more than seven years 
in Iraq, two and a half years in Afghanistan, and also spent 
time in Kosovo, Pakistan, Somalia, Kenya, and Ukraine.
    Finally, we have Mr. Rich McCormick to come to the aid of 
Austin Scott in protecting Georgia. Rich McCormick served 20 
years in the U.S. Marine Corps and Navy as a JFO [joint fires 
observer], fighter pilot, and medical doctor with deployments 
in Africa, the Persian Gulf, and Afghanistan.
    I want to welcome all of you to our committee and I look 
forward to working with you.
    Now I yield to my friend, the ranking member, Mr. Smith, 
for any opening remarks he may have.

STATEMENT OF HON. ADAM SMITH, A REPRESENTATIVE FROM WASHINGTON, 
          RANKING MEMBER, COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES

    Mr. Smith. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
    And first and foremost, I want to congratulate Mike Rogers 
on his elevation to being chairman of this committee. It is a 
richly deserved honor.
    Look forward to working with you in that capacity. So 
congratulations.
    And I concur with everything he said in his opening 
remarks. This committee has a very strong tradition of working 
together in a bipartisan and, yes, even in a bicameral fashion 
in order to do our job every year. I think it is 63 straight 
years now that we have passed the National Defense 
Authorization Act, the only piece of legislation that passes 
every single year.
    It is not easy to do. It is a large piece of legislation 
involving a lot of issues which just about every member gets 
involved in. But it is enormously important that we do that to 
exercise our oversight of the Department of Defense and meet 
our paramount duty as a body to defend and protect this 
country.
    So this is a very serious committee. When Mr. Rogers was 
the ranking member and I was the chairman, we worked incredibly 
well together, and I have no doubt whatsoever that that 
relationship will continue and all of the members of the 
committee, on both sides of the aisle, will do the same.
    It is not that we don't disagree, it is that we understand 
that we do have to get work done. So at the end of it, we have 
to find a way to agree, pass our bill, and move forward. So I 
look forward to that process.
    And Mr. Rogers is also right, we face a complex threat 
environment right now, there are a number of requirements to 
meet the national security needs of our country.
    First and foremost to me is to make sure that Ukraine 
remains a sovereign and democratic state and that we end the 
war there and protect Ukraine and their sovereignty.
    He is also right about the need for modernization. It is a 
fast-changing world. Technology is crucial to what happens on 
the battlefield. We are learning that every day in Ukraine.
    We need to make sure that we here in the U.S. continue to 
be the leaders in using that technology to put us in the best 
position to meet our defense needs and be able to deter our 
adversaries.
    And the other issue that I know Mr. Rogers cares a great 
deal about is recruitment and retention. What makes that 
military work is the people who serve in it. We need to make 
sure that we continue to be able to recruit and retain the best 
and the brightest, support them, and also support their 
families, to make sure that they get the support that they need 
to do the job that is so incredibly important.
    With that, we have six new members of the committee that I 
would like to introduce.
    First up, we have Representative Jeff Jackson from North 
Carolina. He is a former prosecutor and a veteran of the war in 
Afghanistan. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve as a private 
first class after the attack of September 11th and is currently 
a major in the North Carolina National Guard.
    Second, we have Representative Gabriel Vasquez, who 
represents New Mexico's Second District, which includes the 
birthplace of America's missile and airspace operations, White 
Sands Missile Range. He served on the Las Cruces City Council 
from 2017 to 2021.
    The district is also the home of the Sandia and Los Alamos 
National Laboratories, Kirtland and Holloman Air Force Bases, 
and is home to most of Fort Bliss' training area. It is a 
district with very, very strong ties to our national defense 
apparatus.
    Representative Chris Deluzio from Pennsylvania is a native 
of western Pennsylvania. Congressman Deluzio is an Iraq war 
veteran, Naval Academy graduate, voting rights attorney, and 
union organizer.
    Congressman Deluzio was commissioned as an Active Duty 
surface warfare officer in the U.S. Navy and deployed three 
times, including a tour of duty as a U.S. Army civil affairs 
officer in Iraq. After returning from Iraq, Congressman Deluzio 
received his law degree from Georgetown Law School.
    And then we have, as we always do and always should, a 
Representative from the great State of Hawaii, Representative 
Jill Tokuda, a fourth-generation Hawaiian who served in the 
Hawaii State Senate for 12 years and now represents Hawaii's 
Second Congressional District.
    A proud product of Hawaii's public schools, she was the 
first in her family to go to college and attended George 
Washington University, where she earned a B.A. [Bachelor of 
Arts] in international relations with a minor in Japanese 
studies.
    And we have Representative Don Davis from the great State 
of North Carolina. He is the fourth Air Force Academy graduate 
to be elected to Congress.
    Congressman Davis knows the challenges faced by service 
members firsthand from returning to civilian life and for 
military families during and after their loved one's 
deployment.
    Congressman Davis served eight years Active Duty in the Air 
Force, earning the rank of captain, and as a ranking member in 
the North Carolina State Senate, leading on military issues for 
over a decade.
    And our sixth and last new member is actually a seven-term 
member of Congress, Congresswoman Terri Sewell from Alabama. So 
the chairman will appreciate that.
    The Chairman. Roll Tide.
    [Laughter.]
    Mr. Smith. As I said, she is in her seventh term and she 
represents the civil rights district, which includes the 
historic cities of Birmingham, Montgomery, Tuscaloosa, and her 
hometown of Selma, Alabama.
    In the 118th Congress she was selected to serve as a chief 
Democratic whip and sits on the prestigious Steering and Policy 
Committee. She is an honors graduate of Princeton University 
and Oxford University and received her law degree from Harvard 
Law School.
    So she is smart is what we are saying, which is always 
helpful in this committee.
    [Laughter.]
    So thank you, Mr. Chairman. Look forward to serving with 
you.
    The Chairman. Thank you.
    All right. Onto business. I call up Committee Resolution 
No. 1 regarding the committee rules for the 118th Congress.
    The clerk shall read the resolution.
    Mr. Greene. Committee Resolution No. 1. Resolved, that the 
Committee on Armed Services, U.S. House of Representatives, 
adopt the committee rules for the 118th Congress, which are 
stated in the copy distributed to each Member.
    The Chairman. The proposed rules have been developed 
jointly with the ranking member and made available to members' 
offices on Tuesday, January 31.
    I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be considered 
as read and that the resolution be open to amendment at any 
point.
    Without objection, so ordered.
    At this time, is there any discussion or do we have any 
questions concerning the committee rules?
    Seeing none, are there any amendments to the rules?
    The chair now recognizes the gentleman from Virginia, Mr. 
Wittman, for the purpose of offering a motion regarding 
Committee Resolution No. 1, the committee rules.
    Mr. Wittman. Mr. Chairman, I move to adopt Committee 
Resolution No. 1.
    The Chairman. The question now occurs on the motion of the 
gentleman from Virginia, Mr. Wittman.
    So many as are in favor, say aye.
    Those opposed, no.
    A quorum being present, the ayes have it and the motion is 
adopted. And without objection, the motion to reconsider is 
laid upon the table.
[GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

    The next order of business is Committee Resolution No. 
2 regarding the committee security procedures for the 118th 
Congress. I call up Resolution No. 2. The clerk will read the 
resolution.
    Mr. Greene. Committee Resolution No. 2. Resolved, that the 
Committee on Armed Services, U.S. House of Representatives, 
adopt the committee security procedures for the 118th Congress, 
a copy of which has been distributed to each Member.
    The Chairman. The security procedures were coordinated with 
Mr. Smith and were made available to members' offices on 
Tuesday, January 31. I ask unanimous consent that the 
resolution be considered as read and that the resolution be 
open to amendment at any point.
    Without objection, so ordered.
    [GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
    
    At this time, is there any discussion or are there any 
questions concerning the security procedures?
    There being no further discussion, are there any amendments 
to the security procedures?
    The chair now recognizes the gentleman from Virginia, Mr. 
Wittman, for the purpose of offering a motion regarding 
Committee Resolution No. 2, the security procedures for the 
118th Congress.
    Mr. Wittman. Mr. Chairman, I move to adopt Committee 
Resolution No. 2.
    The Chairman. The question now occurs on the motion of the 
gentleman from Virginia, Mr. Wittman.
    So many as are in favor will say aye.
    Those opposed, no.
    A quorum being present, the ayes have it and the motion is 
adopted. Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid 
upon the table.
    The next order of business is Committee Resolution No. 3 
regarding the committee's authorization and oversight plan for 
the 118th Congress. I call up Committee Resolution No. 3. The 
clerk will read the resolution.
    Mr. Greene. Committee Resolution No. 3. Resolved, that the 
Committee on Armed Services, U.S. House of Representatives, 
adopt the committee authorization and oversight plan for the 
118th Congress, a copy of which has been distributed to each 
Member.
    The Chairman. The authorization and oversight plan was 
coordinated with Mr. Smith and made available to members' 
offices on Tuesday, January 31. I ask unanimous consent the 
resolution be considered as read and that the resolution be 
open to amendment at any point.
    Without objection, so ordered.
    At this time, is there any discussion or are there any 
questions concerning the authorization and oversight plan?
    If there is no discussion, are there any amendments to the 
authorization and oversight plan?
    The chair now recognizes the gentleman from Virginia, Mr. 
Wittman, for the purpose of offering a motion regarding 
Committee Resolution No. 3, the authorization and oversight 
plan for the 118th Congress.
    Mr. Wittman. Mr. Chairman, I move to adopt Committee 
Resolution No. 3.
    The Chairman. The question now occurs on the motion of the 
gentleman from Virginia, Mr. Wittman.
    So many as are in favor will say aye.
    Those opposed, no.
    A quorum being present, the ayes have it and the motion is 
adopted. And without objection, a motion to reconsider is laid 
upon the table.
[GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

    On the final order of business, I call up Resolution 
No. 4, appointing committee staff in the 118th Congress. The 
clerk shall read the resolution.
    Mr. Greene. Committee Resolution No. 4. Resolved, that the 
persons listed on the sheet distributed to the Members, and 
such other personnel as may be required by the committee within 
the limits and terms authorized under the Rules of the House of 
Representatives, are hereby appointed to the staff of the 
Committee on Armed Services, U.S. House of Representatives, for 
the 118th Congress, it being understood that according to the 
provisions of law, the Chairman will fix the basic salary per 
annum.
    The Chairman. As many of you know, our committee is unique 
in that the committee staff is a combined staff. The staff is 
here to provide advice and counsel to all of you, Republican 
and Democrat members alike. Please feel free to avail yourself 
of their services. They a talented group of professionals.
    A copy of the committee staff for the 118th Congress was 
prepared in consultation with the minority and made available 
to members' offices on Tuesday, January 31. I ask unanimous 
consent that the resolution be considered as read.
    Without objection, so ordered.
    [GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
    
    At this time, is there any discussion or are there any 
questions concerning the committee staff?
    The chair now recognizes the gentleman from Virginia, Mr. 
Wittman, for the purpose of offering a motion regarding 
Committee Resolution No. 4, appointing the committee staff for 
the 118th Congress.
    Mr. Wittman. Mr. Chairman, I move to adopt Committee 
Resolution No. 4.
    The Chairman. The question now occurs on the motion of the 
gentleman from Virginia, Mr. Wittman.
    So many as are in favor will say aye.
    Those opposed, no.
    A quorum being present, the ayes have it and the motion is 
adopted. Without objection, a motion to reconsider is laid upon 
the table.
    Without objection, committee staff is authorized to make 
technical and conforming changes to reflect the action of the 
committee in adopting Committee Resolution No. 1 through 4.
    Before I go to Mr. Smith, I want to tell y'all, if you look 
at the other committees, they don't do what we just did. Those 
people are fighting like cats and dogs, trying to figure out 
the rules.
    This is my eleventh Congress. We have never had an 
amendment or discussion. We get this stuff done in a bipartisan 
fashion before we meet in here. We are the only committee that 
does that and we should all take pride in that.
    With that, I now recognize Mr. Smith for any closing 
comments.
    Mr. Smith. Only closing comment is to completely agree with 
what you just said.
    [Laughter.]
    And thank you for running a good meeting.
    The Chairman. Thank you.
    We are adjourned.
    [Whereupon, at 9:21 a.m., the committee was adjourned.]

                                  [all]