Source: United States Senator for Oklahoma James Inhofe
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), today gave opening remarks at a hearing on the Department of the Navy’s fiscal year 2023 budget request.
Witnesses include: the Honorable Carlos Del Toro, Secretary of the Navy; Admiral Michael Gilday, Chief of Naval Operations; and General David Berger, Commandment of the Marine Corps.
Inhofe: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I join you in welcoming these three great leaders.
For four years, this committee has used the 2018 National Defense Strategy Commission [Report] as our roadmap to meet the threats that we face. It’s operated very well during this time. Unfortunately, the administration has sent to Congress a budget request that does not provide the resources to combat that threat and other threats. The Department of the Navy budget provides an increase of only 4 percent, and, more troubling, the Marine Corps portion includes just 1.8 percent increase. That’s nowhere close to the real growth, and, for the Marines, once you account for inflation, that’s actually a cut.
Given the inadequate budget request, it is no surprise that Admiral Gilday and General Berger’s unfunded priorities lists — we call those the risk lists — total $7.5 billion. More broadly, I am concerned about the state of our Navy and its downward trajectory. I actually had four items I was going to mention on here; however, all four of them ended up being in the Chairman’s opening remarks, so I won’t use those. The real growth is going to have to be applied to programs that move the needle.
On that topic, I’d like to note General Berger’s initiative in implementing the National Defense Strategy and his efforts to keep this committee informed of his plans. I look forward to discussing these topics and understanding from our witnesses the risks that we have. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.