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Cole Remarks at Oversight Hearing on the Department of Defense

June 10, 2025
Remarks

Thank you Chairman Calvert and Ranking Member McCollum. Welcome Secretary Hegseth and General Caine, and thank you for your service to our great nation. As today marks your first appearance before this subcommittee, I want to reaffirm my commitment to working with you to ensure a strong defense. We convene at a time of significant global uncertainty. The threats facing America are diverse and evolving – and demand a strong, agile, and effectively funded Department of Defense. As Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, my primary responsibility is to ensure that taxpayer dollars are allocated wisely and effectively to safeguard our security. 

First, I want to address the readiness of our armed forces. We must ensure that our troops are fully equipped, trained, and prepared to meet any challenge. I am particularly interested in the current state of our defense industrial base and the steps being taken to address any identified shortfalls in being able to meet production demands. Next, I want to address the modernization of our military capabilities. It takes us too long to acquire new weapons systems – meanwhile our adversaries are rapidly developing advanced technologies. We must not surrender our technological edge or allow our forces to be underequipped and outgunned.

I would like to hear about your plans for Golden Dome, hypersonics, and other programs that are evolving with the constantly changing nature of war. It’s imperative that we invest in technologies that will define the future fight. At the same time, we must remain realistic about development timelines and avoid overcommitting to a single approach at the expense of adaptability. It is important that this subcommittee understands how tradeoffs and risks were approached in this budget. I have been concerned about capability gaps during transitions from one platform to the next, and while space is the next frontier, I am hearing more and more that space offers an answer to every problem. While I am optimistic about space-based capabilities, I certainly think platforms, like the E-7, offer tremendous capabilities until – and beyond – when space is fully online. 

We need diversified capability and support for programs across domains to ensure continued military dominance. I also want to hear more about the Department’s efforts to produce a budget that balances maintaining a strong defense posture with exercising fiscal responsibility. I will be seeking assurances that the Department is maximizing efficiency and eliminating wasteful spending. Mr. Secretary, I look forward to hearing more about what you have done with the efforts undertaken so far. 

I want to emphasize the importance of congressional oversight. I am committed to working with the Department of Defense to ensure that our national security objectives are met. However, we also have a duty to hold it accountable for its spending and performance. I think I can speak for almost everyone in this room that no one liked the way the Fiscal Year 2025 process ended. And almost no one likes the way the Fiscal Year 2026 process has begun under such intense time constraints. However, we owe it to the men and women in uniform to get this right. It will require collaboration with the Department to inform and produce a product that will meet that goal. I look forward to being a partner with you in that effort. 

Again, thank you for being here today. I yield back.