Shelby Chairs Hearing on Defense Dept. FY19 Budget Request
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and its Subcommittee on Defense, today conducted a subcommittee hearing to review the Fiscal Year 2019 funding request and budget justification for the U.S. Department of Defense. The Honorable James Mattis, Secretary of the Department of Defense, and General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, testified before the subcommittee.
During the hearing, Chairman Shelby questioned Secretary Mattis on current plans to address the ongoing situations in Iran and North Korea, highlighting the administration’s plan to focus on a diplomatic solution and requesting an update on the Defense Department’s path forward. Secretary Mattis discussed the President’s recent announcement regarding the nation’s withdrawal from the Iran deal, stating that the agreement was “inadequate for the long-term effort.”
Senator Shelby’s opening remarks, as prepared, are below.
“The Subcommittee will come to order. I am pleased to welcome our distinguished panel to review the fiscal year 2019 budget request for the Department of Defense.
“Today the committee will hear from: The Honorable James Mattis, Secretary of Defense, and General Joseph Dunford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
“It is an honor to have you both back before the Subcommittee this morning, and we look forward to hearing more about your priorities.
“The world is a complex and dangerous place, and as we consider the appropriate funding level for the Department in 2019, we remain interested in the Department’s work to restore military readiness, and improve our national security.
“I now turn to the Vice Chairman, Senator Durbin, for his opening remarks.”
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