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Gallagher: "Congress Must Step In And Help Navy Avert Disaster"

July 25, 2022

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI), Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee's Subcommittee on Military Personnel, today released the following statement in response to a Politico report that highlights Pentagon infighting over the size of the Navy and the Pentagon's inability to articulate a clear vision

"How many ships does our Navy need to deter—and if necessary win—a war? It should be a simple question. But our Navy is apparently incapable of providing Congress a direct and consistent answer. The fact that Congress has received four different answers from the Navy in the past three months alone sparks confusion and ultimately, less effective advocacy.

"The Constitution requires Congress to provide and maintain a Navy, and it is now clear that Congress must step in and help the Navy avert disaster before it is too late.

"This is why I worked with my colleague Elaine Luria to insert language establishing a congressional commission on the future of the Navy into this year's NDAA. Bandaids are no longer sufficient and it is time for Congress to exercise its oversight responsibilities to dig deep into the problems plaguing our Navy and right its course before it heads into harm's way.

"Congress must also act to codify my NDAA language aligning the Navy's Title 10 mandate with its day-to-day responsibility of peacetime forward deterrence. In the absence of statutory change, the Pentagon will continue shortchanging the Navy when it comes to its indispensable role in forward deterrence and reassuring our allies and partners.

"I hope the Navy will embrace these efforts in the spirit in which they are offered. As a Marine, this is personal for me. I will not let the military Department that I love continue down its current course when it is strikingly clear where it leads. We must act now."

Click HERE to read more about provisions Rep. Gallagher helped secure in the FY2023 NDAA, including language that would create a Congressional commission analyzing the future of the Navy and language that would better align the Navy's Title 10 mission with the responsibilities the Navy is tasked with today.