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Good afternoon. The Defense Subcommittee will come to order.
The topic of today’s hearing is oversight of the Department of the Air Force. We have three witnesses before us today: Acting Secretary of the Air Force, Gary Ashworth; General David Allvin, Chief of Staff of the Air Force; and General Chance Saltzman, Chief of Space Operations. Secretary Ashworth, welcome to the subcommittee. General Allvin and General Saltzman, welcome back. The Administration released the “skinny budget” for Fiscal Year 2026 last Friday. This request includes more than $1 trillion overall for National Defense, however, it does so by assuming $113 billion in funds through reconciliation. The reconciliation process is not a sustainable approach to resourcing defense and is not a substitute for regular appropriations.
Thank you, Chairman Amodei and Ranking Member Underwood, and thank you, Madam Secretary, for being with us today.
Let me begin by commending the brave men and women of this department who stand on the front lines each day to protect the homeland. Under new leadership, they’ve been empowered to fully carry out that fundamental duty. From day one, the Trump Administration has made clear that protecting America is not negotiable—and this White House has taken immediate action to strengthen the security of our nation’s borders and enforce existing immigration laws. The contrast from the Biden Administration could not be clearer. Policies that allowed an open and lawless border have ended, and the message is clear: Illegal migrants—including violent offenders—will no longer have an open invitation. Criminal cartels and traffickers will no longer be enriched.And the safety of our citizens will no longer be put last.
I would like to thank Secretary Bessent for being here today and for his leadership and steady hand over the last several months.
We are living in an increasingly complex world with no shortage of issues. Whether it be taxes or tariffs, rightsizing regulation, or creating a regulatory framework for digital assets, the Department of the Treasury’s role is fundamental to their resolution. If we think about it, this is why the Department of the Treasury was created. The Department is central to maintaining a strong economy, creating jobs, and promoting economic growth both here and abroad.
Before we wrap up, I want to offer this in closing: our authorizing colleagues are working on reconciliation bills that will provide significant investments in the President’s immigration and border security agenda, including funding to the Coast Guard to secure our maritime border.
I commend them for their efforts to enable the Department to finish the wall, hire more agents and officers, and bring additional detention beds online.
I know the Department hopes to be made whole with reconciliation, but in the meantime, you need to live within your means.
It is our job as members of the Appropriations Committee to make sure the Department is appropriately spending the money Congress provides, as well as to ensure the Department has the resources it needs to execute its mission on an annual basis.
That work begins in earnest today, as we begin the Fiscal Year 2026 process.
