Oversight Hearing - Quality of Life in the Military
House Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
2025-04-08
Loading video...
Source: Congress.gov
Participants
Transcript
We're glad to have you, and we're gonna have a good morning today. Today's hearing is on the quality of life for our enlisted soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen, and guardians, and their families. The five witnesses at the table represent the highest enlisted level of leadership for their respective branches. I am pleased we are having this hearing again as we begin the 06, I mean 226 cycle, because I always like to see you guys first. This group of gentlemen have an insight that is critical. This hearing is important. of great importance to the identity of areas we can be more helpful for, for our service members and their families. We remain committed to providing quality, high-quality barracks and family housing, but military quality of life is much broader. It includes service members' work, training, and eat. It includes where their children go to school, where their families receive health care. So this is an opportunity to discuss the important connections between facilities, readiness, and quality of life. Investing in an infrastructure bolsters the military's ability to train and fight. while also ensuring our service members and their families are taken care of at home is just as important.
We owe that to them. Now, before I recognize Ms. Wasserman-Schultz, I'm gonna tell you that about 10 days ago or so, I received a message from her. She said, My team is playing your team. My team was Texas Tech. And I've been bad mouthing you for a couple of days. And you are welcome to bad mouth me and my team. Being a gentleman, as all Texans are, I ignored that. Didn't say one bad word about Ms. Wasserman Schultz or her team. But I am glad my team got beat by the national champions that's a good bragging right we take all the bragging rights we can get in texas so congratulations you have much to be proud of and she's obviously a fan I now yield to Ms. Wasserman-Schultz for opening remarks. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
And what I can say is that if you look, gentlemen, up in the dictionary, your photo is representative of all the meaning of that word. And my alma mater and our fans have a reputation, rightfully so, for being extremely devoted and enthusiastic about our school and our school's success. I am a very proud Gator, three generations seven immediate family members that are Florida Gators. And before I begin my opening remarks, I will just tout that we are now the only Division I school that has three football national championships, men's football national championships, and three men's basketball national championships. The only one. Quite proud. Go Gators. And there are lots of SEC schools represented here on this subcommittee. Most of us root for an SCC school when our own teams are not in it. And it was fun one-sidedly sparring with you. And thank you for yielding, Judge Carter. Thank you once again for holding this essential hearing. And thank you for the years of cooperation and mutual respect in which we engage. And I know that that will continue going forward. We all know the importance of the quality of life recruitment and retention to the military services that are this committee's responsibility. Our committee on a bipartisan basis has always advocated for and defended our service members' quality of life during their active duty, and I trust that that will continue. But this administration's continued callous disregard for service members, veterans, and their families threatens to overturn any progress that the services have made in their efforts. The administration has fired at least 6,000 veterans across the government, including at the VA, which provides essential promise benefits to our veterans.
They are also targeting deep cuts to programs across the federal government that veterans and service members rely upon, including SNAP, WIC, and financial aid, while deploying an economic strategy that has started a trade war and sent global stocks tumbling. At the Department of Defense, the plan to fire 5,400 probationary employees and the civilian hiring freeze has sent the agency into chaos, while unfairly making the lives of our service members more difficult. The chaotic rollout of this hiring freeze has also left current civilian employees in limbo and essential jobs unfulfilled, often falling to our service members to take on double duty.
Sign up for free to see the full transcript
Accounts help us prevent bots from abusing our site. Accounts are free and will allow you to access the full transcript.