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Source: Congress.gov
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I want to welcome our witnesses and thank you all for your service to our great country. We are here today to hear from the Department of the Air Force on its FY26 budget request. Unfortunately, we still have not received information on the Air Force's budget request, which makes today's hearing a little difficult. We'll need that budget in order to fully evaluate how Congress can best support our airmen and guardians. We're facing the most complex threat environment in history. China is moving forward on six-generation fighter jets and sophisticated air defense systems. They are expanding their nuclear arsenal at an alarming rate. And they are deploying advanced hypersonic weapons and long-range cruise missiles capable of hitting our homeland. That's why it's never been more important to invest in modern systems that will deter and defeat threats against our nation. Fortunately, the House Pass Reconciliation Bill makes generational investments in our national security. The bill provides over $7 billion to support air superiority, including funds to acquire the F-47, the most advanced and lethal aircraft ever built. It provides $13 billion to modernize our nuclear deterrent and rebuild related infrastructure. And it invests over $25 billion in Golden Dome layered missile defense system. But sixth generation fighters, nuclear modernization, and Golden Dome are all big ticket items that will take years to fully develop. And the funding in our reconciliation bill will not be enough to fully support those initiatives. That's why it's so important for defense spending to grow in the out years. Reconciliation is a one-time investment. We've got to do more. It must be followed by healthy increases in the base budget so we can afford to fill these critical capabilities without cuts to readiness.
While I'm supportive of much of the Air Force's work, I do have concerns with some of the ongoing projects. Nuclear deterrence is vital to our national security, and I'm concerned that the Air Force is not adequately prioritizing it. Specifically, I'm troubled by past mismanagement of the Sentinel program. We must ensure Sentinel is ready in time to replace the current ICBMs before they reach their end of life. Congress has been explicit about the need to address Sentinel's cost and schedule overruns. We have prioritized and appropriated funding to fix these problems, and yet the Air Force has taken 1.2 billion out of Sentinel funds and used them instead to meet our other priorities in FY25. I want to be very clear. The Sentinel program is vital to modernizing our triad and ensuring nuclear deterrence. Senior Air Force leaders have made frequent statements agreeing that the service must prioritize nuclear deterrence. It's time to start walking the walk. I look forward to working with you to get this program back on track. I'm also concerned with our ability to fight and win in space. Specifically, I worry that when we see the budget, it may not adequately fund the Space Force. This is one reason why we need budget details so we can evaluate whether the funding is in line with our priorities. Within the Space Force, I want to be sure we don't lose sight of our mission. Space Force got its start in this committee driven by a desire to improve the way we buy things for space. Winning the fight in space requires us to quickly develop advanced systems and platforms. Doing so starts with highly trained acquisition professionals.
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