“Today I am proud to support the fiscal year 2009 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) because it addresses the most pressing needs and priorities of our nation’s military, and it supports our troops in harm’s way. 

 “In particular, the bill under consideration takes special aim at the U.S. military’s top priority for fiscal year 2009:  readiness.  As our continued military involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan puts wear and tear on our forces, it is critical that we make the needed investments to keep our Armed Forces ready to respond to threats to our national security. 

 “For our portion of the legislation, the Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee focused on some of the Defense Department’s most important challenges:  the fight against al-Qaida, their allies and their ideology; rapid development and deployment of new technology in new battlefields; and defending the homeland from catastrophic unconventional attacks.

 “The subcommittee’s mark supports the expansion of our special operations forces (SOF) and provides needed equipment and support, recognizing that SOF personnel function as the ‘tip of the spear’ in our fight against al-Qaida and their allies in places like Iraq, Afghanistan, Malaysia, and the Philippines.  Our portion of the NDAA supports SOF growth and provides essential equipment and support, including $185 million to fully fund eight top priorities of U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) left unfunded in the President’s budget request.

 “In addition to providing our SOF personnel the tools they need to fight terrorist groups, this year’s NDAA prioritizes ‘irregular warfare,’ including counterinsurgency, stability operations, and strategic communications.  We require that an Assistant Secretary of Defense be tasked with management of irregular warfare to make sure these essential functions get needed support and attention from the Pentagon.  We include a $90 million increase for embedded cultural advisors in Iraq and Afghanistan and require the creation of a management board to enhance coordination of DoD’s counter-terrorism strategic communications. 

 “Our subcommittee also focused on enhancing DoD’s use of technology and included language and funding to help protect the United States from unconventional attacks.  The NDAA funds needed science and technology (S&T) research, streamlines our acquisition process for commercial information technology (IT) for the military, and mandates greater coordination and collaboration between DoD and the VA. 

 “We added funds for the Chemical-Biological Defense Program, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, and other homeland defense initiatives.  Our language also clarifies the President’s authority to use the Reserves during national emergencies.  These provisions ensure our military remains up-to-date and ready to prevent and respond to major attacks on the homeland.

 “I look forward to discussing these facets of our subcommittee’s portion of the larger NDAA, and I commend Chairman Ike Skelton (D-MO) and the House Armed Services Committee staff for their help in constructing this essential legislation.  I would also like to thank the ranking member on the Terrorism Subcommittee, Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX) for his contribution. 

 “We should also take a moment to recognize the work of Rep. Jim Saxton (R-NJ), the former chairman of the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities, for his contribution to HASC over the years in light of this being his final defense authorization markup.”