McKeon's Priorities

House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Howard "Buck" McKeon (R-CA), the presumptive next chairman of the panel, isn't waiting for the transfer of power in January to put forth his priorities. In a statement issued this morning, McKeon outlined what he termed "a broad vision for national defense policy that emphasizes winning the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq while also investing in the capabilities and force structure necessary to protect the United States from threats of tomorrow." Further:

America remains a nation at war.  More than 150,000 of our sons and daughters are deployed around the globe in the fight against al-Qaeda and its terrorist allies. The top priority of the Armed Services Committee, as outlined in the House Republicans' Pledge to America, will be to work in a bipartisan manner to provide those brave warfighters the resources and support they need to succeed in their missions and return home safely. . . .

In carrying out our constitutional mandate, we must place a renewed emphasis on oversight.  Our efforts will be relevant and directly tied to the front-line war fighter in Iraq and Afghanistan and the protection of the U.S. homeland. Our oversight will be focused and aggressive, while upholding the integrity of the military and its personnel.

Our citizens have spoken, and they want a defense budget that is sufficient to address the challenges of today and the threats of tomorrow. One percent real growth in the base defense budget over the next five years is a net reduction for modernization efforts which are critical to protecting our nation's homeland.

According to the statement, McKeon's priorities for the 112th Congress include:

* Ensuring our troops deployed in Afghanistan, Iraq and around the world have the equipment, resources, authorities, training, and time they need to successfully complete their missions and return home;

* Building on the Armed Services Committee’s strong bipartisan tradition of providing our warfighters and their families with the resources and support they need; and

* Investing in the capabilities and force structure needed to protect the United States from tomorrow’s threats, while mandating fiscal responsibility, accountability, and transparency from the Department of Defense.

McKeon said congressional Republicans "are committed to passing a National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011 that is not weighed down by the current majority's social agenda items."