The Subcommittee on Defense will come to order.
Today, the Subcommittee will hold an open hearing, in which all Members of the House have been invited to testify on their priorities for the Fiscal Year 2024 Defense Appropriations bill.
As you are all aware, the Subcommittee receives thousands of Member requests per year. Ranking Member McCollum and I take requests from both sides of the aisle very seriously.
It is our constitutional responsibility to provide for our Nation’s defense.
I don’t have to remind anyone that China and Russia are growing bolder by the day. It is vital that America be a leading force against Chinese provocation in the Pacific and Russian aggression against Ukraine.
I look forward to finding ways we can all work together to create efficiencies within the Defense Department, invest in capabilities our servicemembers need, and provide them the quality of life they deserve.
Without objection, all the testimony submitted by Members will be entered into the record. So ordered.
I now recognize the distinguished Ranking Member, Ms. McCollum, for her opening remarks.
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